View Full Version : "Dirty" electric yellow-lab cichlid
mceagle555
12-05-2007, 4:05 AM
Question for everyone:
I recently purchased two yellow-lab cichlids from my LFS. Each is about 1.5" long and have seemed quite healthy swimming around the my tank. I don't know how else to describe it, but recently one of the two cichlids has almost changed color. While he is still yellow, it appears as though he has a coating of black soot on him. As if he rolled around inside a chimney. There is no change to the other cichlid in the tank. Water parameters are fine with a Ph of 7.6 and temp of 76-78 degrees.
I know what ICH looks like and I am fairly certain it isn't that. Is there a disease I am missing here, or is it possible for cichlids to change color in this fashion?
tarheels910
12-05-2007, 8:46 AM
A pic would help. He could be showing black as dominance or because there may be another female in the tank.
mceagle555
12-05-2007, 3:26 PM
Here is a picture of the two yellow labs in the tank. The top one is the one in question.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2161/2089030209_d4e1e327d7.jpg?v=0
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14913385@N05/2089030209/
Neither are yellow labs. The bottom certainly isn't as I have one of these, its a Daktari, you can tell by the black markings on the tail fin. The top one looks a little like a crabro
Weezer
12-05-2007, 4:54 PM
Probably some type of hy-bred........
Probably some type of hy-bred........
Are you talking about the top one?
wesboreham
12-05-2007, 5:17 PM
looks like a male kenyi whose had more than his fair share of fights lol
Prescu
12-05-2007, 5:28 PM
Top one actually looks like a male Kenyi to me. Even has the egg spots. I could be wrong though.
x0x0x0
12-05-2007, 5:39 PM
the bottom one is definitely daktari.
The top one looks like it's been in a fight. kenyi. hmmm
I agree, I forgot male kenyi go yellow. I should of realised as I had to take mine out of my tank and return it as it was harrasing everyone else in the tank! Watch your Daktari, mine just digs and digs and digs!
mceagle555
12-05-2007, 7:48 PM
I guess you learn something new everyday. They came out of a mixed african tank at my LFS.
So are we assumed that the top one doesn't look like he is diseased? The reason I ask is that as of 2 weeks ago, they looked identical.
It is odd you mention the top one should be dominant. They are the only two in the tank and the bottom one is definitely dominant and slightly bigger. Anything else I need to look out for?
I guess you learn something new everyday. They came out of a mixed african tank at my LFS.
So are we assumed that the top one doesn't look like he is diseased? The reason I ask is that as of 2 weeks ago, they looked identical.
It is odd you mention the top one should be dominant. They are the only two in the tank and the bottom one is definitely dominant and slightly bigger. Anything else I need to look out for?
lol, my Daktari tried to be for a while untill some of the others over took him in size and now I have very little aggression in my tank despite the diverse stock I have, I find that at least once a week there will be all out war for about ten mins then it all settles back down again. Be sure to provide plenty of rocks for the Daktari as they tend to like watch the world from the safety of a cave
kay-bee
12-05-2007, 9:23 PM
The top one isn't a kenyi. The other one might be a dakari or part-dakari (pretty rare for those to wind up in assorted tanks, but anything is possible).
So are we assumed that the top one doesn't look like he is diseased? The reason I ask is that as of 2 weeks ago, they looked identical.
It's undergoing some sort of pattern or color transformation. Might look completely different when it's larger (if it is a hybrid).
It is odd you mention the top one should be dominant. They are the only two in the tank and the bottom one is definitely dominant and slightly bigger. Anything else I need to look out for?
Yep, aggression. Keeping only two mbuna in a tank isn't good. They need to be maintained decent sized groups (6 to 8+). With just two the sub-dominant one will receive 100% of all the aggression.
I guess you learn something new everyday. They came out of a mixed african tank at my LFS....
Were you told they were yellow labs or did you guess that was what they were?
Google images of Daktari definatley match the second fish and it looks exactly like my daktari
mceagle555
12-05-2007, 11:14 PM
The top one isn't a kenyi. The other one might be a dakari or part-dakari (pretty rare for those to wind up in assorted tanks, but anything is possible).
It's undergoing some sort of pattern or color transformation. Might look completely different when it's larger (if it is a hybrid).
Yep, aggression. Keeping only two mbuna in a tank isn't good. They need to be maintained decent sized groups (6 to 8+). With just two the sub-dominant one will receive 100% of all the aggression.
Were you told they were yellow labs or did you guess that was what they were?
So you would recommend going back to the store and picking up a few more mbuna? My LFS has them for 88c each until 12/15. If so, are there specific ones I should pick out?
I guessed they were yellow labs. I actually have an excellent LFS.
kay-bee
12-06-2007, 12:26 AM
So you would recommend going back to the store and picking up a few more mbuna....If so, are there specific ones I should pick out?
