African Cichlids Advice

[billy777999]

Hi

I'm buying a 250 litre tank and wanted to know the maximum number of African Cichlids i can keep in there.

Also if anyone has any experience with this breed can you please post any advice you have.

Thanks in advance.

 

[rajilnaja]

Think you've wandered to the wrong board friend. This place is mostly for marine critters. :beer:

 

[Sk8r]

Sorry, Billy777999, but this is a saltwater and coral reef site. You might google 'ciclids' or 'planted tanks' and find a site that will help you.

 

[heathlindner25]

This is a reef forum, so not sure how much advice you are going to get. I have always had the best luck placing all the cichlids that you want in at the same time, and make sure they're all juvenile. No new additions after that.

 

[nereefpat]

That's a big continent. Any particular species you are looking at?

There are a couple schools of thought. You can jam pack them in, so that territories can't be established. Or you can try to get more natural behavior with far less fish.

 

[theimpossibles1]

If you're talking the standard 3-5 inchers I would say anywhere from 5 to 15. The key is to have LOTS of hiding spaces, they are fiercely territorial. I kept about 10 in a 50 gallon. I had large rocks and caves all over the place and the dominant ones would still attack the smaller ones relentlessly. Finally I added dense bunches of fake plants and the smaller ones were able to safely hide from the dominants.

 

[Bobbitworm13]

I would check out cichlid forum for African cichlids. Lol

 

[crazycolt42]

Cichlid Forum will take care of you. I have been a member on there for years. Your question is too open ended. Malawi or Tang Africans? From there which species? etc. Get on that forum, and good luck. If you decide to go with mbuna let me know.

 

[jstack]

Hi

I'm buying a 250 litre tank and wanted to know the maximum number of African Cichlids i can keep in there.

Also if anyone has any experience with this breed can you please post any advice you have.

Thanks in advance.

Tank is really to small for most species of South American and Peacock, Ur best bet is from Lake Malawi, or Tanganyika. it's very important to look up what lake it's collected from as anything from the Mbuna fam is going to shred most anything outside of this family of fish as for how many in a 60 add 20 juvi's at once not alot of hiding place's. this creates territory you don't want that in a cichlid tank you want them packed with lots of filtration. the key to keeping aggression down is # my last tank was Tropheus ilgani but I've kept most all p.m if you need any help

 

[cswells212]

I have a 150 setup right now with africans. try to mix up where the species live just pike a reef ie bottom/mid/top free swimming. I have some daffodil brichardi, 4 julidochromis trancsriptus, 4 calvus, 6 yellow labs, and breeding quad of electric blue ahli as well as 14 petricola catfish. They are all doing great and have tons of room to breed/escape aggression/hide etc. any more fish would probably be pushing the limit aggression wise.

You can always throw a ton of the same species or lake in as juvies like peacocks or mbuna etc if theyre all males. If you want mbuna, then stick highly advise to go all mbuna since theyre super aggressive, but if you have the space upu can make it worl woth otber studf(like my tank...plus yellow labs are super mellow in comparison to some mbuna I have had like zebras or johanni that were pure evil)
If theres any females and they want to breed then forget it...dominant male will go scorched earth and kill.

Pm
Me if you have any questions/etc since this is the reef forum haha