Yellow Lab – Labidochromis caeruleus – Medium

Yellow Labs (Labidochromis caeruleus) are a strikingly beautiful shade of bright electric yellow. Their fins are tipped in black, the males more so than the females, though it is very difficult to tell the genders apart. This yellow color variant originates in the Lion’s Cove area of Lake Malawi.

Malawian and Victorian cichlids are similar in care and temperament, leading to fish from these two lakes being grouped together in the hobby. Several hundreds species of cichlid are found in Lake Malawi, along with many regional variations, but Lake Victoria has far fewer due to the introduction of invasive predators. Most cichlids in both lakes are rock-dwellers. They seldom stray far from the rocky bottoms and sides of the lake and will quickly dart into the rocks to hide. As with all cichlids, they are very territorial and will not tolerate other cichlids around their crevice.

Two of the most popular groups of these cichlids are the Peacocks (mostly the Aulonocara genus) and Mbuna’s (native term for rock fish and including the genera Pseudotropheus, Labidochromis, Maylandia, Melanochromis and others). While aggression and compatibility can vary from species to species, mixing Mbuna and Peacock cichlids is not usually recommended. Mbuna cichlids tend to be more aggressive and may bully the usually more passive Peacocks but some Mbuna cichlids are far more aggressive than others. Several other groups of cichlids can also be found from these lakes, some of which can be large and aggressive predators; research all choices carefully.

Dcor for a Malawi/Victoria aquarium should be very rocky. Rock piles and shelf-like backgrounds are common designs and can be made from tufa rock, lava rock or slate. Substrates can range from the whitish coral sand used in saltwater aquariums to black freshwater sand or even regular decorative gravels. Wood tends to lower pH and is not usually recommended for African cichlid aquariums.