Yellow lab cichlid

Overview

The yellow lab, also sold as the electric yellow cichlid, is the yellow form of Labidochromis caeruleus and probably the most recommended Lake Malawi cichlid for beginners. It is a mbuna, one of the rock-dwelling cichlids of the lake, lemon yellow with black edging on the dorsal and pelvic fins, strongest in dominant males.

People love it because males and females are both yellow, it is busy all day, and it is noticeably milder than most mbuna. That does not make it a tropical community fish: like everything from Lake Malawi it needs hard, alkaline water and should only live with other African cichlids of similar temperament. It is a great first fish for a Malawi rock tank.

Care and tank setup

For a small group (one male and three or four females) plan on 55 gallons (200 liters) with at least 40 inches (100 cm) of length; if you mix it with other mbuna, 75 gallons (300 liters) or more is better. Water must be hard and alkaline: if your tap water is soft, use Malawi buffer salts or an aragonite or crushed coral substrate to hold the pH up.

• Aquascape: lots of securely stacked rock with crevices and caves over sand. This splits up territories and reduces aggression.
• Plants: few survive; anubias and vallisneria handle hard water best.
• Tankmates: other mild-mannered mbuna in different colors, such as blue species. Avoid same-colored fish that could hybridize.
• Common mistakes: mixing it with soft-water fish, keeping too many males, or offering too little rockwork.

A cycled tank, strong filtration, a heater and weekly 30% water changes are essential.

Feeding

Unlike the more herbivorous mbuna, yellow labs feed mostly on small invertebrates among the rocks in the wild, though they happily take plant matter too. Offer a quality Malawi cichlid pellet with spirulina, supplemented with frozen mysis or brine shrimp. Skip beef heart and avoid overfeeding: small portions once or twice a day help prevent Malawi bloat.

Breeding

Yellow labs are maternal mouthbrooders. After courtship the female picks up the eggs and holds them in her mouth for about three to four weeks, barely eating. She then releases 10 to 25 fully formed fry that eat crushed pellets from day one. They breed readily in aquariums. To save the fry, move the holding female to a separate tank shortly before release or provide plenty of hiding spots.

Compatible tank mates

Species from our database that share water parameters, size and temperament with the Yellow lab cichlid. Calculated from the data in each profile.

Check the compatibility of your whole tank →

What not to keep it with

Popular species you shouldn’t house with the Yellow lab cichlid, and why.

• Discus: incompatible temperatures, incompatible pH, incompatible water hardness
• Oscar: incompatible pH, one may eat the other due to size, incompatible temperaments
• Ram cichlid: incompatible pH
• Celestial pearl danio: incompatible temperatures, incompatible pH, one may eat the other due to size
• Rummy-nose tetra: incompatible pH
• Cardinal tetra: incompatible pH, incompatible water hardness
• Ember tetra: incompatible pH, one may eat the other due to size
• Amano shrimp: eats shrimp

Recommended equipment

What you need to keep the Yellow lab cichlid healthy, checked against Amazon stock.