How many cichlids can i have??

[a.tetreault]

Ronnie you are exactly right, the people on here are very knowledgeable and we don't mean to sound negative, we just get a little frustrated when people have been given the wrong advice, we are very passionate about fish keeping and what them all to be as healthy and happy as possible, it's the owners responsibility to give them the best home possible right?

 

[a.tetreault]

And in this situation the advice you were given was terrible. Not that it's your fault at all. But it's easy to correct it

 

[ronnieroach]

Ronnie you are exactly right, the people on here are very knowledgeable and we don't mean to sound like a-holes, we just get a little frustrated when people have been given the wrong advice, we are very passionate about fish keeping and what them all to be as healthy and happy as possible, it's the owners responsibility to give them the best home possible right?

i feel ya A.Tet but i do think people should convey their advice a little nicer to newbs (& everyone really) cuz i almost didn't come back at first when people told me my stock was horrible!! & everything would die!!, etc etc lol

VERY happy i stayed though .. this site has saved my butt more than a few times!!!!!

 

[a.tetreault]

very true, but i didnt really know what else to say...he does have 5 oscars in one tank lol

 

[ronnieroach]

my friend who "taught" me years ago just set up a 55 w/ 4 oscars & 2 emerald cories i gave him for his 55 community.. i tried explaining about bioload, territory, etc etc & thats when he went from 2 to 3 to 4 like a moron .. ya can't fix stupid A.Tet lol

 

[Lafeet85]

Hey can everyone, get back on topic here!!!!!!! I'm asking about cichlids here and you guys are talking rubbish about oscars!?? and also about the comment about " The Guy at the fish store". There shouldn't be any problems with his advice, he has been running that store for over 20 years and I assume he would know about fish and fish keeping. So why do you think I can trust you over him? What knowledge do you have that he might not?

 

[Lafeet85]

Ok. So I have a 20 gallon tank, I have one electric yellow Malawi. What else can I put in thank tank in order not to have a tank with a single fish in it??????????????

 

[jetajockey]

There shouldn't be any problems with his advice, he has been running that store for over 20 years and I assume he would know about fish and fish keeping. So why do you think I can trust you over him? What knowledge do you have that he might not?

A lot of people here have just as much, if not more experience with fishkeeping as well.

One thing you should keep in mind is that anyone working in a store is in a position as a salesman, and you are a consumer. That doesn't immediately mean they are trying to rip you off, but it's something to keep in mind when getting advice from them.

No one is telling you that you have to trust everything people say on here, either. Do some research, use google, look around, you'll find information all over the place, and it'll give you a better and broader scope of what the general consensus is.

 

[Lafeet85]

A lot of people here have just as much, if not more experience with fishkeeping as well.

One thing you should keep in mind is that anyone working in a store is in a position as a salesman, and you are a consumer. That doesn't immediately mean they are trying to rip you off, but it's something to keep in mind when getting advice from them.

No one is telling you that you have to trust everything people say on here, either. Do some research, use google, look around, you'll find information all over the place, and it'll give you a better and broader scope of what the general consensus is.

Thank you! I think you are the only person who has given me some useful information. The rest are just rambling and getting off topic. Thanks much appreciated.

 

[Fishguy1987]

Is there a standard or rule of thumb? Like how many gallons per inch of fish? I heard something like this once.. Think the guy said a gallon for every inch of fish but that can't be right.. I prefer my tanks be non overcrowded.. Someone get back to me, thanks

 

[steez]

Thank you! I think you are the only person who has given me some useful information. The rest are just rambling and getting off topic. Thanks much appreciated.

There's been some good info in this post for you Lafeet. This includes that no Mbuna's should be kept in 20g. you don't just get 2 or 3 Mbuna together, the trick of keeping Mbuna is keeping them in a large community of other Mbuna. Your tank parameters won't be stable, the tank is too small for the fish.

Like Jeta said, do some googling and reading on Mbuna.


On another note... there definitely are cool things you can do with a 20g tank. My favorite would be a shell dweller community. They are little cichlids that live in shells, they will pair up and share shells together and you could have a cool little community of them in 20g.


Check these out: http://www.shelldwellers.com/shelldwellerbasics.php



In conclusion, 20g is too small for Mbuna, there's definitely other options and don't always trust your LFS. Do reading on your own accord and you'll understand that most of the time the 'forum-dwellers' are right. I know it's hard to accept the answer "no" but for the fishes sake, just do it!

 

[steez]

Is there a standard or rule of thumb? Like how many gallons per inch of fish? I heard something like this once.. Think the guy said a gallon for every inch of fish but that can't be right.. I prefer my tanks be non overcrowded.. Someone get back to me, thanks

No, this 'rule' should be thrown out the window at 100 mph.

