How many & What kinds??

[Redhotemper02]

Hi there, Im getting a 220 for my Oscars this summer/fall. I will have a empty 55 I have not done any research just yet on the African Cichlids. I know I like the yellow ones and the striped ones. How many should be in a 55? How large do they grow to be? Are they messy like the Oscars? Also which ones seem to get along better, I have noticed some are ALot more aggressive then others. All and ANY input would be great. Just don't wanna jump into anything.

[Cichlid*Newbie]

I have Red Zebras and Kenyi's . I love them, i only have a 29g right now. I think you could put like 6-8 in a 55. I guess the female:male ratio should be 3:1

[Cichlid*Newbie]

Yellow ones are like Yellow Labs...and the striped Kenyi's maybe...i think kenyi's are a bit more aggressive.

[RainMan]

I'm assuming you are talking about Malawian Mbuna Cichlids....

Only pick 3 different types of cichlids... avoid similar markings and colors. You want to start off with at least 12 to sort out aggression.

Yellow Labs, Pseudotropheus socolofi, Pseudotropheus acei are good common choices.

You can get a synodontis cat or a medium pleco.

Do a Google search for (cichlid mbuna aquarium setup) to get an idea of how to setup the tank.

Keep more males to females... and keep your fingers crossed.

This should be in the Malawi Cichlid section... can a Mod move it??

[RainMan]

Avoid: Auratus, Kenyi, Demasoni... unless you are gonig to do a 1 species only tank. Demasoni can be kept in colonies of 12 or more and then you could add a few yellow labs. Or a male Kenyi with 4 females and a few yellow labs. But, I wouldn't recommend it if you are just starting off.

Cichlids are messy and require overstocking... so yes, they are dirty. Filtration is a very important aspect of any cichlid raising.

[toddnbecka]

Here's a link with some possible stocking plans: [Only Registered Users Can See Links.]
It will give you plenty of choices to consider, but I'd recommend asking more questions (specific compatability) once you have a tentative stock list together.
A 75 is a bit better for mbuna in general, but any size tank will require heavy-duty filtration and weekly maintenance.

[Redhotemper02]

A 75 is a bit better for mbuna in general, but any size tank will require heavy-duty filtration and weekly maintenance.


Oh I believe that. Fish Are Pigs. Thanks for the Link I will be doing lots of research before I make my decision that's for sure.

[toddnbecka]

Some fish are worse than others, Oscars and pleco's in particular are poop factories. Mbuna are best kept heavily stocked, (overcrowded by some standards) to spread aggression around. Relatively high stocking density means more pollution, so heavy filtration/circulation and regular water changes are a real necessity. Figure on turning over the tank volume 10x/hour as a standard, more is better.