Animal-World > Aquarium Tropical Fish > Cichlids > Electric Yellow Cichlid

Electric Yellow Cichlid

Lemon Drop ~ Yellow Lab

Family: CichlidaeLabidochromis caeruleusPhoto © Animal-World: Courtesy David Brough

   The bold striking colors of the Electric Yellow Cichlid have certainly helped it earn its name!

   This fish is usually seen in its golden phase, thus its common names: Electric Yellow Cichlid or Labido, Lemon drop Cichlid, and Yellow Lab. There are other color variations, especially blue, that are also occasionally available.

   One of the mbuna group, the small rock dwelling cichlids, the Electric Yellow Cichlid are found only in the Nkata Bay of Lake Malawi. This fish is most comfortable in an aquarium with lots of rocks and caves that provide hiding places for it to dart in and out of. If you provide plants they will not burrow or in any other way disturb them. This is also one of the most peaceful fishes of mbuna species. They can live singly or in pairs and are not territorial!

For more Information on keeping this fish see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Freshwater Aquarium

Distribution:    The Electric Yellow Cichlid or Labido, also known as the Lemon Drop Cichlid or Yellow Lab, were described by Fryer in 1956. They are found in Lake Malawi, Africa where they inhabit the rocky coastlines.

Status:    The species is listed on the IUCN Red List, but with the status of 'LC', meaning 'Least Concern'.

Description:   The body of the Electric Yellow Cichlid is stocky and rather elongated. It is usually seen in its golden phase with a black edge on its dorsal and anal fins, though it will often not show this vivid black striping until it is mature. There are other color variations, especially blue, that are occasionally available.

Size - Weight:    These fish get up to 8 inches (20 cm).

Care and feeding:    Since they are omnivorous, the Electric Yellow Cichlid will generally eat all kinds of live, fresh, and flake foods. To keep a good balance give them a high quality flake food or pellet everyday. Feed brine shrimp (either live or frozen) or blood worms as a treat.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom:    These fish will swim in all areas of the aquarium.

Acceptable Water Conditions:    Hardness: 10-20° dGH
   Ph: 7.2 to 8.8
   Temp: 75-79° F 24-28° C

Social Behaviors:    They are not a territorial fish. They are among the most peaceful fish found on Lake Malawi. These fish can live singly or in pairs. They are an ovophile mouth brooder with a matriarch family. They don't burrow or disturb plants.

Sexual Differences:    The male is more colorful at breeding time. They will develop a bluish color and are larger than the female.

Breeding/Reproduction:    The Electric Yellow Cichlid or Lemon Drop Cichlid are egg layers, form matriarchal families, and are ovophile mouth brooders.
   According to a report by SCHEUERMANN (1974) in Das Aquarium 8, 439-441: the young leave the mouth of the mother after 40 days at 23-24° C (73-75° F) or after 25 days at 27-28° C (81-82° F). The mother continues to care for the young for about a week after they leave her mouth.

See the description of how these fish breed in Breeding Freshwater Fish.

Availability:    The Electric Yellow Cichlid, also called the Lemon Drop Cichlid or Yellow Lab, is readily available. They usually cost between $6.00 - $12.00 USD each.

Author: David Brough. CFS.

• Electric Yellow : $5.00
• Electric Yellow : $23.79

Electric Yellow Labidochromis Offered By: PetsMart Price: $5.00

Electric Yellow Cichlid 3.5 4 Length Offered By: PetCo Price: $23.79

Lastest Comments on Electric Yellow Cichlid View all 87 comments on Electric Yellow Cichlid Add Your Comment

Maria - 2011-05-30 Hi, my brother is out of town and left me with his yellow fins. In these three months of taking care of them I saw never saw any strange behavior until I got to my office this morning and saw that one of them (if not mistaken, female) was lying dead on the sand without and eye and a hole on its stomach...I've been feeding them properly and last night when I left they were all doing great. Can someone please tell me what happened? I'm new to fish caring and would like to know a bit more on how to take good care of them. From what I read, the tank my brother has put them in (now three, used to be four) isn't too big and I've seen them push the sand so it caves up. I currently have two male and a Female in the tank, is there anything I need to be aware of? David Brough - 2011-06-06 Actually, it sounds like aggression on the part of one of the fish. It could be breeding behavior or just territorial in nature. How big is the aquarium and how many yellow fins do you have in it? Is there any sign of one of the fish being aggressive towards any of the others? raghu - 2011-08-09 Dear Maria, what substrate do use? There could be a chance of fish trying to dig and ended up with a piece stuck in its throat or it could have hurt its eye to your rocky arrangements. Or it could be due to stress. Chris - 2012-05-13 2 males and 2 females in a tank is a bad ratio to have. You want to have at least 3 females for every male in the tank, or they will be harrassed to death. They have been mounding up the sand to establish a breeding area, which makes me think the female was killed because she wasn't interested in breeding at that time. I know this is an old thread, but I figured I should respond to help others with the same problem. Reply

