How many at a time for stocking?

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J

JimmyJBBPJMT

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 3, 2013
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Illinois
I've got a 55 gallon tank with two African cichlids in it as of two days ago. I plan on putting 12 more in but don't know how to go about doing it. Should I put them in one at at a time or in groups?


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get them in there fairly quickly ..(a few days to a couple or three weeks max)... it's always harder to add fish to a tank with established fish population..as long as parameters stay good full steam ahead:popcorn:
 
add 3 or 4, wait 1-2 weeks then add another 3 or 4

everytime you add in new fish, I would suggest moving the decor around and let them re-establish territories.
 
Depends on what your goals are for this tank. If you are going with just one or two species then I would not be as worried about adding a few more than three at a time-just wanting to be careful not to overload the beneficial bacteria. If you are going with a mix of colors then I would stick with the 3-4 range every week or two.
 
Just my opinion, most african cichlids get around five inches long, if not bigger. 12 of them in a 55 seems kind of like an overstocked tank to me. It might be hard to keep the aggression down, seeing as there won't be enough room for everyone to stake out a territory. But with that said, if you're set on 12 fish then I agree with everyone else. 3 a week is good, keep an eye on your water quality after every addition. Good luck!!
 
Melbell said:
Just my opinion, most african cichlids get around five inches long, if not bigger. 12 of them in a 55 seems kind of like an overstocked tank to me. It might be hard to keep the aggression down, seeing as there won't be enough room for everyone to stake out a territory. But with that said, if you're set on 12 fish then I agree with everyone else. 3 a week is good, keep an eye on your water quality after every addition. Good luck!!
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Isn't that the idea of over stocking them? No room to stake out a territory so no 'owned' territory to fight over? That and aggression dispersal.

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Yes, but I feel like it's to a certain point. A 55 is a really small tank for twelve full sized fish.

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