[bartender534]

New to the Aquarium and Cichlid world...currently have a 55 gallon with 6 adult cichlids 3 white albino, 1 electric yellow, 1 peach zebra, 1 cobalt blue..I also have 2 guppies , 2 mollies..everything was great so I decided to add 4 juvenile cichlid to the tank today, 1 electric blue, 1 bumblebee and 2 really small ones cant think of the name but made sure they were all from athe African family...all of sudden the tank mood has just changed...my adult cichlid seem agitated and the cobalt blue and peach zebra were locking lips...these new fish are not even an 1nch long ...why the change in behavior? Also, I do not know the sex of any of my fish which doesn't help the situation none..

 

[bartender534]

Very helpful information, thanks!..of course I have a million more questions..the 6 adult cichlid I mentioned had lived together in a 30 gallon tank for a year with no issues before I got them...it was a our general feed store in town and he had them in a tank with just water..no rocks, hiding places..etc, so I wonder if that may be one reason why they are starting to show more aggression?..because in my tank there's nice little caves and rocks and places for them to make home?...also, I am very confused about the quantity discussion...I have read so many different opinions on it...some say...only 3 cichlids for a 55 gallon tank..any more than that you are pushing it...but then I read a lot about slighty overstocking to reduced aggression...the ones I bought yesterday are about 1 inch and one didn't make it ...dead this morning...I hear you you said about the bumblebee Cichlid, yes, I have plans to purchase another tank to eventually move him...

 

[bartender534]

Does size matter when reaching the stocking limit? the adults are about 5 inches each, I have six..and the 3 I added last night are about 1 inch each..you said 8-10 so ..what I just mentioned should make it 9 cichlids and then I have about 10 other small community fish(goppies, platy, mollies and the small sripped zebra looking ones ..almost look like angel fish but without the long fins...these fish were in my tank first before I was given the 6 adult cichlids...obviously I know now that s a big no no, but didn't know anything about cichlids at first so just dumped them in the tank all together....everyone still alive tho going on 3 weeks...the big cichlids do not bother them at all so far...should I try taken the community fish out?