chris - 2011-07-21 Actually,my electric yellow isn't as calm as I had expected. It killed off all of my fish except for a molly and some neons. The molly that survived was actually pretty a aggressive molly and at the time I found it fighting with my electric yellow, and yes I mean a molly fighting with a cichlid. The electric yellow beat up the molly. The electric yellow bit off the mollys tail and fins, and to this day the poor molly has no left "arm fin". I had to put the electric yellow with my lone male plakat betta in another 10g fishtank to save what was left of my community tank. When I put the yellow in the betta picked on it at fist, but a day later after it claimed its territory I found the betta between 2 of my plants in its 10g fishtank with barely any fins so I take the betta out and put it in what's left of the community and it heals up. 1 month later I try the combination again to see that the electric grew 1cm and was about as big the plakat from head to toe. I see the electric spinning around the poor betta but the betta couldn't catch it. 3 minutes later the betta is beat up in the corner of the tank.i take the electric yellow out of my betta tank and put it in with my other mbunas and everythings good. imo electic yellows should just be kept with other mbunas and not community fish Philip - 2011-10-15 Neons and mollys are community fish and will only rarely survive with cichlids. Cichlids are, by comparison, aggressive and will harass/ stress/kill most community fish. Electric yellow are reasonably calm when kept with other cichlids. Jog - 2011-10-17 Did you not do some research before letting off the bull in the china glass market ? Even the most novice fishkeeper does some research before introducing any new fish in the tank. ! doug - 2011-12-20 Why would you put a cichlid with mollies ... And then put it in a betta tank. Betas are never suppose to be with any other fish.I have a cichlid tank with other Cichlids In it and these fish are amazing. Their also a great fish fish to have if you bright fish but don't want a saltwater tank. jane - 2012-02-17 You shouldn't mix chilids with other fish. You can only have chilids with chilids. dean - 2012-03-04 I have 2 Electric Yellow Cichlids in with a school of tiger barbs and a red tail shark, the yellows swim with the school of tiger barbs but don't harrass them. When first introduced they established dominance over the shark but then left it alone once everybody knew who was the boss of the tank :) jb - 2012-05-01 I have kept one male electric yellow he was 5in with a dozen of mollies, 20 neons, kribensis, 2 bristlenose and 5 yoyo loaches still happy now Reply

scott - 2012-04-21 My male yellow lab has been chasing the female lab and has stressed her. I've learned now I need more females to share the stress. I have her in a hospital net. What else can I do to stop her from dying...thanks ..scott Reply

Daryl - 2012-04-13 It would be highly inaccurate to say this fish is not territorial. All cichlids hold a degree of territorial nature. I have three labs, a kenyi and a red zebra, each of which have their own homes and the yellow-like other cichlids-will defend their territory. While they are possibly the most peaceful cichlids (passed by the kribensis), they are still aggressive and territorial Reply

Jamie - 2011-10-20 Ok I have an electric yellow a common orange, a bumble bee and a red jewel. We now have babies, for the life of me I can't figure out who the breeders are. Any ideas? Charlie Roche - 2011-10-21 Beats me but possibly you will be able to tell when they achieve full coloring. Why worry - they obviously figured out what to do. Just enjoy. Sandy - 2011-11-15 I had one Kenyl that mated with an Electric Yellow cichlid and had babies. I thought that was bizarre. Sandy Reply

Akshay Amle - 2011-07-28 Can i keep my yellow electric cichlid with my 3 red belly piranha which are 3 inches and cichlid is about a inch and half...someone please tell me asap..I need to move this cichlid from my tank to piranahs, cuz it eats the tail and the fins of angel fish and sometimes even kill them Charlie Roche - 2011-07-28 Not a good idea. - The cichlid will be seen as food. Sorry about that - another tank under consideration???? raghu - 2011-08-09 Dear Akshay, adding your yellow with piranahas is like putting your finger to the fire. No ways. mat everill - 2012-02-20 I am doing that exact same thing but with a 10 gallon. Yes you can. Opinion loses to fact - do it. Jeremy Roche - 2012-02-27 If you want variety in your piranha tank, you can add some Convicts. They hold their own pretty well. Reply

Add your comment!

View all 87 comments on Electric Yellow Cichlid

Back to Cichlids