Some places will say this, and I hear it at Petco sometimes. Yeah.. Let's put a 15" Oscar in a 15g tank. NO!

non-overcrowded is good for bioload and for some communities / species tanks but for African tank setups like the OP has asked information about overcrowding is common to reduce aggression.

 

[kay-bee19]

Is there a standard or rule of thumb? Like how many gallons per inch of fish?

Lake Malawi mbuna's fall under a different set of rules due to their aggressive territorial nature. For example there would be lots more aggression in a 75gal tank housing just three 4" mbuna's, than in a 55gal tank housing ten 4" mbuna's even though there are more gallons per inch of fish in the 75gal.

I believe that that the smallest mbuna group size, when considering the nature of fully matured specimens, is around 6-8. This minimum group size, by default, seems to nearly rule-out tanks smaller than 55gal, though juveniles may be kept in temporarily smaller tanks and in smaller groups for a while (months) since youngster aggression is under-developed.

 

[Talvari]

Hey can everyone, get back on topic here!!!!!!! I'm asking about cichlids here and you guys are talking rubbish about oscars!?? and also about the comment about " The Guy at the fish store". There shouldn't be any problems with his advice, he has been running that store for over 20 years and I assume he would know about fish and fish keeping. So why do you think I can trust you over him? What knowledge do you have that he might not?

He is a sales person first. He is one person telling you its okay, versus six people here who are telling you its not. We have nothing to lose by telling you not to do it. He does. He may potentially lose your business.

Plenty people have already commented that these type of fish are NOT a good match for your tank. Do your own research, or learn by experience, but we have already given you the answer to your question. Dwarf cichlids would be much better suited to your tank.

 

[steez]

Hey can everyone, get back on topic here!!!!!!! I'm asking about cichlids here and you guys are talking rubbish about oscars!?? and also about the comment about " The Guy at the fish store". There shouldn't be any problems with his advice, he has been running that store for over 20 years and I assume he would know about fish and fish keeping. So why do you think I can trust you over him? What knowledge do you have that he might not?

You don't even know how many times on these forums people have posted the exact same things, but the owner of the lfs was ignorant towards it and had no real general fish knowledge. I'm not saying that this refers to your lfs guy, but the fact that he wants to sell you Mbuna's in a 20g tells me that he doesn't know too much about African cichlids. Do some personal research.





You came here asking for advice, and you've gotten it.

1. No Mbuna in 20g.
2. Most LFS owners / employee's are pretty bad about true fish knowledge. They may even know the truth, but they still need to make money. How many stores will tell you how to truly cycle a tank??? (With that said, is your tank cycled?) Practically none because they want you to walk out with an aquarium and fish in hand, and come back to get more fish when those die.

I think this threads about done.

 

[garfy]

Steez is right and we have answered your question.Maybe you didn't like the answer but sorry people on this site will only be honest with you.It's your choice what fish you put in your tank but if you don't want our advice then why ask for it?
I wish you well with your tank and hope it turns out ok for you.

 

[OBEYtheFISH]

I'm not upset I'm just saying wat is true fish will be be ok if they or taking care of rite my friend dat I get everything from has 8 tanks and been doing it a min so I think I can beleav him

Stop & listen to what you're saying "fish will be okay if they are taking care of right"
You aren't taking care of your oscars by cramming them in a 75G . Personally I think 75 is too small for even one full grown Oscar they can't freely navigate themselves around the tank without bumping into the tank itself
So please take care of your oscars right, do more research.

Malawi cichlids need swimming space right? More of a bigger tank in length than in height & also good width in the tank is always good

 

[OBEYtheFISH]

Hey can everyone, get back on topic here!!!!!!! I'm asking about cichlids here and you guys are talking rubbish about oscars!?? and also about the comment about " The Guy at the fish store". There shouldn't be any problems with his advice, he has been running that store for over 20 years and I assume he would know about fish and fish keeping. So why do you think I can trust you over him? What knowledge do you have that he might not?

Sorry about getting off topic
Well in the beginning everyone gave you their opinion on what would be a better choice
What ppl say from here comes from first hand experience & knowledge they have gained thru those experiences

I have African cichlids in a 100 gallon & I still see some aggression here & there

 

[Malawi Freak]

Just because someone owns a pet store and has been able to follow a successful business model does not mean they know about the pets the sell all the time. It means they know how to sell those pets to stay in business for 20 years.

I know you dont want to hear the word no to what you would like to set up, but this is a cichlid section of people who own and have raised cichlids for years. I have had cichlids now for going on 10 years and have had an aquarium set up for 17ish years.

A big bit of research i can recommend is look at the locations each fish you want comes from, there is a reason they don't live together. Just because 2 fish may come from the same lake wouldn't make it compatible if the one is from the eastern shore while another could be from a river feed off in the north.

 

[Aspencer]

Also, fish do not stay long term (in general) at the LFS...they move on to new tanks and then live out their lives.