Lemon Mbuna Cichlid

The Lemon Mbuna Cichlid (Labidochromis caeruleus) also called the Yellow Lab or Electric Yellow Cichlid, is a species of Cichlid native to Lake Malawi in East Africa specifically along the Western coastline of the Lake in the country of Malawi.

The yellow colour morph that we see in modern aquariums were originally bred from fish from the "Lion's Cove" area.

Habitat

In the wild, these fish are found around the Western coast of Lake Malawi. The habitat is rocky and sediment rich, allowing these fish to spend a lot of time rooting about and exploring crevices and rock structures.

Male specimens of this species tend to grow larger than the Females. They are easy to tell apart at Males have a dark blue / black stripe across their dorsal fin, which has more prominent points along the top. The pectoral and anal fins also have these markings.

Females have more rounded fins and tend to lack the colourful stripe across their dorsal fin, having more white markings instead. They may still display colour in their fins but it is much less vibrant.

A comfortable temperature for these fish is between 24°C - 26°C.

Size

Our specimens currently measure approx. 6cm - 8cm.

This species' maximum size typically reaches approx. 12.5cm

Aquarium

We recommend a tank of at least 4 foot in length and 120 Litre capacity, with enough room to suitably accommodate at least 4 of these fish. 

Include plenty of rocks and structures to emulate their natural environment. Suitable rock would be Ocean Rock, Gorgon Rock, Seiryu Rock and River Cobble Stones to form the substrate. You can also incorporate river gravel or sand with the other rocks on top.

These fish need plenty of nooks and crevices in which to explore and hide to feel safe.

We do not recommend live plants as they are liable to be eaten and/or destroyed by the natural foraging behaviour of these fish.

Tank mates for this fish would be other Mbuna or Hap Cichlids of a similar size and disposition. Lemon Mbuna's are one of the less boisterous species from Lake Malawi.

Try to keep 1 Male with 3 or 4 Females. The Male is territorial and they will fight for dominance if you keep more than 1 specimen.

The tank should be well established to avoid any surprise changes in water parameters that may upset or be otherwise detrimental to the fish.

pH levels should fall between the 7.5 - 8.5 range.
Hardness should fall between 2 - 25 dGH

Behaviour

Lemon Mbuna Cichlids are an intelligent and curious fish. Out of all of the Cichlids from Lake Malawi, they are one of the least aggressive. That being said, they can still be quite boisterous and the Males will fight for dominance and territory if there is more than one.

They are not suitable for a peaceful community tank, and should be housed either in a species only tank or in a specialist Malawi Cichlid setup with other species of Mbuna or Hap Cichlids of similar size and temperament.

They will spend their time exploring the rock work and hiding in crevices, rooting about in the substrate, and looking for food.

This is a freshwater species - Do not put them in a marine / saltwater aquarium.