40g cichlid tank.

[nick_flano22]

I currently have a cichlid tank, its only 40g which i know is not that big.
I have in it:
2 yellow labs
2 Blue Acaras

I want to add:
1 yellow lab
3 Zebras
1 c.afra

Will it work?
Any other suggestions?

[Gario]

It's okay for a little bit, but then you'll need to save some money in the meantime because they'll get to like 4+ inches and it'll be like black friday 24/7 if you don't get a bigger tank. I was in your situation before with like 6 cichlids in a 30 gallon. Now I've got 4, because they decided to make some room.

[Gario]

but then, many of the fish keepers on here will recommend you get a 800 gallon tank for your fish, because you should

[liv2padl]

as i see it, you've got several problems. your Aequidens pulcher (blue acara) is an 8 inch fish at maturity and two of them max out a forty gallon tank in my opinion. with the two yellow labidochromis, you've really put the squeeze on your tank and adding yet more fish is over the top. far too much fish for 40 gallons if you expect them to thrive.

[donfenk]

I tend to agree that you want to add too many fish. You probably could get away with the additional Lab. You'll be ok initially but once they start to grow you are going to be forced to get a bigger tank.

[nick_flano22]

i am getting a new tank, in about July, what size tank will i need to keep all these fish together?

[Gario]

I think, a 90 gallon tank should be fine, given you have enough rocks and stuff in which your cichlids can claim as their territory.

[Sploke]

Not to mention, the acara is a central american cichlid and thrives in different water parameters than the africans. You might be able to acclimate them to some sort of middle ground, but most people tend to keep africans only with other africans because of the hard, relatively high-ph water they are native to.