how many african cichlids can i have in my 40 gal. freshwater aquarium?

Question

and can u make money off them by breeding them and like selling them, to petco and places like that??????????

Answer 1

I'm afraid African cichlids require more consideration then size when deciding how many to stock - for many, territorial requirements are essential.

Take kribs for example. Looking at size you can fit about 10, but on a more practical level you can't find enough space in this tank to give this many fish a territory - you would be able to fit three pairs tops, and even this is pushing it, it would be wiser to give two pairs each half the tank.

It's much the same for most Tanganyikan rock dwelling species - they need territory and so should be stocked more lightly then many other fish. On the other hand Tropheus need to be stocked extra heavily.

If you are going with the average assorted type african that beginners tend to go with, they are usually mixed mbuna. For these fish it's actually best to stock heavily, that way the aggression is distributed among more fish. You can figure on about 12-15 in a 40 gallon, but must keep on top of maintenance.

Or perhaps you had peacocks in mind? In this case you can fit about 6 or 7. Small haps? About the same. Mid sized haps, figure on 3 or 4.

Do yourself a favor. First choose whether you want Malawi or Tanganyika. Then plan what type of fish you like and make sure they are compatible. Then, and only then, work out how many you can fit in the tank. Africans range from 1" to 24". They can be mouthbrooders or substrate spawners. They can be monogomous, harem, or colony breeders. They can be pretty mild or overly hostile. They can be best stocked lightly, or best stocked heavily. Don't generalize Africans - anyone who lumps them together as a rule is automatically wrong in their opinion.

These fish are very easy to breed, so don't try to get rich off it.

Answer 2

Well I'l just comment on Malawi. With a 40g I would stick with 12 P Salousi(3M/9F) or P Demasoni(12-15) or a quad of Peacocks(1M/3F. You would also need another 10 and 30g or so for growout tanks to make any money. I sell quit a few fry over a local fish club adds and auctions also aquabid. Only a few to certain LFS. I dont get rich but pays to run the tanks with some pocket money also, but I run 700g of tanks. Dont quit your dayjob just yet.

Answer 3

What species? 1 ? 20 ? Probably some number in between. You need to settle on the species that you want, work out what has the best chance of being compatible, size they grow to, aggression level etc. Just throwing 10 random cichlids in together will probably end badly. Ian

Answer 4

If you are going to keep african cichilds that max out at 4 or 5 inches....I would say you could keep up to 8 or 9 in a 40 gallon. From my experience, african cichilds are very aggressive fish. They do alot better with only other african cichilds. Other fish, they will pester the crap out of them.

About breeding.....I know petco doesn't buy fish. A pet store might buy them from you, but even if they did they wouldn't pay enough to justify breeding them.

Answer 5

It depends on the cichlids you want. If you go with tanganyikans, some of them are very small, and you could have maybe 8 of them (like leleupi, caudopuncatus, for example).
If you go with a more peaceful african cichlid like kribensis, you could go with maybe 6-7 of them, and a school of tetras besides.
If you want larger africans like malawis, then you could do maybe 1 male and 2-3 females.

No, you won't make money breeding and selling fish. Firstly, most petstores (chains in particular) will not accept fish from outside sources (hobbiests) - they get their fish from dealers and professional suppliers, and that way they can protect themselves from diseases and poor quality. Some smaller local petstore may accept fish, but typically they will only give you store credit. And lastly, unless you have a serious, professional breeding operations, you just won't be able to make a profit. It costs money to breed fish. You need hatching tanks (sometimes), rearing tanks, grow-out tanks, all which needs filters and heaters and gravel and lights and lids, and you need special fry food, you need to breed brine shrimp. If you manage to sell some, you may just cover your electrical bills.

Answer 6

I've heard not to populate these fish at higher than a 1 fish per 5 gallons ration. That would make 8 fish in your tank. They will do significantly better if the ratio is higher, say 1:8 or 1:10, which would be 5 or 4. As they increase in size, the number of fish must go lower or they will fight.

Answer 7

As far as the tank size only, you can have one. That's it. They grow too large for more. Cichlids require 50 gallons of water per adult fish. The only way you could make money selling your own bred fish would be privately to private buyers by advertising in the newspaper or on Craigslist, etc. Big stores have their own breeders and dealers and their process is a very complicated set of contracts, due diligence and arrangements.

Answer 8

Have you ever heard of the saying," For every gallon you can only have 1 inch of fish"? Lets say the fish is 2 inches and you have a 40 gallon tank. You can have about 20 fish in the tank. Then again sometimes you want to have a couple gallons exrta so they have room to grow and feel free. Hoped I helped

Answer 9

they are pretty territorial but, i say you can put about six to ten medium sized cichlids in that size tank. but remember lots of caves and rocks and dont forget to get the ph just right.

Answer 10

Has many as you want but they wont survive? Its hard work and the rewards can be very little to nothing. Try live bearers for fun platys/guppies.