Mystery

[bluemoon38]

Just completed cycle in 45 gal tank, water chemistry as follows: ph 8.0,temp 79, ammonia=0, nitrates=5ppm, hard water. Two days later add one yellow lab (labidochromis caeruleus). About 1.5" long, not sure of sex. He or she is doing fine(and still is) 3 days later I add 3 male peacocks about 1.5' long. They appeared to be settled in but yellow lab was keeping a close eye on them. Also introduced at the same time 2 synodontis lace catfish which I had ordered and were supposed to be in the `-1.5" size range but instead one was 3" and the other about 4.5". All was well when I went to bed, this morning 3 dead peacocks with no signs of any trauma. Cats are fine, Lab is fine and I am $40 dollars poorer.

 

[jonclark96]

Hard to say. I haven't had any experience with synodontis being killers. They are usually pretty relaxed. I could be the yellow lab. Maybe you have one that is really evil.

Are you water parameters still stable?

 

[DiscusnAfricans]

Cats or lab could've been carriers for an infection also, but tough to say since most all was added in a short period of time. Worth checking the water parameters, if those are still in line, something was brought into the tank since no evidence of trauma.

 

[bluemoon38]

Thanks for the input, I will watch remaining fish for any health issues.

 

[CSnyder00]

I had a yellow lab that was a straight up murderer. It could also be a chemistry swing that happened and then the bacteria caught up to it overnight. I’d focus on the yellow lab.

 

[stany]

My Yellow Lab is a good community tank fish in a all male tank. I do believe each fish has it's own personality and has traits that can fool us into thinking they are this or that. I have a Rusty that seems to be on a death quest occupying areas claimed by dominate males trying to own spots. He takes a beating at times and goes into hiding at times only to revisit the area of the tank he gets beat up at.

 

[CSnyder00]

I do believe each fish has it's own personality and has traits.

I agree. As is evidenced by our different experiences with two different yellow labs. I had him in with some other Mbuna and he was a straight murderer. Yours is fine. With any cichlid, aggression should be assumed until you have the fish for a while. Even then, any fish can turn into a cold-blooded (<---literally...okay technically a poikilotherm if we are getting technical) killer if something in the tank changes, whether it be water quality or some other issue.

Where are you at with the situation now?

 

[stany]

Sometimes you create the best environment and hope for the best. You can only hope they behave as expected. I've sold off 4 that grew over 4 inches that got too aggressive and I'm OK with that. I've taken the grand experiment with mixing males as as a on going project.