how many africans will live well in a 20 long if it has a 30 gallon sump/refugium? also what kind of plant should i use in the refugium to keep the numbers in check? i have kept south american cichlids before but never Africans any help is great.
how many africans in a 20 L ?
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1 breeding pair of convicts, or 1 ahli for a while if u get them small. . . one socolofi or zebra.
I would say no ahli tank is too small.
you could have one or two maybe of certain mbuna or one peacock of any type but a) where's the fun in that and b) these are naturally gregarious fish who prefer to react to presence of similar fish than be kept as sole specimens, and they do better in groups, and with a pair only in there they may very well kill each other, as you can't overstock to reduce territorial aggression.
your ideal african cichlids for this tank are tanganyikan shelldwellers, who a) will not outgrow it and b) display the classic cichlid behavioural traits that make these fish so interesting.
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No Ahli. Tank is way too small.
I would say a colony of shelldwellers is your best bet.
Shelldwellers are the best, but a pair of julies isn't bad either. Non-rift species like kribs or Steatocranus are good in pairs there too.
I was thinking the same thing. I would go with some Julies. You could start off with say 6 and then remove a couple when you get a pair. You might not have to remove all of them but a couple would probably have to go. You would need a TON of rockwork. Loads of crevices, caves and nooks for the other fish to dart into to escape the wrath of the breeding pair...
convicts are central american, not african. . . .
as far as the plants in the refugium - even if you successfully keep plants in there and they use your nitrates, you will still have to do weekly water changes and substrate cleanings in order to keep the water conditions safe for the fish. don't expect to add plants and then never have to do any other maintenance.
jewels are south american not african. and i have looked everywhere for shell dwellers. cant find them!
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