Rainbow Cichlid Numbers

[DHarris]

A couple of months back I purchased what I thought might be a pair of Rainbow Cichlids. Had been wanting to add more as a LFS has a few small ones priced cheaply but was waiting until they were sexable.

Went into another shop today and they had a tank full of beautiful larger specimens. Again got what I think is a male and female.

I now have 4 individuals, hopefully 2M and 2F, though not 100% certain in a 150 gallon SA aquarium with geos, severum and a lot of plecos.

I've read a lot of mixed things regarding appropriate numbers for these fish from best in a pair, trio, or even fine in a group.

How many would be too many in a 150 and what's the appropriate ratio for these?

Thanks!

 

[Stanzzzz7]

I think without other cichlids a group of 10 would do well together. Ideally 2 to 3 males and the rest female.
Make a nice tank on their own with a group of livebearers.

 

[duanes]

In nature multispinnossa spawn on grassy flood plains, where water is shallow, vegetation is thick, and they can escape larger predatory species (being a more or less timid species compared to other cichlids of the area).
This affords a large footprint for territories "not" to overlap.
I kept 7 pairs in a 400 gallon kiddy pool, and I believe was not enough space for multiple pairs, because they always ended up eating each others eggs or fry.
I agree with Stanzzzz7, if you want pairs, and successful spawns, the other cichlids and Plecos should be put elsewhere, some benign live bearers would also be my choice for (if any) tank mates.
Later I was more successful getting fry, when I removed any obviously copacetic pairs to a separate shallow, heavily planted tank, where they could live unmolested.