Yes, get a more. How large is your tank (that will dictate how many you can stock, hopefully it's at least a 55gal). Most mbuna's are compatible with each other (exception, of course, those that are highly conspecific aggressive, hyperdominant or bare low toleration of their own kind). What species are you interested in?
mceagle555
12-06-2007, 1:04 AM
Yes, get a more. How large is your tank (that will dictate how many you can stock, hopefully it's at least a 55gal). Most mbuna's are compatible with each other (exception, of course, those that are highly conspecific aggressive, hyperdominant or bare low toleration of their own kind). What species are you interested in?
Not really sure what species I am most interested in. I am new to the world of aquariums and the amount of cichlid names are too numerous to mention. If the LFS is quite reputable, should I be safe getting putting any fish together from the Mixed African Tank?
kay-bee
12-06-2007, 1:29 AM
...should I be safe getting putting any fish together from the Mixed African Tank?
Possibly. Depends on what you actually get and how your tank is set up (in terms of volume, aquascape, quantity of mbuna, gender ratio, are you planning to breed them, etc). Aggressive species like kenyi and auratus are often found in the assorted tanks. Beautiful fish, but can be very aggressive when matured.
Does your LFS have any mbuna species tanks? Many hobbyists prefer to obtain their mbuna's from species tanks or breeders (just for the fact that you know what you're getting, though that's not always a sure thing, I've seen yellow labs tainted with red zebra lineage being sold as Yellow Labs, so it also helps to know what they're supposed to look like).
What colors or patterns are you interested in?
mceagle555
12-06-2007, 8:48 AM
Possibly. Depends on what you actually get and how your tank is set up (in terms of volume, aquascape, quantity of mbuna, gender ratio, are you planning to breed them, etc). Aggressive species like kenyi and auratus are often found in the assorted tanks. Beautiful fish, but can be very aggressive when matured.
Does your LFS have any mbuna species tanks? Many hobbyists prefer to obtain their mbuna's from species tanks or breeders (just for the fact that you know what you're getting, though that's not always a sure thing, I've seen yellow labs tainted with red zebra lineage being sold as Yellow Labs, so it also helps to know what they're supposed to look like).
What colors or patterns are you interested in?
I'm a fan of anything similar to a yellow lab, convicts, purplish/blueish convicts, or something similar to what is in your avatar.
AquariumNoob13
12-06-2007, 9:23 AM
what about for those of us that DO have actual yellow labs, is it normal for them to be getting a black line in their middle?
tarheels910
12-06-2007, 3:10 PM
Yes, the top one IS NOT a Kenyi/Lombardoi. It appears possibly to be a male Saulosi before his color change, or most likely a hybrid.
The second fish is in fact a Daktari. Im not sure if it is a purebreed though, because the black lines are small.
Yes, the top one IS NOT a Kenyi/Lombardoi. It appears possibly to be a male Saulosi before his color change, or most likely a hybrid.
The second fish is in fact a Daktari. Im not sure if it is a purebreed though, because the black lines are small.
I still need to get you an up to date pic of my taiwan reef!
tarheels910
12-06-2007, 3:17 PM
I still need to get you an up to date pic of my taiwan reef!
Yes you do! I dont know if I shared it with anyone on this forum, but I managed to come along a pair myself. They are about and inch and the male is already starting to show some blue.
Yes you do! I dont know if I shared it with anyone on this forum, but I managed to come along a pair myself. They are about and inch and the male is already starting to show some blue.
I think mine is a male also as he is showing some blue around this head and a nice red colouring to the tips of his fins, good little grazer to constanly nibbling at algae on the rocks
GirlieGirl8521
12-06-2007, 3:32 PM
Yes, the top one IS NOT a Kenyi/Lombardoi. It appears possibly to be a male Saulosi before his color change, or most likely a hybrid.
Thats what I thought when I first saw the pic.....probably juvenile Saulosi before color change....or a hybrid.
The bars are probably because of stress if the other fish is being more aggressive...
Prescu
12-07-2007, 6:31 PM
Well... it looked like a Kenyi to me, lol. But more than likely a hybrid (especially for the price of the assorted mbuna tank at your LFS). However he is already displaying the egg spots and male Saulosi's are blue in color... who knows.
Anyway, I did jump onto this link because of the fact that my electric yellow lab's face turns blackish at times (mostly at night when it's asleep) and i was wondering if that's normal. Anyone know?
He is the runt of the litter however as his mouth opening is moreso on the right side of his face which makes him look like Popeye (the cartoon not the disease). Either way i bought him for my semi-aggressive tank since i didn't think he'd do too well with too many other cichlids (especially larger ones or an overstocked tank) and he's been alive and happy for over a year now. Maybe the black face is also part of some genetic defect as well. Just wondering if anyone else has seen this in their yellow labs.
kay-bee
12-15-2007, 8:36 AM
Some yellow labs will display darker pigmentation patterns, either on the face (mostly the males, sometimees resembling a '5-o'clock shadow') or long the body in the form of stress bars. These should be temporary if/when they appear. May be a quality issue if it becomes a permanent pattern. Not quite sure if wild caughts ever display this trait.