Do you think I can keep an auratus, kenyi, johanni, demasoni, and red zebra together in a 29 gallon tank?
Do you think I can keep this mix?
- Thread starter MonitorSpiderCichlid
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Those species (not including the red zebra) are way too aggressive for a 29gallon tank. Auratus, kenyi, and demasoni are three of the most aggressive african cichlid species normally available, and while they can be mixed it should be done in a tank of minimum 55gallons. Also, demasoni should be kept in groups of at least 12 to keep them from wiping out tanks (again a 29gallon is too small for 12 of these). They are smaller cichlids, but can be nasty and as mentioned can wipe out tanks overnight. And as already mentioned red zebras can get around 6-8" and are therefore way to big for a 29gallon tank - on top of that they are one of the least aggressive african cichlids and therefore do not mix well with the other four species mentioned.
I will tell you that the smallest recommended tank for mbuna (which is the type of african cichlids you have listed) is 55 gallon. Two of the biggest reasons for this is that you should overstock your tank (as long as filtration is good enough) and have lots of rock work to decrease aggression. I will concede that it is possible to successfully keep mbuna in a 29 gallon tank through adulthood, but it is harder and requires much closer care because things can go south quickly.
I will tell you that the smallest recommended tank for mbuna (which is the type of african cichlids you have listed) is 55 gallon. Two of the biggest reasons for this is that you should overstock your tank (as long as filtration is good enough) and have lots of rock work to decrease aggression. I will concede that it is possible to successfully keep mbuna in a 29 gallon tank through adulthood, but it is harder and requires much closer care because things can go south quickly.