# How aggressive are yellow labridens?



## travis2k (Apr 23, 2008)

well? how aggressive are they, here is what I'm thinking for a stock list so far, how would yellow labridens go with these? or are they too mean?

Male Jack dempsey 2 
Gold severum 3 
sengal bichir 1 
Green Severum 2
Synspilum 1 
Green Terror (Gold Saum) 1 
Rotkeil Severum 2 
Geophagus steindachneri 6 
Geophagus Altifrons 5 
Silver Dollars 8+


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## RyanR (Apr 29, 2008)

The problem is going to be water parameters. The New Worlds will want slightly acidic, softer water, whereas the labs will want more basic, harder water. Talk to your LFS and see if they're treating the water chemistry differently for their African cichlids.

-Ryan


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## Richled13 (Mar 7, 2008)

Well, actually, the water parameters for yellow labs and many CA cichlids arenâ€™t that different. With the SA cichlids, everything but your Jack Dempseys (I think, might have missed something) they want the softer water. I think if you could get your water at 7.8-8.0 pH and probably be ok (not perfect) for a lot of Africans and CAs in the same tank. So Firemouths, Convicts, etc. might be better for the water parameters issue.

Now there are other reasons not to do it. One potential reason is that yellow labs are actually much less aggressive than most CA cichlids. Another is that new world cichlids use color to communicate to some extent, whereas most if not all of African Rift Lake cichlids do not. In New World cichlids, the brighter you are, the more dominant (generally). In Africans, many of them are always bright. Thus, the new worlders might see the Africans as constantly trying to challenge them, and if youâ€™ve got a Green Terror versus a Yellow Lab wonâ€™t be much of a struggle for dominance. The yellow labs wonâ€™t know how to stop it, and they could be killed.

This _might_ work if you kept peaceful CAs with yellow labs. No convicts, no JDs, nothing too aggressive. Maybe nicaraguensis and firemouths and some of the convict cousins would work. Maybe.


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## travis2k (Apr 23, 2008)

Just to be clear, I do NOT mean yellow labs (labidochromis caeruleus)

I DO mean yellow Labridens (Herichthys labridens), they are central american


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## Richled13 (Mar 7, 2008)

Oops, sorry, I think I just looked at the second one. My bad. I don't know anything about those CAs.


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## roman_back (May 8, 2007)

actually this is a pretty rare fish.. a beauty as well. they turn black while feeding on live food, for this is their hunting colors. nice fish!! and good find.


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## gage (Feb 7, 2007)

what size tank? from whats in your tank, unless it is over 200 gallons, it is already over stocked.


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## travis2k (Apr 23, 2008)

the tank is 700 gallons

the lady at the lfs, told me they were pretty rare, all thoguh $$$$$$
I think they were $50 ish for 1" or less, so I will let them grow them before I buy anything

all fish here are more expensive, but Im not spending that much on fry

knowing they were rare, thought I would consider them, they come from a good sorce, and i beleive are F1


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## roman_back (May 8, 2007)

i wouldnt mind looking into getting some of these myself, the yellow on these greatly surpass the yellow on a salvini.. and they would add some color to a c/a tank. i say go get em lol.. :thumb:


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

Was I the only one that assumed he was talking about real yellow labs and not those fake malawi ones???? :lol:


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## roman_back (May 8, 2007)

dwarfpike said:


> Was I the only one that assumed he was talking about real yellow labs and not those fake malawi ones???? :lol:


 :lol:


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## klumsyninja (Aug 14, 2008)

dwarfpike said:


> Was I the only one that assumed he was talking about real yellow labs and not those fake malawi ones???? :lol:


I think it would be cruel to keep a dog in a fish tank.. but a 700G, maybe.. lol


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## travis2k (Apr 23, 2008)

ok, thanks for all the laughs, no not a yellow labrador retriever either

but any chance we can get back to the question? any info on these guys?

thanks


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## roman_back (May 8, 2007)

this link is the best i can do, try to google some info up on them. like i stated before this is a verry rare fish and not to much is known about them. 
http://www.cichlidae.com/gallery/species.php?s=209

hope this helps :thumb:


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## roman_back (May 8, 2007)

Conservation: Herichthys labridens is listed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as (EN) Endangered (1996). Listed in the Mexican Official Norm NOM-059-ECOL-2001 with classification A (In danger of extinction). Many years of experience with this species and its habitat show me that in fact this species may not be in danger of extinction, but it is vulnerable.

(taken from the cichlid room)


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## remarkosmoc (Oct 19, 2005)

I'v never seen or heard of them before, just googled it and wow that is a beautiful species, I may have to do some more research


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

You might want to run a search in the photo section, I know *MoJo* has been asked about how he keeps his in there before!! They are on my wish list, but not many people keep them so not much info out there!


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## RyanR (Apr 29, 2008)

Richled13 said:


> Oops, sorry, I think I just looked at the second one. My bad. I don't know anything about those CAs.


No this is my bad. :lol: Sorry.... having just researched and bought one, I had Labidochromis on the brain. :lol:


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## Riceburner (Sep 3, 2008)

Weeelll...I've got yellow Labs and JDs...could toss a lab into the JD tank and see....


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## travis2k (Apr 23, 2008)

Roman, thanks for the info and link.

I have watched a couple of aqua mojo videos I had found, will see what else I can find.
I will keep an eye on the fish at the lfs, I dont expect many people are willing to pay their price.

Riceburner, did you miss the rest of the thread? Do you realize what a yellow labridens is? and how fast my $2.39 10" Jack dempsey would make a quick snack of a 3/4" $50-$60 close to extinct fish.

bad Idea, If I decide to get these, I will give them their own tank to grow out it, and baby the **** out of them, so no, "and see"


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## shaunpitzer (May 8, 2008)

Eddie Martin at Bluegrass Aquatics is bringing some to the GCAS Swap Meet this weekend if you ask for them. He does not have them on his website currently but the GCAS post has them listed $20 but without size. He would probably be able to get you alot of information as he is pretty good friends with Rusty Wessel. They both came to the January meeting where Rusty gave an interesting Firemouth talk. Nice guys.


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## travis2k (Apr 23, 2008)

Thanks,

What is the GCAS? Greater Cincinnati Aquarium society?
I will check out the bluegrass aquatics site, I suppose I could email the supplier and see what info they have as well.

Its really not fair of the new lfs to go and get all sorts of cool wild caught and rare fish, every time I go in there my wish list grows


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