55 gallon and alot of cichlids?

I beg to differ on your facts/opinions.......I have a 46 gallon bowfront which houses around 12 african cichlids with light rockwork with the majority of the fish measuring 4-5 inches......they all have brilliant coloration and all seem to be happy in the tank........I have also accidentally hatched some fry in the tank two of which are now around 2 inches.......I also have a 55 gallon south american tank which houses 2 convicts, 1 gold severum, 1 green terror, 1 geophagus, 2 yellow convicts, 1 bristlenose pleco, 4 cory cats, and 2 bolivian rams all of which have excellant coloration...........the tank has plenty of cover for the fish and one of the convicts and the gold severum are starting a family........I have kept the african tank for about three years and not having a fish die in over a year and a half.......my south american has been going for about 8 months and only recently did i have a firemouth die due to unknown causes........ Do i want a bigger tank you ask? Of course, but until I buy my house later this year, it's not feasible. Do I need a bigger tank? Probably, although IMO as long as my fish are healthy and not killing each other they're fine........ I believe the key is breaking up the territories enough to ease the fighting that may occur and to overfilter.......my tanks dont appear to be overcrowded and when they do I will accommodate as I see fit...... In my experience, the more territory you give to the fish the more aggressive they become when another fish enters their territory so simply break up the territories and add more fish to compensate.........it may not be the "right" thing to do by some standards, but it works for me and anyone who has ever seen my tanks will tell you that they are beautiful.........
 
Wow. You've got 50 inches of South American cichlid crammed into a 55g, plus other tankmates? That's just mean. Although it may be working for you, no matter what you say it's not healthy for the fish. Please don't advise people that they can do this. It's inhumane, and the long-term survival outlook of that volume of fish in that volume of water is poor, regardless of whether or not the species in question are territorial.

BTW, how about posting a few pics of these "beautiful" tanks?
 
I have kept the african tank for about three years and not having a fish die in over a year and a half
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that's not particularly noteworthy. African cichlids have an average life span of 6-10 years, while some species may live over 15 years! c'mon back when you've achieved that kind of success.

my south american has been going for about 8 months and only recently did i have a firemouth die due to unknown causes
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again, these cichlids can live for upwards of 12 years. having one die of "unknown causes" and then stating that cramming that many fish into such small quarters is success, doesn't make your point very well.
 
not to be too offensive but i did state that when then needs arise for my fish to be put into a larger tank, i will accommodate as needed....... that is basically the message i was trying to get across and that is to do what you want now but to be aware when the time comes to be ready to change........ aside from all that, i don't view fish the same as i view my dog or cat........when a fish passes i scoop him out and flush him as opposed to my dog who i would mourn....... i view my fish as "living furniture" if you will..... i do however enjoy my fish and have my favorites, but its not a catastophic loss if one happens to pass......
 
dynasty187 said:
If I managed to get females only, would that make them less aggressive?
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It depends. With respect to CA cichlids, most people tend to go for male only tanks due to availabilty - there tend to be a lot more males in fish shops than females. This way you get the fish without the breeding aggression.

I'm not sure on African's though, as they seem to me to be mostly monomorphic (with exceptions of course) but I have seen male only tanks of these with more species in than you'd get using CA/SA cichlids.

In a nutshell, African's have more vibrant colours, whilst CA/SA cichlids are behaviourially more interesting.


Oh, and please consider adult sizes when stocking a tank, not just their current size, as this will lead to less problms down the road.
 
tbarblover ...

i think the most important point to be made here is that if something is working for YOU, that's certainly a good thing. but generally, there are minimum standards that beginners should adhere to in order to achieve best results. advising the general population of a forum that overstocking is fine will result in most beginners taking that as the gospel and ending up with dead fish.

rather than giving them advice that rarely works out well, we should be telling them how to keep fish in a manner that almost always works out best. that way, they'll have a successful beginning experience and stay with the hobby rather than getting disgusted at the start and giving up. surely the beginning is the toughest part.

i'd suggest that the majority of hobbyists out there, start out with the best of intentions ... "oh, i know that fish will be too big for my 10 gallon tank, but i'll get a bigger tank when he needs it". unfortunately, that bigger tank never seems to happen and those same hobbyists are back here asking what caused this or that disease or why their fish died.

many hobbyists, myself included, don't necessarily feel the same emotion for a fish as they do for their cats and dogs ... but i absolutely feel that if you're going to keep a fish in a glass box, it becomes your responsibility to maintain that fish in the best possible manner. they're living things afterall and shouldn't be treated as 'disposable' furniture.

what do you think?
 
I think you should take liv2padl's advise IMO he has some of the best advise to give especially when it comes to cichlids.

Tbarblover the SA/CA tank is way over crowded that would be my main focus to fix that situation first Ill bet when all those fish become fully mature you will have major problems with fighting due to territory issues and the rams are going to be lunch meat. on the other hand nice pictures. Oh and like liv2padl said fish should not be treated as disposable furniture they are living breathing creatures. You wouldnt buy a large bread dog and keep him locked up in a small one bed room apt and never let it out or would you? Same with fish I think there should be stricter penalties for fish neglect as it is so overlooked. just my 2cents.........
 
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tbarblover said:
not to be too offensive but i did state that when then needs arise for my fish to be put into a larger tank, i will accommodate as needed....... that is basically the message i was trying to get across and that is to do what you want now but to be aware when the time comes to be ready to change........ aside from all that, i don't view fish the same as i view my dog or cat........when a fish passes i scoop him out and flush him as opposed to my dog who i would mourn....... i view my fish as "living furniture" if you will..... i do however enjoy my fish and have my favorites, but its not a catastophic loss if one happens to pass......
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I would like to see you flush a 12 inch green terror or an 8 inch serevum!
 
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