# Mixing Yellow Labs and Convicts



## Mr_Yellow_Shoes

Can you mix yellow labs and convict cichlids? I know it might be a dumb question, but another user here has some convicts with african cichlids, the reason i am asking is because I want a frontosa but i do not want to have a huge 100 gallon and up tank, so the next best thing is the convict, thanks


----------



## Fogelhund

Their natural water parameters aren't so different that they can't be mixed. The main issue is that of aggression if the convicts breed. One convict wouldn't be a problem though.


----------



## Mr_Yellow_Shoes

Oh okay, Would they (about a 4 inch male convict) be able to eat about 1.5 inch fry?


----------



## Fogelhund

They might. I'd get a convict of similar size to my other fish. They certainly are common enough that you should be able to find a smaller one.


----------



## Mr_Yellow_Shoes

But my fry are only about 1 inch to 1.5 inches in length, and the other thing is i want them to start making babies (fry) ASAP, no real reason, just want to start learning how to care for fry


----------



## TheeMon

look from personal experience, i had a convict in with a mixed mbuna tank, he killed them all off 1 by 1 untill only he and a johanii were left(then killed the johanii) id stear clear dude...

+++ that convict will eat any new lab fry


----------



## Mr_Yellow_Shoes

Dang, thanks for the tip, any advice on any white and black Stripped (like a convict and a frontosa) common African cichlid


----------



## bmills

White and black striped look in an Mbuna.

Anyone else thinking of Greyshakei?

If I were you I'd also have a look at some of the Cy. Afra variants. Not quite white/black, but they are striped, and they are awesome fish.

Cheers


----------



## Fogelhund

How about Pseudotropheus demasoni or Cynotilapia White Top?


----------



## Mr_Yellow_Shoes

My LFS does not have them, neither do alot of stores around me, i might go with the saulosi because i can get 10 fry along with 6 more yellow labs for 20 dollars from a friend. Do you think i am over paying for them?


----------



## bmills

Good deal!

And you're lucky. I wish there were good Saulosi available near me in Sydney (I see a few from time to time but they aren't nice and I've steered clear of them).


----------



## Mr_Yellow_Shoes

Yeah, even better, they are delivering, btw, is an adult yellow lab, 11 yellow fry, and 10 saulosi fry too much for a 29 gallon tank? i want to overstock it to reduce aggression


----------



## bmills

Yes! Sorry to be so blunt but that is a severely overstocked tank - far more than the 'slight overstocking to reduce aggression' that many Mbuna keepers would recommend.

For the first year or so, as most of your fish are fry, they might get on ok. But then you will have size issues (simply too many inches of fish to be healthy in your tank even if they were absolute angels) and aggression issues.

It know its not what you want to hear so sorry man...

If it were me, I'd just take the Saulosi. 10 fry will be fine in there for a while, particularly if you aquascape carefully with rocks. And you'll have a visual difference anyway as the males are blue/black striped and females yellow. Due to size of tank I'd try to only have say 2 males to 8 females.

But once they are adults, let me tell you that most would recommend to think twice about keeping any Mbuna at all in a 29G.


----------



## Mr_Yellow_Shoes

bmills said:


> Yes! Sorry to be so blunt but that is a severely overstocked tank - far more than the 'slight overstocking to reduce aggression' that many Mbuna keepers would recommend.
> 
> For the first year or so, as most of your fish are fry, they might get on ok. But then you will have size issues (simply too many inches of fish to be healthy in your tank even if they were absolute angels) and aggression issues.
> 
> It know its not what you want to hear so sorry man...
> 
> If it were me, I'd just take the Saulosi. 10 fry will be fine in there for a while, particularly if you aquascape carefully with rocks. And you'll have a visual difference anyway as the males are blue/black striped and females yellow. Due to size of tank I'd try to only have say 2 males to 8 females.
> 
> But once they are adults, let me tell you that most would recommend to think twice about keeping any Mbuna at all in a 29G.


Yeah i thought so, im only looking to keep them in there for a year and a couple of months (most likely end of summer ill get some money working) also is there any way to sex saulosi fry?


----------



## bmills

Have you thought of trying to get a cheap second 29G setup - perhaps second-hand?

It would be a much better thing for you to have one with the Labs, and the other with the Saulosi.

I'm just seriously worried about 22 Mbuna in a 29G tank for 12-18 months.

As for sexing Saulosi I am no expert as have never had that species. I think they start off all as yellows when juvies, and the males gradually colour up to blue (you'd probably notice the emergence of striping first) as they mature. As with all Mbuna the only sure-fire way when they are juvies is to vent them.


----------



## Darkside

TheeMon said:


> look from personal experience, i had a convict in with a mixed mbuna tank, he killed them all off 1 by 1 untill only he and a johanii were left(then killed the johanii) id stear clear dude...
> 
> +++ that convict will eat any new lab fry


I had a convict in with my Crabro. Had... because the convict is dead now , yet a singular tiger bard persists...


----------



## Mr_Yellow_Shoes

Can you vent them at that age? and yeah it is alot for one tank, i got my 29 gallon second hand for 60 dollars complete with a MAgnum HOT filter that was rated for a 55 gallon tank, stand, heater, chemicals, food, a big net, and a syphon, I might look into a second tank though, A cheap 29 might be reasonable, just got to make space for it


----------



## TheeMon

dude a 29 is too small, why 2 smaller tanks? why not buy a 55(they sell used for 55$, prolly cheaper) then take all the stuff off the 29 and put on the 55...


----------



## Mr_Yellow_Shoes

Sounds like a good idea, i mean i do have a filter rated for a tank like that, ill look in to it :thumb:


----------

