need assistance with laboratory work

[florin8]

I've got a 29 gallon tank stocked with four yellow labs - three are about 1.5-2 inches, one's a bit smaller at just over an inch. I've also got another yellow lab that's around 2.5 inches, and I've had him for a few months now. He's been through a lot with the other fish I've had, so I'm hesitant to get rid of him. My question is, would it be okay to put him in with the others, considering his size difference?

I've also got a brichardi and a demasoni, both around 2.5 inches, and I'm thinking of selling the demasoni next week for store credit to get another brichardi. If it's not a good idea to put the larger lab in with the others, I might sell him too.

[florin8]

Update: I removed the two smallest labs from the tank and introduced the demasoni and larger lab. There was some aggression from almost all the fish, so I've covered the tank to reduce stress while they adjust.

I'd appreciate any advice. My plan is to keep the other two labs in the 10gal for a few weeks until they're big enough to join the others. Long term, I only want to keep the five labs in the tank.

[willona]

I'm pretty new to this whole cichlid thing, been doing it for about a year now. I've got a convict that's just huge, and three yellow labs that I've found to be super intelligent but also super aggressive. I'd love to add some other fish to the tank, but I know they'll only get along with catfish. I was thinking, what about red-tipped sharks? I've seen them in a tank with cichlids at the store, but another cichlid owner told me it's not a good idea. I've got a 10-gallon and a 30-gallon tank, the convict has the whole 30-gallon to himself since he doesn't play well with others - he's eaten four of my other cichlids. He's got a big algae eater as a tankmate, but that's it. My yellow labs are in the 10-gallon with two small algae eaters. Do you think I could introduce the red-tipped sharks to either of these tanks?

[dynamo7]

I'm pretty new to this whole cichlid thing, been doing it for about a year now. I've got a convict that's just huge, and three yellow labs that I've found to be super intelligent but also super aggressive. I'd love to add some other fish to the tank, but I know they'll only get along with catfish. I was thinking, what about red-tipped sharks? I've seen them in a tank with cichlids at the store, but another cichlid owner told me it's not a good idea. I've got a 10-gallon and a 30-gallon tank, the convict has the whole 30-gallon to himself since he doesn't play well with others - he's eaten four of my other cichlids. He's got a big algae eater as a tankmate, but that's it. My yellow labs are in the 10-gallon with two small algae eaters. Do you think I could introduce the red-tipped sharks to either of these tanks?

Welcome to the forum, glad to have you on board. I've gotta say though, I think you're a bit tank-strapped for the fish you've already got, let alone adding more to the mix. Convict's an American cichlid, Labs are African - they've got different setup requirements, so it's not a good idea to put them together. But honestly, neither would thrive in a 10-gallon tank, it's just too small.

Red-tailed sharks, they can get pretty big, and they need a lot more space than what you've got available.

[florin8]

If you're planning on keeping Africans, I'd avoid convicts altogether. I once tried introducing a green terror to an African tank and it didn't end well. A friend of mine has successfully kept a pair of terrors in his mixed African tank for a couple years now, but his terrors were always bigger than the Africans and his tank is massive. I've learned the hard way that it's best to stick to a species tank if you have less than 55 gallons. Even then, you need a lot of space for full-grown cichlids. I'm working with a 30 gallon tank myself, which is the largest I can have in my space. I've got 6 labs and a brichardi in there. As for sharks, my friend has a rainbow shark that's been thriving in his tank for years - it's 6 inches long now. But to make it work, you need plenty of hiding spots, lots of room, and I think it helps if the shark is bigger than the cichlids when you introduce it.