# Biggest Cichlid for 55 gallon?



## mrs.som (Nov 14, 2009)

Hello, this is kinda a follow up to my last post about stocking a 55.
My hubby likes the ideas but he is always telling me "the bigger the better".
So my question is, what is the biggest cichlid that can _comfortably_ fit in a 55 gallon in a pair or a small group. I could start out with several until they pair up and then sell the rest. My hubby just really really really wants something big. The biggest tank we could go up to is a 75, though a 55 gallon will be more likely (used availability).

Thanks for everyone's time and patience!


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## John27 (Jun 6, 2010)

Inch per gallon of course! You could EASILY do a 36" Giant Cichlid! KIDDING!! ha, anyway.

What about Peacocks? Some of them run around 8" or so, I don't know that you could go much bigger though, see the problem with something like an Oscar is that when they get to 15", they are too big to turn around in the tank, and even a 12" fish while it will be physically possible, it's still going to feel cramped, I personally would stick with 8" or less.

That said, if it's still an option to go to a 75 Do it! It adds SO many other options with it's 18" depth! Then he could get a nice big Oscar or Jack Dempsey, or some of the larger African species!

Good luck!

-John


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## mrs.som (Nov 14, 2009)

John,
Well, this is what I just did, sent hubby to one of the online retailers and told him to pick out his favorite fish from each of the regions available. He sent me back a list that made me chuckle. He had all sorts of fish from a dwarf Cockatoo cichlid to a Peacock bass (!). Fortunately, he also listed Gymnogeophagus Meridionalis, which I had also been looking at, so we'll probably go for a trio of those (the 40-long cookie cutter). 
I had an oscar before in a 55 gallon when I was a teenager and he was not the happiest fish, I don't want to do that to a fish again. 
If we do get to MI (we are moving there at the end of this month) and there are some decent used 75 setups in our price range we'll definitely try to go for that instead.

(Oh btw, not a fan of peacocks for some odd reason, beautiful coloring, just not a fan of the face/body shape I guess)

Thanks!


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## ceech (Jul 4, 2010)

have a look at moori dolphins they have a nice blue colour and can get from 8 inches to 10 inches and look very cool.
http://www.tropical-fish-success.com/im ... _large.jpg


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

I would do a 7 inch fish, but only one or two, not a tank full of them, also if I do a 7 inch fish, I make some of the other smaller than 6 inches

like my 55 with cynos and labeos, a 7 inch species and a 4 inch species, plenty of room in the tank


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## mrs.som (Nov 14, 2009)

*Ceech*, my husband LOVES the dolphins, actually he has been eying those for awhile because my mom has some in her tank. I was under the impression though that they need to be in a bigger group and that would be too big for a 55 gallon.

*Cjacob316*, your idea sounds good too...ahhh, so many choices!


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

there is a species of piranha or two that only get to 7-8 inches, they would be fine solo in a 75

when you get to groups of 7-8 inch fish, it gets really hard for a 4 foot tank because they tend to be much more aggressive as well, I know someone with fuelleborni in a 75 and he feels like it's way too small, mine are still juvies so i'm keeping fingers crossed that they adjust well

i'd say in al all male set-up, i'd do one 7 inch hap in a 55. maybe two or 3 would be ok in a 75, or some jakes, but not much more that that

mbuna like i said get hard because there needs to be at least 5, and then they get more and more aggressive, so for most 8 inch mbuna i'd suggest 5 feet or more of tank

if you want big fish, you need big tanks


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## aquariam (Feb 11, 2010)

You can't keep dolphins in a 55. Not long term.

IMO the biggest thing you should put in a 55 is something like a firemouth which will get large but won't really require tonnes of space. If you went Mbuna I wouldn't go any bigger than a larger copadichromis sp.


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

copadichromis is not mbuna, you mean malawi?


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## mrs.som (Nov 14, 2009)

*Cjacob* I agree, bigger fish = bigger tanks. That is why I'm trying to be thoughtful about this and research well ahead of time. I think my hubby can be satisfied with something in the 5"-7" range, as long as it is "not just one color but kinda 'rainbowy'"...lol, his words 

*Aquariam* I like firemouths and I think my hubby would too but they are a little common. I was aiming for something that is not found fairly easy in Petco/Petsmart.

Right now we are leaning toward a pair of Rockteils (sp?)....thoughts?


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

if you want "rainbowy" look into vics, they tend to have the most color variation in a single species of any fish, but the females are drab


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## mrs.som (Nov 14, 2009)

Oops, I meant "Rotkeils"


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## aquariam (Feb 11, 2010)

mrs.som said:


> Oops, I meant "Rotkeils"


I think a 55 is too small for severums too.

Sorry I did mean malawi not mbuna. I've been brain farting a lot.

When I had a 55 my biggest fish was a borleyi. I also had some yellow labs. The fish looked quite large in the 55 and I wouldn't really want to put a fish any larger in there. It's not so much the 4 foot length. If you had 2 feet of width you could absolutely get the rotkeil. I considered those also when I had my 55 but decided against them for the size issue. A fish that can reach 10" can't really turn around properly in a 12" tank.


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## mrs.som (Nov 14, 2009)

Aquariam,
Good thoughts about the tank width and the severums, I agree.
I'll put Sevs on the list if I'm able to get a 75.
Back to the 55 though, I know there are quite a few Africans that fit this category but honestly I've never found them that appealing. I've always been more drawn to New World, though I also like the West Africans. So any thoughts in that direction?


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## a7oneal (Dec 30, 2004)

Have you looked at the "cookie cutters" for the 55-gallon yet?

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/cookie_cutter_55g.php


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## mrs.som (Nov 14, 2009)

Of course, that was the first place I looked


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

firemouths would be a good fit for a 55


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