New 55 gallon

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starjessie56

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Mar 9, 2013
Messages
21
I am going to be starting a new 55 African cichlid tank. I bought a bunch of think and I just wanted to make sure I didn't need anything else. I have:

Tank
Lights
Heater
Bubbler
Gravel
Filter
Magnet cleaner
Siphon
Lava rock
Thermometer

Is there anything i am missing? Any advise as to how many fish to add at once? Do I add them all to limit aggression? My brother says I need some aquarium salt. Is this true? Do I need live plants?

I need any and all advice!

Thanks so much!
 
I am going to be starting a new 55 African cichlid tank. I bought a bunch of think and I just wanted to make sure I didn't need anything else. I have:

Tank
Lights
Heater
Bubbler
Gravel
Filter
Magnet cleaner
Siphon
Lava rock
Thermometer

Is there anything i am missing? Any advise as to how many fish to add at once? Do I add them all to limit aggression? My brother says I need some aquarium salt. Is this true? Do I need live plants?

I need any and all advice!

Thanks so much!

You got about everything. If your tap has chlorine make sure to get some water conditioner. Your going to have to cycle (fishless or fish in cycle) the tank before you start adding fish. There are plenty of instructional pages if you just search cycling on the forum. You don't want to add them all at once your tank won't be able to handle the waste produced add them gradually over a few weeks or months. You don't need salt but IMO it's handy to have around, others would disagree with me. You don't need live plants, I would advise against it since your cichlids will likely destroy them. I would pick a group of Africans and stick to those species. Malawian mbuna or peacocks. Or you could do tangankians
 
I am going to be starting a new 55 African cichlid tank. I bought a bunch of think and I just wanted to make sure I didn't need anything else. I have:

Tank
Lights
Heater
Bubbler
Gravel
Filter
Magnet cleaner
Siphon
Lava rock
Thermometer

Is there anything i am missing? Any advise as to how many fish to add at once? Do I add them all to limit aggression? My brother says I need some aquarium salt. Is this true? Do I need live plants?

I need any and all advice!

Thanks so much!

I would stay mbuna mostly, they're pretty well mannered fish and don't get to big, they're pretty fish and pretty common at lfs I would start with some labs after the cycling and then maybe some red zebras and cobalt blue zebras, even a peacock or two like a sunshine or a ruby red, all for color, and then just stay in the mbuna species and you'll be fine I have about 20 fish in my 75g and I love em.
 
You could probably add anubias to your tank and the cichlids won't be destroy it. Most tanganykian cichlids seem to be safer with plants.
 
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