how many malawian african cichlids can there be in a 55g tank?

Question

they get about 5-6 inches.
there are 5 in there now, can i get more and what would be the limit?
just an estimate would be fine, you see, i want more but my bf says thats enough.

Answer 1

Hello...
You don't say how long your tank is, that is the determining factor with africans instead of the volume, because they are very territorial fish and need a lot of floor space.

The minimum tank length for African cichlids is 4ft, the decor should be rocks only, stacked the entire length of the tank, two thirds from back to front and at least 2 thirds high.

You should add malawi cichlids in groups starting with the least aggressive first and last in should be the most aggressive.

Basic rules to follow are not to have more than one male of each type per tank (unless the tank is massive) and several females to each male. Also, try not to put different species that look to similar together as the males will see each other as a threat and fight, often to the death.

You definately need more fish, only having your small number will lead to those you have already getting extremely territorial and killing any new fish you add later. African cichlids should be crowded (opposite to usual advice for keeping fish!) this is to compress their territories.

What you should do now will be a bit of a mission, but worth it. If you haven't got enough rocks (as described earlier) I would get enough to sort the tank and the fish on the same day. Catch your existing fish and put them in a deep bucket (I use a hard cooler box like families take camping!) with an airline using existing tank water, maybe put a heater in there too if you think it's going to take a while.

You could either buy the new fish first and put them in the bucket/cooler box with the old fish or leave the old fish in the bucket with a lid on while you go and buy some more, it really depends how near your local fish specialist is.

Arrange the rocks as described, (making sure there are lots of caves with front and back entrances) then go and buy your new fish, I would get about 6 or 8, two different types, a male of each and the rest females of the same types.

Turn the lights off, add all the fish and LEAVE THE LIGHTS OFF for at least a day or so. This makes the fish calmer and allows the old fish to sense the newcomers so that when the lights go on, they are no longer 'invaders'. It is important to take the old fish out first because this allows the 'pecking order' to be re-set and the old fish are busy looking for a new home instead of attacking their new friends.

Assuming you have an external filter and are testing the water regularly, I would add another group of fish within a week. Unlike normal, it is important to stock fairly quickly to prevent the current fish getting too territorial.

If your tank is 4ft long, you can probably get about 25 fish in total. If longer, 5ft or 6ft, then maybe 40, (based on average adult sizes of about 15cms instead of the larger 25-30cm species).

These fish require a large external filter and should not be fed bloodworm, but otherwise a varied diet, including lots of algae/spiralina enriched food, frozen food alongside a good cichlid dry pellet (not flake) hikari make some excellent foods and the new frozen imporvit pellets that combine the vits and minerals of dry foods with the benefits of many types of frozen food in one easy pellet! Allow the algae to grow on the rocks and the fish will graze on this when hungary. They should only be fed a small amount once a day, in the first few weeks I'd feed once every other day until bacteria levels build up to sufficient levels in the filter.

Answer 2

All Other Answers Taken Into Consideration- Simple answer is to use the inch of fish per gallon rule since we're not sure you mean mbuna. I like the lengthiest answer back there but I will mention that you can make sure those rocks help maintain the alkalinity of the tank and I'm sure the people where you buy your fish can point you in the right direction for those and that the fish absolutely love it if you put a sand substrate (this is kinder on their hide too when they feel like fighting) and don't expect or try to keep it the way you want it. They will rearrange things like we move furniture around and make their own burrows and you can add Chiclid salt at about a forth of what the bottle recommends on some malawi chiclid salt (assuming those are mbuna) get the temp. just right and keep your eyes peeled because they will be breeding and thats quite a site with the mouth brooders.

Answer 3

It really depends. Generally when people speak of Malawi cichlids they mean the mbunas from the lake and those are much smaller than the Haps from the lake as a rule. Given the differences in temperament between the various species, it's really going to depends on almost a species level.

Here's a few links with some great malawi info. The second has a forum for malawi fans and I'm sure you can find out all the details you need to know to put together a really superior tank.

http://malawicichlids.com/index.htm
http://www.malawimayhem.com/

Hope that helps

MM

Answer 4

Depending on species you can fit anywhere from 8 to 15 fish in your tank. As already mentioned you should research species on an individual basis (they range widely in aggression and size) and also learn all about these fish, since their aggression can be difficult to handle. If you mention what species you do have it would help. Overstocking Malawis is very common because it distributes aggression among more fish and they do well like this, but diligent tank maintenance is a must.

www.cichlid-forum.com is the best cichlid site I've every come accross, and there's plenty of knowledge to be found there.

Answer 5

Lake Malawi Cichlids are very aggresive towards each other. IF you want to add MORE then take out all the fish, move all the decorations and put them back because new fish will get bullied by LMC. I would also make territories. I wouldtry giving them each their own cave and each having 8-10 gallons. Due to their size I would only put tow or three more. Plus you could even try breeding them all.

Answer 6

The real deciding factor for Mbuna is not fish size,but territory size. This is highly individualized by species, but a 55 is not large enough for any but the least territorial of Mbuna. Research on each individual specie is required.

Answer 7

dont ignore you are going to choose african rift salt to your tank. a million tablespoon according to 5 gallons is the measurement i think of. and yellow labs can each and every from time to time be very aggressive.and attempt paying for fish from a save, no longer a megastar chain like petsmart or petco, you get extra advantageous provider and information.

Answer 8

It all depends on how big they will get when they are fully grown.I would have to say if they will get 10".No more than two or three.keep like fish with each other.what i mean is that if they are from south America keep them with south American fish and so on.

Answer 9

one per g. but if you are move lots of h2o .65 to 70.. an it works..