Well, before I upgraded to my 125g I had 20-25, but they were not adults and I was WAY over filtering (along with 50% weekly water changes). I would say to shoot for 10-15 total fish if you don't plan on upgrading again as they reach adulthood. You might be able to do some more (depending on how busy of a tank you want) depending on the species you choose and how often you are willing to do tank maintenance.
Some people may say you can do more and should do more to "overstock to suppress aggression." I will say that technically you will already be overstocked with 15 fish and unless you like REALLY busy tanks to keep it around that. Also, it is recommended to introduce african cichlids in groups of at least 6, so I would suggest finding whatever fish you want to fill the tank out with and introduce them all together. This keeps the new fish from getting singled out. It can also help to move around tank decor so the fish have to find new territories. Just watch you parameter levels because your filtration may not be able to handle that big of a jump right away. You might need to do water changes a bit more often for the first couple of weeks - or until the levels go back to normal.
Some people may say you can do more and should do more to "overstock to suppress aggression." I will say that technically you will already be overstocked with 15 fish and unless you like REALLY busy tanks to keep it around that. Also, it is recommended to introduce african cichlids in groups of at least 6, so I would suggest finding whatever fish you want to fill the tank out with and introduce them all together. This keeps the new fish from getting singled out. It can also help to move around tank decor so the fish have to find new territories. Just watch you parameter levels because your filtration may not be able to handle that big of a jump right away. You might need to do water changes a bit more often for the first couple of weeks - or until the levels go back to normal.
