Cichlid tank

[SK13]

I recently started a 55 gallon cichlid tank and have 14 fishes (8 2-inch mbunas, 4 2-3 inch haps, 1 pleco, 1 small green terror). Is the tank overstocked or can i add few more fishes?
I bought Northfin cichlid formula, veggie formula, and krill gold formula (i heard a lot of good reviews of northfin - so bought it). I feed the pellets once a day. I supplement their diet with blackworms/bloodworms once in a week.
I am thing of buying NLS tehra A+, and tropical super spirulina flakes.
Is NLS and Spirulina flakes worth the money spending?
Any suggestion for the wellbeing of the fishes? How often and how much should i do water changes?
How to help color of the fishes to pop out?

Thanks for your advice.

 

[Skalper666]

It is very overstocked already. The GT alone could outgrow that tank. Also the GT is south american and should not be housed with the Africans as they have different dietary needs, water parameters and social structure.

 

[SK13]

It is very overstocked already. The GT alone could outgrow that tank. Also the GT is south american and should not be housed with the Africans as they have different dietary needs, water parameters and social structure.

Thanks for your suggestions.. i would then exchange the green terror with a mbuna/haps.

 

[mattison187]

I agree with skalper. Get rid of that gt. I would also consider swapping the haps and pleco out for more mbuna also. The haps due to different dietaty needs, and the pleco, once he gets some size on him you will notice that the mbuna will start nipping his fins and harassing him quite a bit. Try to find some synodontis cats to replace the pleco with. The co exist with africans pretty well.
As far as food goes, i kept mbuna alive and well for years on a daily staple of these 2.

And suplimented in fresh veggies once a week.
I did throw them some nls float to change it up here and there also.

 

[SK13]

I exchanged the fishes snd now i have 13 small size cichlids. The tank is cycled with 0 ammonia, 0 nitites and 20 nitrates. I am feeding northfin krill gold, NF cichlid formula, and Nf veggie formula. Temp is set at 26 degree C. Have many hiding places.
The cichlids are smaller in size. Some mbunas and some peacocks. When i bought them from shop, they were very colorful (blue, yellow, blue with red tint etc etc). However after few days in my tank, the peacocks started loosing color. The blue color is changing to grey or silver color.
But the mbunas are holding their color and are looking beautiful. The size of the peacocks are bigger than the mbunas.
I am not sure why the peacocks are loosing color. Any suggestions?? Will nls ultra red help to bring back the red tint in the peacocks?

 

[J. H.]

It sounds like your peacocks have become subdominant. It is a thing that happens with a lot of fish, especially African Cichlids. The biggest bullies in the tank will have the brightest colors, while the fish that get picked on will fade. The only solution I can think of is to remove decor from the upper part of the tank to make open swimming area. Mbuna will beat up peacocks every time, but mbuna prefer caves and rocks to open water, while peacocks prefer the opposite. If you are lucky, you will create an area where the peacocks will not be bothered as much, and if they are more comfortable, their colors will come back.