overstocked??

[lukepghpa]

some folks at my lfs told me tonight that one of the reasons my cichlids are acting docile and hiding alot (especially when someone comes in the room) is because there isn't enough of them in my tank...they said the more the better and the more active they will be...this sounded a little odd to me...anyone else? they also said if i add more than i should probably add another filter...i already have an aquaclear 110...would a second one help with my cloudy water problem?

[Fishyfanatic]

You have room for more fish, but I wouldn't add them while the tank is still cycling. Wait until the cycle is over to add new fish.

I'm not farmiliar with your filter so I don't know the specs on it, but you should be running a filter for a 100 gal tank. Cichlids are very messy fish and require extra filtration. On a 72 gal tank you should have something that will work on a 100 gal tank, preferably a canister.

[lukepghpa]

my filter handles up to 110 gallons...i wasnt even thining about new fish yet...that was just something they told me at my lfs

[severum mama]

I have heard people say that it is best to slightly overstock an African cichlid tank to cut down on aggression, but since that is not your problem I don't know if that would help you. Your filter is rated for a 110 gallon tank, but it filters 500 gph. I don't really go with the manufacturer's rating for filters, I try to filter my tanks about 10 times per hour (especially since cichlids are such messy fish). Another filter would probably be good in a slightly overstocked cichlid tank, if you choose to go that route eventually, and a canister would probably be best (although another HOB would be ok too if a canister is out of your price range).