29 gallon tank...

[dlau21]

i jus started a 29 gallon tank with 4 cichlids in it, and i was wondering if the fish were going to actually reach its full potential size despite the size of the tank. I know oscars and pacus grow regardless...but do the kinds of fish I have do the same? (see sig for kinds of fish in tank) Cuz if they will max out, i will definitely need an upgrade. All the fish are between 3-3.5 "

[kanakaia]

Yes...........You will need to upgrade your tank.

[mooman]

Fish become stunted in small/overcrowded tanks because of the buildup of growth hormones. This stunting is an invitation for disease and a drastically reduced lifespan. You can overcome this somewhat with larger frequent water changes (once or even twice a week), but with your fish you will also start to have aggression problems as they get older. You might also want to decide whether you want to keep rift lake or south american cichlids as they have different diets and water chemistry needs.

[f8ldzz]

They JD can get pretty **** big!
I think the JD all by itself would feel cramped in your 29G. :(

[NatakuTseng]

Stunting results from poor water quality, not tank size/stocking. Provided your doing (with that tank stocking) daily 50% changes you will have no problems with stunting. I can keep 60+ 2.5-3.5" discus in a 75 and not have problems with stunting, but I would be doing a minimum of a 90% water change daily, but that situation would ONLY be used as a grow out tank up to a max of 4", then the stocking in a 75 would go down to 15-20 discus. However That being said though, for those fish if you wanted to keep all 4 to adult size, a 125 would be a minimum for them. Tack an Inch on each one of them (1-2 months growth) and that tank is too small. Good quarantine tank, bad for long term keeping.

[FishFreak101]

wen u upgrade u cood buy some convicts. just be careful though they can kill!

[dlau21]

thanks guys for all ur advice! all good stuff! Yeah Im new to cichlids adn constantly doing new research and comin up wit new questions! AHAHA, I am already looking to get a new tank, but ****, I dont knwo if 'i have room for a 120 gallon! 55 is ideal for me, and mayeb I can fit a 70....anyways , thanks again guys!