Yellow lab cichlid care
Labidochromis caeruleus · Lake Malawi, Africa
Yellow labs are among the calmest Lake Malawi cichlids: bright yellow with black fin edges.
- Tank size
- 55 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 72 to 82 °F (22 to 28 °C)
- Group size
- 4 or more
- Temperament
- Semi-aggressive
- Adult size
- 6 in (large males; most stay near 4 in)
- pH
- 7.5 to 8.5
- Hardness (GH)
- 10 to 20 dGH
- Lifespan
- 6 to 10 years
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Care level
- Easy
In a 55 gallon
48¼ × 12¾ × 21 in outsideHow to keep yellow lab cichlids
Yellow labs are among the calmest Lake Malawi cichlids: bright yellow with black fin edges. They need hard, alkaline water, rockwork and a group (one male to several females) in a 55 gallon or larger tank, usually with other mbuna.
Diet: Omnivore: cichlid pellets with spirulina, frozen foods. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Middle of the tank.
Yellow lab cichlid tank mates
Share the temperature and water, and neither side eats, nips or bullies the other. Check the full group in the stocking checker.
Giant danio
6 in · 55+ gal · 72–79 °F
Three-spot (blue) gourami
6 in · 29+ gal · 72–82 °F
Firemouth cichlid
6 in · 40+ gal · 75–84 °F
Peacock cichlid
6 in · 55+ gal · 75–82 °F
Cuckoo catfish
6 in · 55+ gal · 75–81 °F
Convict julie
5.1 in · 30+ gal · 75–80 °F
Petricola catfish
4.5 in · 30+ gal · 73–79 °F
Banded gourami
4 in · 30+ gal · 72–82 °F
Keep apart
Pea puffer: Pea puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Cherry shrimp: Yellow lab cichlids eat shrimp.
Amano shrimp: Yellow lab cichlids eat shrimp.
Ghost shrimp: Yellow lab cichlids eat shrimp.
African dwarf frog: African dwarf frogs are slow and get bullied or outcompeted by yellow lab cichlids.
Crystal red shrimp: Yellow lab cichlids eat shrimp.
What a yellow lab cichlid tank needs
A tank of 55 US gallons or more (such as the 55 gallon) with a cover, and the equipment below.
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Aqueon QuietFlow Canister Filter 200
Rated by the maker for up to 55 US gal, which covers a 55 gallon yellow lab cichlid tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Seachem Tidal 55
Rated by the maker for up to 55 US gal, which covers a 55 gallon yellow lab cichlid tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Aqueon Pro 150
Yellow lab cichlids need 72 to 82 °F; most homes run cooler, so a heater holds the temperature.
API Freshwater Master Test Kit
Tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, the readings that matter most before and after adding yellow lab cichlids.
Seachem Prime 100 mL
Removes chlorine and chloramine from tap water at every water change.
Fluval Edge Thermometer
Shows the water temperature at a glance, so you know it stays within 72 to 82 °F.
More choices, each with the reason it is in or out: Filters for a 55 gallon tank · Heaters for a 55 gallon tank. We don’t list fish food: any good brand of the foods under Diet will do. Plan the whole tank's equipment →
Common yellow lab cichlid problems
- Soft or acidic water shortens their lives.
- Malawi bloat follows high-protein diets; feed a plant-based pellet.
Test the water first whenever fish look unwell: see what your readings mean, then match the symptom. For disease, a vet who treats fish can diagnose it and advise treatment.
More to compare
Sources
Name, origin and adult size checked against Wikipedia: Labidochromis caeruleus. Temperature, pH, hardness, group size, lifespan and minimum tank size are common hobby guidance, not figures from that article. Ranges are the range the species tolerates; aim for the middle. Minimum tank sizes are for an adult group. Drawings are our own; photo credits follow.
Photo credits
Real photographs from Wikimedia Commons, resized and cropped to fit; each is used under the license named.
- Yellow lab cichlid Julian Matz, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Giant danio Faucon, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Three-spot (blue) gourami Peter Jung, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Firemouth cichlid H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Peacock cichlid Xav84800, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Cuckoo catfish Mario Rubio García, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Convict julie Regani, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Petricola catfish Nerezza, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Banded gourami Sandipan Das, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pea puffer Beta Mahatvaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Cherry shrimp TheJammingYam, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Amano shrimp Stefanie Leuker, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Ghost shrimp Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- African dwarf frog Stuart Halliday, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Crystal red shrimp DirkBlankenhaus, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Angelfish Citron, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Discus Patrick Farrelly, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- German blue ram Eric Mengel, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Cockatoo dwarf cichlid William Kreijkes, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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