# Stocking a 55 with african cichlids- help!



## Wyvlen (May 22, 2019)

I recently got some new space for fish after rehoming my adopted goldfish. They were much too dirty for my taste, but I took them in for a friend a while back... finally decided to just get them a new home elsewhere.

Anyway, the tank is all fixed up now, but my question is: _How many cichlids *SHOULD* be in the tank without completely overstocking it?_ I've heard that I should put in more fish just to lower the aggression? I just don't know how many cichlids is too many, honestly. 
There is a dragon blood peacock and a greshakei in the tank as of right now, fully grown. _What other cichlids would be best to add?_


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Welcome to Cichlid-forum!

You will want to choose one or the other. The dragon blood is a peacock and they are generally not ideal with mbuna. The greshakei is one of the more aggressive mbuna. Probably better in a 75G measuring 48x18.

If you do mixed gender think in terms of 3 species with 1m:4f of each.


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## Wyvlen (May 22, 2019)

These two get along great, actually, though I know that usually isn't the case. I don't plan on mixing genders- the two I have are both males.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

For all male in a 55G shoot for 8-10 fish that mature <= six inches. That is the proper level of overdrowding for a 55G. Avoid aggressive fish (because they don't tend to work in all-male) and wimpy fish because you already have a very aggressive mbuna and a fairly aggressive hybrid peacock.

I would avoid other hybrid peacocks and jacobfreibergi like Lemon Jakes.

Choose fish that look nothing alike...so no more red or "white" fish.

You may find the greshakei may be hard on new additions.


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