Cichlid Tank Stocking Ideas

**Bglover** · 09-29-2012, 01:22 AM

Hello!

I currently have a 55g tank housing 2 red zebras and 1 yellow lab. Want to fill it out with a little more color, any ideas?

Thanks!

**escamosa** · 09-29-2012, 05:14 AM

Rusties and Aceis will go ok with your current stock! Four of each would be the maximum that I would go, in my opinion. Or remove the Red Zebras, add to the Labs, and then add the Aceis and Rusties.

Acei.

Rusty.

**tetrageek** · 10-02-2012, 07:59 AM

Love the rusty cichlid. The coloration is stunning.

**y2blade** · 10-02-2012, 08:22 AM

I'm new to these fish too so can't really offer much in the way of stock advice.

I have (six of each) Rusties, yellow labs, blue johani all getting along in my 67g.

**SW Florida Kid** · 10-02-2012, 02:53 PM

Acei's, Yellow Labs, and Rusties are pretty calm fish. Red Zebras are a little aggressive. From my experience, 15-20 is a really good number for africans. Evening out the aggression is key. There are many ways you can do an african tank. The ones mentioned in this thread are the most peaceful africans there are. You can get away with 12-16 africans. Every tank is different.

If it was my tank, I'd do:
4 Acei
4 Yellow Lab
4 Rusties
4 Red Zebra

Or maybe:
5 Acei
5 Yellow Lab
5 Red Zebra

Introduce the Acei's, and Yellow Labs first. Then add the Rusties a few days later. When you get Red Zebras, buy them smaller than the others. Red Zebras growth rate is a lot higher than any other cichlid and they are more aggressive than the other species I have noted. If you get all of the cichlids the same size, your Red Zebras will outgrow them and bully them.

Make sure you have ample filtration (about 550 GPH) and if they are juvies (around 1-2 inches), then I've been doing about a 25% water change per week. Obviously test your params though.

That would be a beautiful african tank with orange, yellow, blue, and purple colors. =)

**Northerly** · 10-02-2012, 03:04 PM

I'd recommend mainganos and acei just to switch up the color scheme a bit. I personally love mainganos, very easy to keep and interesting mannerisms

**escamosa** · 10-02-2012, 08:56 PM

Originally Posted by SW Florida Kid

Introduce the Acei's, and Yellow Labs first. Then add the Rusties a few days later. When you get Red Zebras, buy them smaller than the others. Red Zebras growth rate is a lot higher than any other cichlid and they are more aggressive than the other species I have noted.

I would do this a bit different. I would add the Rusties first (they're the most placid fish out of all of them). Then I would add the Aceis, then I would add the Labs. I'd rather let the more peaceful ones take a foothold in the tank, before the more aggressive ones. Labs can be a bit nasty sometimes. I wouldn't add anymore Red Zebs to a 55g. They can be very territorial when they decide to spawn, not to mention just cranky for no apparent reason, and with less than 55g of swimming room - once you throw in rocks and whatever else - makes it a dangerous environment for the other species. The OP has 2 Red Zebs and 1 Yellow Lab, so really there's going to be little to no aggression issues there (possibly more within the 2 Red Zebs, if they're males). I would rather take the Red Zebs out, OR leave them the way they are to keep the tank as peaceful as possible.

**Northerly** · 10-03-2012, 04:03 AM

Originally Posted by escamosa

I would rather take the Red Zebs out, OR leave them the way they are to keep the tank as peaceful as possible.

+1 i have 3 zebras in my 75 that fight constantly for no reason. Even with 1 being a male and the other 2 females, they fight non stop for no reason. Constantly flaring and whatnot. Not to mention they've gotten huge. I'm rehoming them to the LFS soon.