oscar 006

Hey everyone. I have been told a few different answers on this so I was hoping that someone could put this to rest. With African cichlids, what is the ratio of inches of fish to gallons of water? Some people have told me that it is the same as for regular fish 1:1, other have told me it is 3:1. Does anyone have the right answer? Currently I have 8 cichlids in a 55 gallon tank. Two of then are maybe 4", the others range from 1.5" - 3". They are all different kinds, and all seem to get along fine. I just don't know if eventually will have to get a bigger tank? Thanks again.

Andyoybna

There is no right answer for this question IMO, it all depends on your tank, your filtration, the species you have, and male to female ratios. Basically though, with african cichlids, you can get away with just about as many as your tank can hold, while still keeping good water quality.

With 8 africans in a 55, you may want to double that IMO, I had I believe 9, in a 30 gallon, plus cory cats, loaches, etc. IMO/IME overstocking africans is the best way to keep them from being aggressive towards eachother, and one fish bullying all of the others. It definately makes it a little bit harder to keep up with water changes, but at the same time, makes the tank a whole lot more lively and interesting.

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harley3k

I'd generally agree it mostly depends on what species of cichlid we're talking about. Realistically African cichlids care more about footprint then they do gallonage as its territories at the bottom of the tank that become the problem. Overstocking can curb aggression in certain species, although you'll need to over filter. I'll use my tank as an example. I have four species of Malawains in a 55g, OB Zebra's, Maingano's, Hongi's and Socolofi for a total of 15 fish. I have a Hob filter, and a XP2 canister to deal with the extra bio load.

The other thing to consider is the male to female ratio. (This is where my tank fails by the way. I have two males I'm trying to rehome before WWIII takes place). This varies depending on species again. For example the more agressive Mbuna should be kept in a 1M to 3F ratio. Some of the more peaceful species (read Yellow Labs), will do fine in almost any ratio.