So you have a 55-gallon tank and are considering building out a cichlid aquarium. With a tank this size, there are plenty of different types of cichlids you can successfully care for. African cichlid fish fill any tank with vibrant colors and bring energy. However, stocking is hard as it requires information about various parameters, i.e., species, size, aggression, etc. This article will solve this puzzle with an equation that counts all necessary parameters. The relationship between rocks and fish is also part of the discussion.
Understanding Cichlids
Cichlids are the biggest vertebrate fish families. There are about 3,000 different cichlid species. African and American cichlid species share a big chunk of this vertebrate family. There are about 1,500 different African cichlid species. The size of African cichlids varies among the species. You can find 1-inch to 1-meter (3 feet) long species with different needs and abilities. Numerous African cichlids are mouth breeders. Cichlids are one of the most common aquarist’s choices.
Before we dig into some of these fascinating fish, hobbyists should be well-versed in the intricacies of keeping cichlids. These fish can be quite aggressive, and there are key differences between species.
Key Considerations for Stocking
It’s a puzzle to calculate the perfect cichlid stocking in the tank. Several aspects affect their stocking density, i.e., species, aggression, rock space, swimming space, adult size, and tank size. African cichlids are known for their aggression. Rocks are one of the best solutions to control it. Rocks help to set the territories, provide food, and give a natural look to the tank. However, it’s critical to calculate the ratio of open swimming space and rocks in the tank. A Cichlid tank is distinguished for rocks.
Lighting
Lights help to maintain the tank ecosystem. Other than essentially, lights help to bring energy and colors to the tank. A full spectrum light creates a daylight condition in the tank. These lights highlight the all-blue, yellow, red, and orange species. They are also suitable due to their energy-efficient, long-lasting, and adjustability properties.
Read also: African Cichlid Stocking Tips
If you have deep color cichlid species, i.e., blue, purple, green, etc., in your tank, it is great to install actinic blue lights. These lights highlight their deep coloration. If you have some red, yellow, or other matching shade cichlid species, e.g., Red empress, Yellow Labs, etc., red LEDs will highlight them. These LEDs help to intensify their coloration. However, only red lights lead to an artificial look in your tank. RGB LEDs are one of the best lighting options, as these lights offer customization. These lights act as full-spectrum LEDs. They offer a daylight vibe in the tank. Some fluorescent lighting exclusively intensifies the fish coloration.
Recommended African Cichlid Species for a 55-Gallon Tank
Here are some African Cichlid species that could work in this tank:
- Electric Yellow Lab (Labidochromis caeruleus)
- Demasoni (Pseudotropheus demasoni)
- Snow White Cichlid (Pseudotropheus socolofi)
Arguably one of the most popular African cichlid mbunas, is the Electric Yellow Lab (scientific name: Labidochromis caeruleus). Next on our list is another African Cichlid Mbuna known as the Demasoni (scientific name: Pseudotropheus demasoni). Last on our list is the Snow White Cichlid (scientific name: Pseudotropheus socolofi). If you're the proud owner of a 55-gallon tank, it's easy to see that there's no shortage of cichlid stocking options to choose from. Now that we've provided a few of our favorites, which do you think you'll go with?
Electric Yellow Lab (Labidochromis caeruleus)
Demasoni (Pseudotropheus demasoni)
Snow White Cichlid (Pseudotropheus socolofi)
New World Cichlids
Here are some New World Cichlid species that could work in this tank:
- Firemouth Cichlid
- Rainbow Cichlid
- Jack Dempsey Cichlid
- Convict Cichlid
- Salvini Cichlid
- Green Terror Cichlid
- Nicaragua Cichlid
- Texas Cichlid
- Oscar
- Severums
Some fish that could work in this tank are: Firemouth Cichlid, Rainbow Cichlid, Jack Dempsey Cichlid, Convict Cichlid, Salvini Cichlid, Green Terror Cichlid, possibly Nicaragua Cichlid, possibly Texas Cichlid, arguably and Oscar, and arguably Severums. Look into all of those fish and tell us what you like, and they might be a good fit for you. Some will have to live alone. If you want details on each fish, ask and i will give what i can.
Read also: Balancing Career and Family: Egypt Sherrod
Next on our list is a classic New World Cichlid, known as the Convict Cichlid. Occasionally referred to as the Zebra Cichlid, these fish are well-studied and have been kept in the hobby for decades. Named after its appearance, which resembles the striped prison uniforms of British convicts, the fish are relatively small, reaching an adult size between 4 to 5 inches in length. This small size only requires a 20-gallon tank, but multiple can be kept in a 55-gallon.
Other Tank Mates
Bottom-feeders often aren't the center of attention and thus can be added in later. Gouramis can go with a lot depending on specie. The smallest are very weak and timid, the ones a size up are good community tankmates (Dwarf Gourami) and the mid-sizers are decent in certain circumstance (like Pearl or Opaline). The very biggest aren't suitable for this tank. However, Dwarf and Pearl Gouramis look nice with some of the Tetras. They shouldn't go with nippy/aggressive fish.
General Tank Setups for 55-Gallon Tanks
55-gallon fish tanks are one of our favorite sizes because the 48" length x 13" width x 21" height (122 x 33 x 53 cm) dimensions give you a lot of options to play with.
- Livebearer Tank: The purpose of a livebearer tank is to feature tons of color, active movement, and baby fish. You can generally mix guppies, platies, and mollies together, but if you add the larger swordtails, expect to end up with lots of fat swordtails and fewer guppy babies. To help consume all the toxic nitrogen chemicals produced by fish poop, add lots of fast-growing plants like water sprite and Pogostemon stellatus ‘octopus’.
- African Cichlid Tank: Since African cichlids can be territorial with each other, crowding the tank with more cichlids helps bring down the aggression level and eliminate targeting by the dominant fish. We recommend that you start with up to six fish of each species. Ideally, they should all be the same size and added to the tank within the same month to minimize territorial disputes.
- Tetra Tank: The great thing about tetras is that almost any of them can go together - such as neon, rummy nose, black skirt, emperor, and ember tetras. Tetras are relatively inexpensive and usually small in size, so this setup allows you to continually visit your local fish store and slowly add to your collection over time. Spice up the rest of the tank with some aquarium plants, decorations, and bottom dwellers like cory catfish and kuhli loaches.
- Angelfish Tank: The quintessential angelfish tank usually entails live aquarium plants with one school of angelfish. As a point of contrast, add a second schooling fish that is smaller in size. One of our favorite things is turn off all the lights except the aquarium light and watch the angelfish slowly swim back and forth while the schooling nano fish gracefully evade the angels.
- Barb "Thunderdome": Barbs are often shunned because they are so fast and semi-aggressive, but they are very fun if you’ve never kept them before. Like African cichlids, they tend to do best when kept in large groups of their own kind. One idea is to make a tank full of tiger barbs, but mix together all the different color variations - such as regular, albino, green, GloFish, and longfin.
The Best Cichlid Stocking Options for 55 Gallon Aquariums
Hopefully, this article has sparked your interest in 55-gallon fish tanks. People rarely keep the same setup forever, so if you find yourself losing interest after 2-3 years, rehome your fish to other hobbyists who will love them as you did and then switch to another kind of setup that you’ve never tried out before.
Read also: Parishes of Uganda Explained
