29 Gallon African tank?

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kingthedog

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Jan 16, 2020
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I have a 29 gallon and want to start an African cichlid tank. How many Africans could I put in it?
 

dudley

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Feb 9, 2005
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There are a lot of African cichlids, which are you considering?

Lake Malawi is probably out as even the smallest species would get too large IMO.

A Lake Tanganyika shell dweller species only tank is an option.

I'm assuming this is a standard rectangle 29G tank?
 

kingthedog

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Could you list compatible species and numbers? Yes, it is a standard 29 gallon rectangle.
 

dudley

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Rather than list the multitude of species, maybe post what fish you may be interested in or that are available to you locally.
 

dudley

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Julidochromis transcriptus would work well if you used rock piles to create caves in the tank and use a sand substrate. Start with 6 juveniles and remove extra fish if necessary as they mature.
 

dudley

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Not required to use sand, a fine gravel will also work. I like natural looking habitats for fish so I tend to use sand-like substrate and natural rocks in all my tanks.

If you haven't kept cichlids before, it is different than keeping more common tropical fish as some cichlids move the substrate around to suit themselves or sift through it looking for food.
 
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