How many African mbuna cichlids can you keep in a 55 gallon tank?

Answer 1

Because a tank is never filled to the brim and usually has at least 1 inch of gravel and several rocks I would assume the tank actually holds around 50 gals of water when in use. If you follow the basic rules of sucessfull fishkeeping you won't go far wrong. The rules are. :- 1 inch of fish needs at least 1 gallon of water. :- Every tank must have a permanently running filter. :- Every tank must have at least 50% of its water replaced every week. Stick to the above rules and your fish stand a chance of survival. Fail to look after the fishes water as above and I can guarantee that your fish will be constantly getting sick and will live a much shorter life than it should.

Answer 2

No tank is ever filled to its maximum capacity. So first I'd assume that you have left the top inch of the tank without water and that your tank will also have some gravel (substrate) at the base displacing some too. I guess that your tank will actually be holding nearer to 48 gallons. Different Mbuna cichlids grow to varying sizes so you would have to take into account the expected adult sizes of the species you intend to keep while observing the following rules. The basic rules for sucessfull fishkeeping are as follows. :- 1 inch of fish must have at least 1 gallon of water, a permanently running cycled filter and every tank needs at least 50% of its water replaced every week. Your Mbunas will also need their water to be hard (over 20 ppm GH), alkaline (over pH8) and warm (over 75F).

Answer 3

You should stock your tank heavily, but keep enough specimens to the point where, at least, every specimen has its own housing item to hide in(Stump hides, Rock Formations, etc.). Most say to ALWAYS overstock your tank because they live in heavily populated colonies. That doesn't make the action necessarily right, considering that when wild Mbunas find themselves at the bottom of the hierarchy, some of the other low ranking mbunas bully that fish to the point where it has to leave and find or start another colony. Tank Mbunas cant do this, so they often get bullied to death. Also, distance small housing items away from each other. Mbunas are greedy when it comes to real estate. Or buy large housing items that can house multiple fish at a time(Like slate formations). And keep in mind, most Mbunas grow between 5-8 inches.

Answer 4

Different fish keepers will answer your question in different ways. But these are Da Fightn' Fish's words of wisdom:

"When it comes to Mbunas, despite what many fish keepers say, DON'T OVERSTOCK YOUR TANK. This only instigates more confrontation. Keep enough specimens to the point where, at most, every specimen has its own housing item to hide in.(Stump hides, Slate Formations, Rock Formations, etc.) Also, distance each housing item at least 5 inches away from each other. Mbunas are greedy when it comes to Real Estate. And keep in mind, most Mbunas grow between 5-8 inches."

-Avery "Da Fightn' Fish" Stephens

Da Fightn' Fish's tips on Mbuna care:

• Do your research on the kinds of Mbuna you want to get.
• After gravel or sand, before buying ANYTHING ELSE, buy hides, slate, and real or fake rock formations. (Buy a lot if you don't really know how many Mbunas you want up front. Keep in mind Mbunas are around 6 inches+ when their done growing.)
• Place their hides, slate, and real or fake rock formations a fair distance away from each other.(For a 55+gallon tank, i recommend at least 5 inches of distance between each item. Mbunas are greedy over homes.)

Answer 5

You should stock your tank heavily, but keep enough specimens to the point where, at least, every specimen has its own housing item to hide in(Stump hides, Rock Formations, etc.). Most say to ALWAYS overstock your tank because they live in heavily populated colonies. That doesn't make the action necessarily right, considering that when wild Mbunas find themselves at the bottom of the hierarchy, some of the other low ranking mbunas bully that fish to the point where it has to leave and find or start another colony. Tank Mbunas cant do this, so they often get bullied to death. Also, distance small housing items away from each other. Mbunas are greedy when it comes to Real Estate. Or buy large housing items that can house multiple fish at a time(Like slate formations). And keep in mind, most Mbunas grow between 5-8 inches.