34 Gallon Cichlid Setup. Thoughts?

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bud29

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In a van, down by the river
I am drawn to African cichlids. I absolutely love them. I know a 55 gallon is preferable for them, but could I put like 3-4 Red Zebra Cichlids in my 34 gallon? I could put many more in a 55, I know, but I just got this 34 gallon (which was a HUGE upgrade from my 5) so I really don't want to spend EVEN MORE money on another tank. Thank you in advance!
 
OK, I went onto my AqAdvisor and it said to avoid aggression you need to be well over 100% stocking level and red zebras need to be in groups of 5 or more. Is this true?
 
People usually say 55 gal is the minimim requirement for them. Honestly, i have a 36 bowfront with 3 african cichlids in it. Ive had them for 3 or 4 years now they are very well established. Have zero problems just add them at the same time into the tank and introduce new ones in numbers. Overstocking is good with these fish to prevent aggression. But in a tank thats a bit small for them, i personally wouldnt recommend it. An there is a chance that i could have gotten really
Lucky with mine. Just because it worked for me doesnt mean it will work for others. If your careful, you should be ok
 
Well i have three. I used to have more but they got old and passed away. Overstocking is recommended with these fish but in a small tank it might not be such a good idea. If you get a small amount like 3; they will get established and gain territory and kill all newcomers. If you decide to overstock thats quite a bioload in a small tank and you could have some serious issues with your nitrogen cycle... Its a choice you will have to make. Personally if i were you i would invest in 3 beautiful cichlids instead of spending a lot of money on possibly not as nice cichlids in a large
Quantity. Just get the 3 at the same time.
 
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I'm sorry but that is terrible advice. First off your cichlids did not die from being "old" since a healthy African can live around a decade if cared for correctly and you should be keeping the fish happy foremost not yourself so if you can't properly care for it then don't. That being said zebras in that size tank COULD work but there will be a lot of aggression between them once they become sexually mature. Malawis requirements often ask for a 4' tank because they stake a claim and protect it with there life which is why some people decide to over stock which definitely is not an option for you. Pretty much what I'm trying to say is stock your tank with what works. How about a pair or German blue or gold rams with a small school
 
Cyps belong in a much larger tank from what I understand. I couldn't even keep them alive in a well-tended 75 gallon Tanganyika-only tank. JME.

For the record, I think this is important to note:
Jacobsal91 said:
Overstocking is good with these fish to prevent aggression. But in a tank thats a bit small for them, i personally wouldnt recommend it. An there is a chance that i could have gotten really
Lucky with mine
. Just because it worked for me doesnt mean it will work for others. If your careful, you should be ok

In no way, shape or form were recommendations made to stock a Malawi tank as the above poster has his tank stocked. It was simply noted, with PLENTY of caveat included, that it happened to work for him.
 
Mrc8858 said:
I'm sorry but that is terrible advice. First off your cichlids did not die from being "old" since a healthy African can live around a decade if cared for correctly and you should be keeping the fish happy foremost not yourself so if you can't properly care for it then don't. That being said zebras in that size tank COULD work but there will be a lot of aggression between them once they become sexually mature. Malawis requirements often ask for a 4' tank because they stake a claim and protect it with there life which is why some people decide to over stock which definitely is not an option for you. Pretty much what I'm trying to say is stock your tank with what works. How about a pair or German blue or gold rams with a small school

Im telling bud what I did. And i got
My cichlids and some were already kind of old. But whatever. My fish are fine, i did state how i might have gotten lucky, im dont sharing
My opinions here i guess because im totally wrong even tho ive have these fish for years
Idk what im doing
 
Jacobsal91 said:
Personally if i were you i would invest in 3 beautiful cichlids instead of spending a lot of money on possibly not as nice cichlids in a large
Quantity. Just get the 3 at the same time.

That's the advice that I'm referring to but I shouldn't have come off the way I did just don't want the OP going out and getting new cichlids that will one day have issues due to a small tank... Imo this hobby is just that a hobby. So if your gonna spend your extra time doing this for the fun then you should provide completely adequate conditions for your fish to thrive not survive but once again I do apologize
 
And to the OP I also apologize for causing this thread to stray from topic so if you'd like could you provide tank dimensions and a general idea of what your looking for in a tank and perhaps we could help steer you towards your ideal setup
 
Its all good, I did specify that i didnt recommend it. Just stated my fish situation. But you are correct, shell dwellers are better for a smaller tank. And they are pretty sweet.
 
severum mama said:
Cyps belong in a much larger tank from what I understand. I couldn't even keep them alive in a well-tended 75 gallon Tanganyika-only tank. JME.

My mistake :) I thought they do fine in smaller tanks, I'll edit that out. Thanks Severum mama
 
Hi again, this thread really got going after I left! Well, I already decided against it before I saw all this, because after I left I took a ruler and looked at my tank and thought "3 fish that could get up to 6" would be packed in there!" So I've decided to save cichlids for when I get a 55+ gallon tank, hopefully next year or sooner.


:thanks:
 
bud29 said:
Hi again, this thread really got going after I left! Well, I already decided against it before I saw all this, because after I left I took a ruler and looked at my tank and thought "3 fish that could get up to 6" would be packed in there!" So I've decided to save cichlids for when I get a 55+ gallon tank, hopefully next year or sooner.

:thanks:

Very wise choice. I'm glad you took the time and made a good decision on what path to take. Just keep an eye on craigslist and you may have that shiny "new" cichlid tank before you know it. Good luck to ya.
 
bud29 said:
Hi again, this thread really got going after I left! Well, I already decided against it before I saw all this, because after I left I took a ruler and looked at my tank and thought "3 fish that could get up to 6" would be packed in there!" So I've decided to save cichlids for when I get a 55+ gallon tank, hopefully next year or sooner.

:thanks:

Good for you! (And your fish!) If it were me I'd do a shellie tank. They are super cool!
 
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