Overstocking New World Cichlids???

[Tunabish]

Hey y’all...I was wondering if overstocking is a thing with central/SA cichlids? I know people do it with Africans to minimize the aggression but do people practice this for the same purpose with new world?

my questions comes because of three reasons: 1) I’m relatively new to new world cichlids 2) I’ve seen some folks do it 3) when I’ve pulled hyper aggressive fish out of my “community” tank and put them one at a time in a 125g they got worse. I’ve had to pull three out and they just went to another level of crazy in a group of three instead of 8. These are juveniles I’m speaking of.

I’m thinking they just need their own tank BUT I’m asking if overstocking them while they are young is a way to cut down a tad on their aggression or is that just plain stupid.

I believe I know the answer but want to ask before I rehome or buy more tanks.

Tanks for the help ?

 

[duanes]

In the case of a 125 gal, I consider 2 or 3 NW cichlids max (depending on species)
There are some that do OK in shoals, such as those of the genera Cribroheros and Thorichthys from Central America, or Geophagus from S America.
But most of the others, will at maturity, will simply destroy each other in that size tank.
Sometimes if you get a group as juvies and grow them up all together, there is a chance, but a very small one.

 

[Charlied81]

No you don't overstock. They will just kill each other.

 

[Tunabish]

Thanks I figured...you don’t have to keep them for long to know that Overstocking is out of the question but I see these youtubers do it like that Palmer Aquatic’s guy (adult red devil with two jags and a few Dempsey’s ? but I suppose that’s why guys like him get ...well trash talked ? not here to bash but it might work for him but people can get the wrong idea like I was tempted to

 

[Charlied81]

If the fish have a big enough space that they all have territories you could have several but your question was should you overstock and to that question my opinion would be no.

 

[Jexnell]

Central American cichlids are vastly different from Africans. In the wild Africans are used to a crowded living situation.
Male CA cichlids in the wild will defend a territory roughly 10 feet by 10 feet against any other rivals.

Getting them to cohab in tanks requires a huge tank 300gal plus and many other tanks in concert moving aggressive fish out, quarantineing new fish before they hit the main tank. We don't see this on them YouTube videos, just the main tank for a short amout of time.

 

[fishguy1978]

I have an acrylic 120 (4ftx2ftx2ft) in which were housed 2x Angels, 2x H. Liberifer, 3x G. Brasiliensis and 6 Silver Dollars. This worked until I moved the G. Brasiliensis out and the larger H.L. became the dominant member. The smaller H.L. is now housed in a different tank. I acquired what I believe is a female H.L and tried housing her in the 120g but the original wouldn't have it. She is currently resting in a large net suspended in the 120g and hopefully I can release her into the tank for a long and peaceful life otherwise she will get moved into another tank. Or he will. I also have a 220g(6ftx2ftx2.5ft) and a 260g(7ftx2.5ftx2ft) and I have to move fish around to mitigate the aggression.

 

[neutrino]

"Overstocked" is a relative term and very much a matter of opinion, so I'll say crowded-- although, while some fish will let you know pretty quick when they feel crowded, from an aquarist's perspective this can still be a matter of opinion.

Lake Malawi, Lake Victoria, and some (not all) Lake Tanganyika cichlids are simple in that many of them can or should be crowded as a rule of thumb. New world cichlids are more complicated. Some are easier than others, but across the diversity of types success can depend on things like mixing compatible species or individuals, knowing which species are social, which aren't social, and which are downright solitary, which species can be mixed with which other species, which can be or should be kept in groups, typical minimum numbers for a group of a particular species to work, whether or not you can have multiple males in the group, how big a tank needs to be before some species can be kept in a group, which species cannot be kept in groups, which species will mellow out or get more aggressive in what size tank, etc.

 

[Tunabish]

I have an acrylic 120 (4ftx2ftx2ft) in which were housed 2x Angels, 2x H. Liberifer, 3x G. Brasiliensis and 6 Silver Dollars. This worked until I moved the G. Brasiliensis out and the larger H.L. became the dominant member. The smaller H.L. is now housed in a different tank. I acquired what I believe is a female H.L and tried housing her in the 120g but the original wouldn't have it. She is currently resting in a large net suspended in the 120g and hopefully I can release her into the tank for a long and peaceful life otherwise she will get moved into another tank. Or he will. I also have a 220g(6ftx2ftx2.5ft) and a 260g(7ftx2.5ftx2ft) and I have to move fish around to mitigate the aggression.

ah yes musical tanks is the best...I’ve done the shuffle ? ugh they are like unruly children

 

[Tunabish]

"Overstocked" is a relative term and very much a matter of opinion, so I'll say crowded-- meaning from the fish's standpoint, from a human standpoint crowded can also be a matter of opinion.

Lake Malawi, Lake Victoria, and some (not all) Lake Tanganyika cichlids are simple in that many of them can or should be crowded as a rule of thumb. New world cichlids are more complicated. Some are easier than others, but across the diversity of types success can depend on things like mixing compatible species or individuals, knowing which species are social, which aren't social, and which are downright solitary, which species can be mixed with which other species, which can be or should be kept in groups, typical minimum numbers for a group of a particular species to work, whether or not you can have multiple males in the group, how big a tank needs to be before some species can be kept in a group, which species cannot be kept in groups, which species will mellow out or get more aggressive in what size tank, etc.

Thank you. So many variables. I Just need to research more and more and tinker around