Allie

The orange one is a red zebra and the yellow one is a yellow lab

trish_norris

Thank you very much Allie you have helped me out a lot on this post I appreciate it. Now I can do a little more research on them. One question, is this a good combo usually?

Allie

Red zebra and yellow labs are great together. But the venustus is a problem...different level of aggression.
No problem.
Anything I can do help to help people with their Africans cichlids. I went thru 20+ species over the past 2 years trying to get the right combo for our set up.
If it can help others not got thru all the changing up of fish or deaths. I have no problem with that at all. If you have any more questions just ask.

guppyluv

beautiful chichlids
but ive never had a problem with my venustus in my 55 gal..they are mixed with labs, zebras, appache's, kenyi and electric blues..i dunno maybe i got a lucky pair..lol

Allie

How old are they, your looks like they aren't mature enough to see the aggression yet.

trish_norris

I don't know how old they are the people I got them from did not tell me. I put them in the 75 gallon (don't worry I used bio-spira). They are loving it! I know I want to add fish I just havn't decided what kind of cichlids yet.

wvguy26105

The one on the left looks like a red zebra (Metriaclima estherae) and the one on the right is a yellow lab (Labidochromis caeruleus). As far as labs go male and female are both yellow distinguished by the dark stripe males tend to be darker and broader black stripe. The males are also more aggressive although labs can cross breed.

Allie

The question was answered months ago...labs don't have stripes. They have black tips on theri fins dorsal and anal fin. They aren't that aggressive at all.

wvguy26105

And if you would've read what I said the males tend to be more aggressive than the females and yes young labs do have almost transparent black vertical stripes but the stripes I was reffering to to sex them are the dorsal and anal fins. I don't appreciate being corrected as if I am some type of idiot. I am not a child and I do work at a fish store so I do have some knowledge of cichlids and I have raised cichlids for about 15 years now but I guess that doesn't give me any knowledge or experience. Do some reading up on yellow labs and you will see exactly what I was referring to. I would post an informational link but I dont think links are allowed in posts.

Butterfly

Yes links are allowed in posts, just not advertising. Please respond to other members with respect. We do give each other constructive criticism when we disagree. You don't have to agree but please disagree in a respectful manner.
This is also an old thread and the questions were answered several months ago. Thanks for your cooperation.
Carol

Slug

Inbred, bad quality labs will have bars or stripes on them and faint yellow. Good quality labs should be solid deep yellow, minimal barring, and very strong dark black on the fins. White bellies are sometimes seen too, just a natural color morph.

Allie

Barring is the word I call it. Yeah I know all about Malawi cichlids, I have the Malawi bible here. Ad Konings 3rd edition: Malawi cichlids in their Natural Habitat. Some wild labidochromis caeruleus even have a blue hue on the bellies.
They have info and pixs on any thing from the common red zebra to the ones that are found in lfs too much.
To me if they have stripes they aren't true yellow labs

Allie

I know all kinds about Malawi cichlid I have been breeding & studying them for a few yearsExcuse me? You don't have to be rude, this is what this site is about learning and excepting help even if you don't need it. If you don't like it, then don't post.
PS If I do anymore reading on yellow labs you may want to show me where else I could read about them that I haven't already LOL

Allie

If you know so much about African Malawi cichlids...why is your tank not stocked properly? 1 male to 3 or more female depending on the species. Only one species type per tank & this is what you have in your and you know so much
2 Yellow Lab cichlids, 1 Red Zebra cichlid, 2 Electric Blue Johanni cichlids, 1 Demosani cichlid. 1 Ice blue Zebra cichlid,1 Cobalt Blue Zebra cichlid
Demasoni cichlid should be kept in groups of 8 or more, all zebra species are metriaclima and aggressive so def in that small of tank 52g only 1 zebra species.

So before you go off telling people off maybe you watch who you are telling off. Some of us do know what we are talking about.

Slug

Some are even totally blue with black fins, i know. Caeruleus even means blue in latin. But labs can still have barring after years of inbreeding and stress levels of aquarium keeping. "True" labs of the yellow variety only come from 1-2 places in the lake. Also breeding the yellow variety with other color morphs, you will have bars. Its still a Labidochromis caeruleus, and the yellow is a dominant gene so its going to be yellow....people will just call it yellow lab and sell it. Then you have bars.

No doubt i respect and admire Ad Konings for what he has done for this hobby, years and years spent in this hobby hearing about folks like him, almost celebrity status in the cichlid world, then finally getting to meet him in person is an experience. But like there are many forms of religion, the bible is not the all knowing, all seeing, only one true source.

Allie

Yeah they are species of Labidochromis caeruleus. But a true "electric yellow lab or yellow lab" is the solid yellow with black trim on their fins. If two of the lab species have bred in an aquarium, they would be man made hybrid...people and lfs store should say hybrid.
Yet that is exactly how all of the different species are created to begin with in Lake Malawi. But it's a no no in the aquarium. Silly but everyone has there reasons.

Someday aquarium bred fish will be the only fish available for fish keepers. Importing and exporting wild caught fish most likely will be done away with or being more choosy with what species they do import/export. But this is a whole other thread all together lol.