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straight outof 'Aquarium Fish Magazine' ''i have found that a population density pf 20 to 24 total inches of mbuna not including the tails per square foot of bottom area works very well(and they are that thick in the wild).A similiar stocking can be used for smaller to medium mbuna species.i have relized when your tank is stocked like this that the males are to busy defending territory to actually do any damage to fish and this allows the females and weaker males to get out of the way of squabbles.'' so if i have a 55 gallon how many square feet of bottom area is that? and do they have to have alot of rockwork and are they bottom dwellers ?

thanks p.s. im goinf to use yellow lab cichlids how many could i have?

Last edited by LOACHESRCOOL at 13-Jun-2005 22:46

anyone?

Well in the standard 55 you have 4 square feet of floor room or surface area. that would mean 80-96" of fish if you went by the magazines rule. Without the tail that is alot of cichlids. Better have great filtration and maintenece schedule. Might work ? Good luck.