setting up a 27 gallon cichlid tank

[MouthFullofFish]

My sister's still relying on that aquatic calculator website for her fish research, and honestly, I think it's a recipe for disaster. Today she came to me saying she's replaced her neptunes and tetras with an acai cichlid, a red zebra, and an auratus. She's got a 27-gallon tank and I'm seriously worried these fish aren't suited for it. I've read they need a lot more space - I'm talking at least 75 gallons. Some of these fish are social and need to be in small groups of their own kind. She even crushed up her coflake to make room for them, which is just crazy.

What's your take on this?

[roads]

I recently set up a cichlid tank and I've got to say, it's been an interesting experience. I've got 2 kenyi, 2 red zebras, and 1 auratus in a 29-gallon tank. I know, I know, they're supposed to be in a bigger tank, but from what I've learned, you also need to overstock the tank to keep them happy. My fish are doing great for now, but I'm aware that they're still young, so we'll see how things go as they grow.

[MouthFullofFish]

I get the overstocking thing, but I'm still worried about stunting - I've never had any experience with these fish before.

[roads]

I'm not too worried about stunting with most of the African cichlids, they tend to top out around 6 inches or so. A bigger tank will help with aggression issues and give them more space to swim and claim their own territories, that's for sure.

[knightboy]

I got told this from a reputable LFS - if you think your tank's stocked nicely, add half again and you're about right. Also heard the other "rule" - take your tank's water in gallons, half it, gives you the number of fish for an African cichlid tank. Obviously, the shellies you can count two as one, your medium fish like demasoni, labs as one, and your bigger stuff like frontosas as two.

[bark9er]

Overstocking a cichlid tank is the way to go, but 29 gallons just isn't enough space to do it right. Your sister's plan to add just three fish, especially since they're not the same species, is a recipe for disaster. What's likely to happen is the dominant fish will either kill the other two or stress them out so much they'll be prone to an ich outbreak. I'm speaking from experience here, my first cichlid tank was a nightmare - I had three fish and a blue zebra that was incredibly aggressive.

[riverfox]

I agree with bark9er, those cichlids are gonna cause trouble. Dominant fish will likely stress or kill the others, I've seen it before.

[Kaiwright]

I've spoken to people who've kept these fish and I'm looking to keep them myself, they say you need a good-sized tank with a decent number of fish. 27 gallons, that's roughly 67 litres, it's on the small side. I'm getting a tank that's triple that size, but even then, these fish can be quite aggressive in numbers. A bigger tank is a must, that's what I've been told by experienced keepers who've given me advice.

[Eclipse4]

Africans are brutal, no matter the species. I've kept them, bred them, and learned my lesson - they're just too aggressive. You need a tank that's double, triple the size of 29 gallons, especially if you're not breeding and don't know the sex ratio. I'm talking 60 gallons, 90 gallons - that's the kind of space you need for these guys. Their territorial behavior is unmatched, and trust me, I've seen it firsthand.

[bark9er]

Africans are brutal, no matter the species. I've had my share of experience - kept them, bred them, and learned my lesson. A 29-gallon tank is a recipe for disaster unless you're breeding with a confirmed male and two females. Double or triple that size is the bare minimum for these territorial beasts. I had a 75-gallon Malawi setup with plenty of labs, blue zebras, and haps, but even with ample rock work and hiding spots, I still dealt with an aggressive blue zebra and occasional fatalities from tank violence. A smaller tank like yours would be a massacre waiting to happen.