How many cichlids for a 40 gallon tank

[txjaws2000]

Hello all I have a 40 gallon tank with some cichlids in it.
I have 2 Keyhole cichlids, 1 Jeweled cichlid, 1 Red Zebra Cichlid that isn't red its bright orange with 3 lighter colored dots on the anal fin, and 1 Ice Blue Zebra cichlid in my tank with a large pleco.

What do yall think about this setup? I don't know much about these zebra cichlids however the Iced Blue cichlid has only 1 yellow spot on the anal fin.
Do the number of spots classify as male or female? How come the red zebra is actually bright orange?

:shark:

 

[wobble]

You are mixing totally different types of cichlids. I don't think it will work out long term. They'll end up killing each other.

Keyhole cichlid (very peaceful cichlid): South American rivers
Jewel cichlid: African rivers and streams
Red zebra cichlid: Lake Malawi in Africa
Blue zebra cichlid: Lake Malawi in Africa

These have different water requirements, diets, and very different aggression levels.

I would try to narrow down what you want in the tank. Do some research on what types of cichlids you want. Once you know what type of cichlids you want, we'd be more than happy to help you choose some compatible tankmates. Depending on what types you choose, you can put quite a few in a 40g. There are many possibilities.

 

[fish_freak]

A common pleco can grow to 18 inches so its not really suitable for that tank either. I would try to pick african, rift lake, or new world for the cichlids and try to mix all three.

 

[txjaws2000]

So far all are getting along good

The 2 keyholes dont get picked on and most of the others are fine as well.
The orange Red Zebra seems to chase the Ice Blue Zebra if it gets to close but otherwise I haven't seen any aggression to the tank. When I put the Ice Blue one in yesterday the Red Zebra chased him around when we fed them all.

I believe I will stay with the zebras from Lake Malawi they have brighter colors than the other fish. Would like to put one of those Blue Hap cichlids in there but at the petsmart I go to, the only ones they sell are already super huge like 5-6inches and selling for $22-25 dollars.

What about the Yellow Lab cichlid that is bright yellow with the black dorsal fin? Can they withstand the Mbunas? Those I have seen are way smaller than my cichlids and are at the $10 level. What do you think is the maximum size of fish I could hold inside my tank, mine is a Oceanic brand Hexagonal shaped tank with light wood stand. Such as if one or 2 of those cichlids reach 6inches plus like the big blue $25 malawi cichlid? :coffee2:

 

[wobble]

Good choice! (I have 3 Malawi tanks)

Aggression won't get bad until they grow more towards adulthood.

I would choose either the blue zebra or red zebra. IME, the red zebras are more aggressive than the blues and you could also run into crossbreeding.

The yellow labs actually are also mbuna. They would do just fine with zebras.

Haps should do fine with the mbuna, this is a common mix.

Unfortunately, I thought you had a standard 40g (48 inch). I don't think the hex will work out very well for most mbuna. They require alot of bottom area. Mbuna means "rock dweller". They need alot of rocks to hide in and protect. A hex is not the preferred dimensions for this type of fish.

The mbuna I would recommend would be a demasoni/yellow lab combo. The demasoni stay fairly small and the yellow labs are not that agressive (as far as mbunas).

Have you looked into cichlids from Lake Tanganyika in Africa? They have more possiblities for a tank your size. Although you won't find these at the local Petsmart or Petco.

This is only my opinion. Others may disagree.

 

[liv2padl]

keeping African Mbuna in the same tank with keyhole cichlids is an unfortunate mix. the latter are very timid while Mbuna are extremely aggressive and territorial. moreover, they need to be kept in a group consisting of 1 male at at least 3 females (and 4 is better still). fewer females almost always results in their death due to the inherant spawning aggression of the polygamous males.

i would urge you to obtain additional either red or ice blue species and return the other color along with the keyholes. alternatively, you could consider getting more of both and then when sex can be determined, return any extra males. a total of 8 fish of two different African species, given the proper sex ratio, is the key to success.