Question:how many african cichlids can i put in a 55gallon tank and what kinds could you give me non scientific names for them because if you do then you will not get answer and will get a bad rating
Answers:
If selecting lake malawi mbuna species you could probably stock with about 10-15, or several more if you decide to overstock. Many african cichlids only have scientific names and some share common names. The stocking options are practically endless as there are three rift lakes to select from (typically you do not want to mix african cichlids which are from different lakes). Some Lake Malawi mbuna samples (set up by aggression level):
For a relatively peaceful set up get 4 to 5 each of: yellow labs, rusty cichlids, and yellow-tailed acei.
For a more aggressive set up get 4 to 5 each of: red top zebras, powder blue socolofi and johanni's.
For a very aggressive set up (which may result in casualties) get: 6 kenyi, 6 auratus (1 male/5 females per species). Alternatively, you could set up a demasoni species tank containing 15-20 demasoni (and nothing else).
Or select non-mbuna and go with colorful and less aggressive peacock cichlids (there are a large variety of them, go with 1 male per 2-3 females or an all male tank).
The best rule of thumb is 1" of adult size to each gallon
Most africans are lnown by two names
one is the actual species name
the other can vary from one area to another
my favorite is called the Lemon Drop
however the nickname is used only in NY and PA
best advice for Africans is don't mix fish from different lakes
there are 4 lakes keep all your fish from 1 of the 4
you could put eight to ten in there but sooner or later you would have to remove some or they would die try this site http://www.oscarfish.com
There are lots of different kind you could put in a 55 gallon tank,really to many to list here.Try looking at these web sites and deciding what you like,then you can research their requirements.
http://www.malawimayhem.com/profiles.php...
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/...
I personally like a bunch of different Lake Malawi Cichlids. With a 55 gal tank you could set up a nice looking rock formation in your tank and keep a small group of these Cichlids. You need to do a little research on the aggressiveness of each fish before you mix them. I like Electric Yellows, Kenyi Cichlids, Aurora Cichlids and Auratus Cichlids. Electric Yellows and Auroras are more mildly mannered while Kenyis and Auratus Cichlids are more aggressive. You could probably mix the first two in the same tank if you get a pair of each. The other two are best if in a tank of only their type and several females to one male.
My choice for a 55 gal would be the Auratus Cichlids. They are very aggressive so I would keep them in a group of one male and 3 females. If you go for Kenyis you could get one male and two females.
I highly recommend you get a copy of a inexpensive book called "Lake Malawi Cichlids: A Complete Pet Owner's Manual". It is a very good book and only costs about $8.
Your right about the 1" to a gallon rule. With these territorial fish that rule goes out the window.
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