tank mates!?! help...!

[kcollin3]

Hello! I have an electric yellow cichlid. I do not know if it is a male or female... it has a little black on the fin and on the eyes, not much! It is about two and a half inches right now. I just put the cichlid in a 10 gallon aquarium today. The cichlid is all by himself. I would like to add another fish into the aquarium if I could...I feel the cichlid doesn't like being alone...or do they??? I read somewhere about dolphin cichlids making good tank mates for the yellow electrics. Is that true?? Any others? I have grown very attached to my cichlid and I don't want to risk another fish hurting him! Should I get another fish or just have him live alone? Thank you for reading this! I hope you can help!

Kristin:

[Lady Hobbs]

Yellow Labs need friends of their own species and larger tanks. They can get along with a few other cichlids but they all need lots of rocks and hiding spaces for their own territories.

Did you just set the tank up and add the fish or did you cycle the tank?

[genitor]

You mean blue dolphins? Not a good idea in such a small tank. Best if you add no more than two more yellow labs, in such a small tank aggression isssues will be too great to try a mix of other cichlids. Yellow labs are one of the less aggressive mbunas. Supply lots of hiding places with rocks.

[kcollin3]

Thanks for the replies! So I should get another yellow electric? What size...the same? And if I don't know if mine is a male or female... does it matter if I get a male or female? About the cycling the tank... I set it up the day before and added my cichlid yesterday to it.. about 24hrs later. Is that what you meant? Sorry! I'm a beginner!

[genitor]

Do not buy anymore fish as yet. Your tank is not cycled and you will have to do 30% partial water changes every day to save your fish's life. Download the free aquarium e-book from the menu to the left and it will tell you all about cycling along with other useful information.