New to Cichlids. Stocking question.

[Aaryk]

Hi guys. I'm fairly new to aquariums. I've had a few growing up but I didn't really know what I was doing with them. I bought a 55 gallon and want to do a mixed all male Cichlid tank. I've read up in them but I'd like input on my stocking choices before I make them. As I said, I'm kinda new to this so I'm not sure if that's too much or if they will fight too much. Any input will be welcome.

1 Yellow Lab
1 Red Zebra
1 Blue Peacock
1 Albino Peacock
1 Red Peacock
1 Yellow Peacock
1 Tretocephalus
1 Orange Leleupi
1 Gold Sexfasciatus
1 Fuelleborni
1 Featherfin Catfish

 

[Wy Renegade]

First off, welcome to A.A. I see a couple of things with your potential stocking list. First item, do you have a source for purchasing only male cichlids? Most of us don't, so it can make it pretty tough to a male only tank - usually you have to buy 5 or 6 juveniles and raise them, removing females as they mature. Second item, you have a mix of mbuna (a herbaceous fish) and peacocks (a carnivorous fish). Meeting the needs of both types in a single mixed tank can be difficult for a beginner (which you've indicated you are), and is not typically something I recommend. If you don't get each the proper foods, then you can end up with issues such as Malawi bloat or Head and Lateral line disease. Personally I would select one or the other type and focus specifically on them.

 

[Aaryk]

I didn't think I'd picked any full herbivores in there. I looked for carnivores and omnivores. Which are herbivores?

 

[Wy Renegade]

1 Yellow Lab - mbuna (omnivore)
1 Red Zebra - mbuna (omnivore)
1 Blue Peacock
1 Albino Peacock
1 Red Peacock
1 Yellow Peacock
1 Tretocephalus - Tanganyikan
1 Orange Leleupi - Tanganyikan
1 Gold Sexfasciatus - Tanganyikan
1 Fuelleborni mbuna (herbivore)
1 Featherfin Catfish

Additionally, in looking closer at your list, you are mixing cichlids from Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika. This is not recommended as the conditions in these two lakes are different. Since the fish do not normally occur together in nature, results of combing fish from these two lakes is unpredictable.

 

[Aaryk]

I see. So maybe I should just focus more on the Peacocks?

 

[Wy Renegade]

That might be the easiest, unfortunately I don't know a whole lot about peacocks, but there are some here that do.