Cichlids
- Thread starter smokeythebair
- Start date
smokeythebair;4635631; said:
I have a really hard time taking you seriously. But if you ARE indeed serious, this happens to people all the time. Hope you know better now 
Laticauda;4635606; said:
Can't tell if you're agreeing with me or not?
The 'Fish only grow to the size of their container' myth is due to growth stunting. It's caused by a hormone that fish release into the water. In a small space like an aquarium, a high buildup of the hormone causes the fish's bodies to assume that the body of water they occupy cannot support more size. Growth is stunted to prevent the probable death that would result from growing beyond the capacity for the body of water to support.
Technically, as long as you are changing water and such correctly, and maintaining correct water parameters, stunting will not occur even if you have an Oscar in a 2.5g tank. It will continue to grow to it's full 10+ inch size. It would cause a lot of stress for the fish though to be locked in those conditions. Overcrowding causes stress, it doesn't reduce it.
Check this thread for a good guide on recommended stocking levels: http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=88431
Why would i over stock on purpose??? I have 2 goldfish in a another 55 gallon alone! I was told cichlids are better crowded. Im glad for the help but i didn't mean to stress them. How many cichlids can i have then??? In my 55 gallon tank????
smokeythebair;4635662; said:
No worries man. A lot of people don't know. I was at a shop just a couple nights ago where I heard an employee recommending overstocking to people. Anything to make a sale.
Best thing is you asked the question and are here learning. A lot of people don't even bother trying to educate themselves, they just take the pet shop's word.Stock would mostly depend on what you have specifically. Not all cichlids are created equal. If it's a standard 55g, then you won't want any fish longer than 8" at full size. You want them to be able to turn around comfortably without worrying about bumping the glass. If they're all around 5" right now, you would probably want to cut the count down to around 7 fish. Look at the max sizes for your fish though. Cutting down to 7 fish now won't help long term if those 7 are going to grow into 10 inch fish.
As far as shops buying fish, it would depend on the shop. Just call them up and ask. Could always put an ad on craigslist too and see if anyone is interested.
Depends on the store, call them to ask them if they will buy them. Most chain stores won't, but some locally owned stores may give you store credit or something?
smokeythebair;4635714; said:
Sure, just keep up with water changes. Edited my post above to answer the store question. Really just depends on the store. Some might, some won't.
Think some of the confusion might be around some fish doing better in groups. Generally if you have say 3 of a fish, 2 of the fish will pick on one. If you have 4, 2 might still team up, but they spread the agression across 2 fish instead of just 1. And so on with 5 fish, 6, etc. It's basically just a way to spread out agression so that one fish isn't getting bullied until it dies. Some fish do better in groups. Others like to be alone.
Overstocking is a separate issue though. In this case it's the bio load that the tank can support. 13 5"+ fish in a 55g is a bit too much. Take some of those out and you'll have to do water changes a bit less often to keep the parameters in balance. Spend more time enjoying the fish instead of doing maintenace on the tanks.
Overstocking is a separate issue though. In this case it's the bio load that the tank can support. 13 5"+ fish in a 55g is a bit too much. Take some of those out and you'll have to do water changes a bit less often to keep the parameters in balance. Spend more time enjoying the fish instead of doing maintenace on the tanks.
