General African Cichlid Discussion • How many can I put in a 30 gallon?

[lil.guppy]

I have someone interested in my Kenyi babies. She has a 30 gallon and wants to know how many can go in there. I dont want to give her the wrong figures. I have 20 babies available. Can she get away with putting all 20 in there? I told her that as they mature there might be some fighting with that many but I was not sure.

Thanks for your help

[Dave]

This tank would only be suitable as a temporary grow out tank for these fish.

[fishwolfe]

i think a 30 would be to small for more than a full grown pair.but i would tell her that a 55g would be a good investment in the near future.then she could get 1 male, 3 or 4 females, when fully grown.and they will need heavy filtration and lots of caves too.get a 55 off craigslist for cheap and transfer all the filters from the 30 to it to keep the cost down.i personally love my kenyi's.

[Dave]

Mbuna are not pairing fish, I would not recommend keeping them in pairs. This 30 gallon is not suitable for even subadults of this species. Even a 55 would be pushing it considering the aggression level of this fish.