electric yellow cichlids
- Thread starter wilson004
- Start date
The electric yellow labs are very hardy, very adaptable fishes that will spawn in almost any water conditions.
They are hardy, but you need to remember that they are also a rift lake cichlid. They do best in hard alakline water. A pH above 7.8, preferably around 8.2-8.4 and a high gH and kH as well as a TDS reading around 300+ is best. They really should have this for long term health, keeping them in softer near neutral water you run the risk of them getting sick and dying from issues resulting from that.
Providing hard alkaline water is very easy however. Usually all that is needed is some baking soda and epsom salts to achieve the results you want.
Providing hard alkaline water is very easy however. Usually all that is needed is some baking soda and epsom salts to achieve the results you want.
They are very easy to care for and very hardy.
This tank started with just 2.
(Its not my tank so don't flame me please.And the p.h. sits right at 7 btw.)
This tank started with just 2.
(Its not my tank so don't flame me please.And the p.h. sits right at 7 btw.)
Most cichlids will like high ph (8+). However, this is not to say they can not adapt. I have yellow labs in ph of 7.4 and they are doing great. They spawn too - which is not fun because they do it toooo often. Soooo many fish.
They are very hardy too and they get along with most cichlids(not to say that other cichlids dont get along with them). I have zebras in with mine and everyone is happy.
Be sure to provide plenty of hiding places (caves, tubes, rock, plants etc). They definately like those things.
Great fish too - I love their bright yellow color.
Aries
They are very hardy too and they get along with most cichlids(not to say that other cichlids dont get along with them). I have zebras in with mine and everyone is happy.
Be sure to provide plenty of hiding places (caves, tubes, rock, plants etc). They definately like those things.
Great fish too - I love their bright yellow color.
Aries
This is bugging me. Cichlids is a VERY BROAD scope of fish. Sorry but not all cichlids are from Lake Malawi I hate to break that to some of you.
By saying most "cichlids" will do fine in that water is very incorrect.
Please, this is very easy, identify which type of cichlids your talking about. There are ones from Lake Malawi, Lake Tangyanika, Lake Victoria and a general class of West Africans. So saying African cichlid doesn't even cut it. The cichlids from the rift lakes prefer hard alakline water, while the west africans prefer soft acidic water.
Now there are South American cichlids, for a few examples, Oscars, discus,angels, Apistogrammas, Severums, peacock bass etc. Soft acidic water there as well.
Central American cichlids, Jaguars, Midas, Dovii, etc also soft acidic water but are more adaptable and hardy in general.
There are also a few other places but those are not commonly available.
Most of these fish are not compatible with each other, aggression, food requirements, or water requirements dictate this. Even the cichlids from the rift lakes are not compatible with one another, you should keep Malawis with Malawis and Tangs with Tangs period. Its very simply to classify them and call them by the correct names, not everyone knows the differences even if you do, if a newbie comes on here and looks at this, sees that and says "oh gee I can keep my oscar with a Malawi Eye biter." They won't know the difference and why they shouldn't keep them together, what your doing by grouping all of those fish together is essentially advocating that its ok to keep anything and everything together.
By saying most "cichlids" will do fine in that water is very incorrect.
Please, this is very easy, identify which type of cichlids your talking about. There are ones from Lake Malawi, Lake Tangyanika, Lake Victoria and a general class of West Africans. So saying African cichlid doesn't even cut it. The cichlids from the rift lakes prefer hard alakline water, while the west africans prefer soft acidic water.
Now there are South American cichlids, for a few examples, Oscars, discus,angels, Apistogrammas, Severums, peacock bass etc. Soft acidic water there as well.
Central American cichlids, Jaguars, Midas, Dovii, etc also soft acidic water but are more adaptable and hardy in general.
There are also a few other places but those are not commonly available.
Most of these fish are not compatible with each other, aggression, food requirements, or water requirements dictate this. Even the cichlids from the rift lakes are not compatible with one another, you should keep Malawis with Malawis and Tangs with Tangs period. Its very simply to classify them and call them by the correct names, not everyone knows the differences even if you do, if a newbie comes on here and looks at this, sees that and says "oh gee I can keep my oscar with a Malawi Eye biter." They won't know the difference and why they shouldn't keep them together, what your doing by grouping all of those fish together is essentially advocating that its ok to keep anything and everything together.
littleindianboy
AC Members
um, I dont know about the method of using baking soda and epsom salts to buffer ph or harden the water. As far as I know, baking soda is used to euthanize fish, because it causes carbon dioxide to form in the water.
Thats a new one for me, I haven't ever heard of anyone using Baking soda to euthanise fish. Baking soda is Calcium bicarbonate and extremely soluable in the water it is generally used to raise the pH, very little is needed to achieve this. What happens is when the Baking soda is added to water, the bond between the calcium and carbonate is broken and you have calcium atoms and carbonate ions. The carbonate doesn't react with the oxygen in the water to form carbon dioxide, but remains as it is. The calcium helps to slightly raise the TDS and gH of the water as well slightly the pH, while the carbonate vastly helps to raise the pH. The amount varies depending on what your current water params are. Magnesium sulfate which is epsoms salts is diluted in the water, breaking up into magnesium atoms and sulfate ions, raise the water hardness, gH and TDS (total dissolved solids) which is beneficial to rift lake cichlids.
What I think you may mean is Baking powder is used to euthanise fish, baking powder is sodium bicarbonate and will produce carbon dioxide when added to a solution, water or other such a bread and helps to cause it to rise much in the same way Yeast does.
What I think you may mean is Baking powder is used to euthanise fish, baking powder is sodium bicarbonate and will produce carbon dioxide when added to a solution, water or other such a bread and helps to cause it to rise much in the same way Yeast does.
Last edited:
I stand corrected.
Meant to say
Most cichlids [ from that area specifically speaking of yellow lab] will like high ph (8+).
I guess this is why I do not offer much advise.
Sorry for leading anyone down the wrong path.
Aries
Meant to say
Most cichlids [ from that area specifically speaking of yellow lab] will like high ph (8+).
I guess this is why I do not offer much advise.
Sorry for leading anyone down the wrong path.
Aries
I use baking soda to raise pH in my tanks and have never ever had any ill-effects. Granted, i dont use very much.
-Diana
-Diana