"Dirty" electric yellow-lab cichlid

[mceagle555]

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]

A pic would help. He could be showing black as dominance or because there may be another female in the tank.

 

[mceagle555]

Here is a picture of the two yellow labs in the tank. The top one is the one in question.

 

[cav]

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]

Probably some type of hy-bred........

 

[cav]

Probably some type of hy-bred........

Are you talking about the top one?

 

[wesboreham]

looks like a male kenyi whose had more than his fair share of fights lol

 

[Prescu]

Top one actually looks like a male Kenyi to me. Even has the egg spots. I could be wrong though.

 

[x0x0x0]

the bottom one is definitely daktari.
The top one looks like it's been in a fight. kenyi. hmmm

 

[cav]

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!