[mister_han]

Hello I am new to this hobby but am not a stranger to african cichlids. my dad has a 120g tank at his office with all sorts of cichlids. since I did not keep contact with the person that made the tank for us, I was wondering if you guys can help me out.

For starters, I recently bought a new 10g tank and filled it with pebbles and play sand as its substrate. I am wondering what the maximum amount of cichlids I can keep in the tank. I currently went out and bought 15 juvi's around 05-1" each. Is this amount okay or is it too much?

Thanks for your help

 

[Paulbearer]

It really depends on the fish that you purchased, but if they are African Cichlids, then a 10 gallon tank is to small for even one. You should take them back and then check out the cookie cutter for a 10 gallon tank on this site. Shellies would probably be your best bet for a 10 gallon tank, but to be honest, not many will fit in a 10 gallon tank as far as cichlids.

 

[Doane]

Your current setup of 15 fish is too much for ANY 10 gallon. For the most part, with community freshwater fish its about 1 fish per gallon, for any Cichlids that's just not the case. You could do a community of 1 or 2 shell dwellers in a 10 gallon, but for the most part that's about it. I know that spending more money seems like a complete waste, but I would highly recommend a larger tank.

Sorry for the bad news, but a 10g is just too small.

On the bright side, larger tanks tend to be more stable and much easier to care for. My 120g has never needed emergency care while my 10g grow out (which I only keep fish less than 1/2") its constantly fluctuating.