need assistance with stocking

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hillock
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2024 8:24 pm

need assistance with stocking

Post by hillock »

Hi everyone, I've got a 350l tank and I'm after some advice on stocking. I've currently got:

15 Pseudotropheus Saulosi - 4 males, 11 females (1 holding)
4 Pseudotropheus Socolofi - 1 male, 3 females
3 Copadichromis Borleyi - 1 male, 2 females
4 Melanochromis Tangazo - 1 male, 3 females

What other species would work well with what I've already got? Also, are the Borleyi okay in there? I was told they'd be fine by a LFS, but I keep reading about not mixing haps with mbuna.

Would a breeding quad of aulonocara be compatible with my existing stock? I'd love to add them, but I want to make sure they'll get along.

Thanks
darkstone
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2024 3:10 pm

Re: need assistance with stocking

Post by darkstone »

I'd advise against adding more fish to your tank, it's already looking a bit overcrowded to me. A simple way to check if your aquarium is overstocked is to calculate the total length of your fish in centimeters and compare it to a quarter of your tank's total length in centimeters - if the fish length exceeds that, you've got an overcrowding issue.
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flinta
Posts: 65
Joined: Sat Mar 05, 2022 1:32 am

Re: need assistance with stocking

Post by flinta »

I think the number of fish is okay, personally.
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keyholder
Posts: 15
Joined: Fri Mar 01, 2024 5:30 pm

Re: need assistance with stocking

Post by keyholder »

I disagree with that approach, it's overly simplistic. For Rift Valley cichlids, you need a higher stocking density, it helps to distribute aggression more evenly. Counting total cm of fish isn't the best method here, it doesn't take into account the specific needs of these species.
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felix8on
Posts: 14
Joined: Sun Jan 23, 2022 1:04 pm

Re: need assistance with stocking

Post by felix8on »

I'll go with the 1/4 aquarium size theory, but I'm using inches instead. My upcoming 160gal cichlid tank is 84" long, so dividing that by 4 gives me 21 inches of fish. Now, assuming an average cichlid size of 4-5 inches, that would allow for 5-6 fish only. I don't think that's a practical approach for a community or cichlid tank.

The idea seems flawed, unless I'm misinterpreting the measurement method. I think there are better ways to determine if a tank is overstocked. That being said, I think your current stocking is okay.
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