How Many Cichla Can I Cram Into A Glass Box?

[mrrobxc]

Thanks much! I grew a couple out when I was younger but never past around 7" before trading them in. Really excited to get to keep these guys for a long time and see their full growth and development. As for filtration, Im just finishing up building the set up, its a 75g sump (was the only thing I could get my hands on] thats got everything it could ever need in terms of mechanical and biological filtration including a nitrate reactor that then gets pumped at 2600gph into a 2000g pond canister filter/uv sterilizer and then back into the tank. I'll post a video when its done but it should be by faaaar more than enough filtration. I even plumbed it with 3 overflow pipes to make sure it was getting maximum flow rate. Im planning on probably ending up with 4 or 5 PBass, 3 Odoe Pikes, and some kind of catfish. Probably a little overstocked when theyre all full grown but by then Ill probably have 2 tanks larger than this at my rate.

Sounds good. Good luck!

 

[Tony A.]

Keep us updated.

 

[The-Almighty-Zugs]

First things first intermedia are not a small species they get 20+” kelberi xingu and orinos are more suitable (kelberi and xingu generally stay smaller and orinos take long to grow) I always grab a lot from the jump and thin down to 5-6 of the best ones. Kelberi if wild will take 3-4 years to get 14-16” Bahia strand out of Taiwan/Indonesia will exceed that. Orinos are mean and imo second to Pinima are the meanest bass.To answer your question id get atleast 3 and no more than 6 if going with those 3 species. I’m doing something similar with orinos in a 350 96x36x24 soon. Best of luck

What if you filled the 96 x 30 x 26 with only Kelberi? How many could fit then?

 

[tcav88]

What if you filled the 96 x 30 x 26 with only Kelberi? How many could fit then?

if it were me I’d get a group and thin out based on judgement as they grow. Hard to say the exact amount you should get though, me personally I wouldn’t do any kind of cichla in a tank under 3ft wide longterm but thats just my preference. To answer the question as is... I always start with 10+ and thin to the best 5-6. Robin..@mrrobxc would be better to ask on this subject given his current experience with kelberi. I know the guy he got them from kept a trio in a 180 for a couple years before moving them on. It’s all personal preference, I’d say get em and use your best judgment as they grow.

 

[The-Almighty-Zugs]

if it were me I’d get a group and thin out based on judgement as they grow. Hard to say the exact amount you should get though, me personally I wouldn’t do any kind of cichla in a tank under 3ft wide longterm but thats just my preference. To answer the question as is... I always start with 10+ and thin to the best 5-6. Robin..@mrrobxc would be better to ask on this subject given his current experience with kelberi. I know the guy he got them from kept a trio in a 180 for a couple years before moving them on. It’s all personal preference, I’d say get em and use your best judgment as they grow.

Don't Kelberi's get up to 20 inches max? And if I use the 1.5 width rule, isn't that perfect at 30"? I know I wouldn't be able to keep any other species of PB other than the Kelberi's in a 96 x 30 x 24 but was hoping Kelberi's would be good in the tank. Can't go any bigger at the moment and when I saw that they get to 20 inches I was pretty excited. I had written off PB and thought they could only be housed in a pond. Do Kelberis ever kill eachother? Do they have the capability? Or would I be selling them as they grow up to thin out numbers?

 

[adamsfishes]

I think 20" fish are ok in a 96x30x24 300 gallon tank. But not the 24 wide 30 tall version. I wish I had somewhere to put a 96x30x24.

 

[The-Almighty-Zugs]

I think 20" fish are ok in a 96x30x24 300 gallon tank. But not the 24 wide 30 tall version. I wish I had somewhere to put a 96x30x24.

Yeah I only have one place for a tank of this size and the 96 x 30 x 24 is the absolute max to fit where I am putting it. Fits perfectly into the rest of the furniture. So I'm very lucky. DO you by chance have any idea on how many Kelberi's I could have in a tank of this size?

 

[adamsfishes]

Yeah I only have one place for a tank of this size and the 96 x 30 x 24 is the absolute max to fit where I am putting it. Fits perfectly into the rest of the furniture. So I'm very lucky. DO you by chance have any idea on how many Kelberi's I could have in a tank of this size?

Re-read what mrrobxc says earlier in the thread. I can't improve on his comments.

But just in general, with a tank this size and fish that max out at 20", I think 5 would be ok assuming they get along.

 

[tcav88]

Don't Kelberi's get up to 20 inches max? And if I use the 1.5 width rule, isn't that perfect at 30"? I know I wouldn't be able to keep any other species of PB other than the Kelberi's in a 96 x 30 x 24 but was hoping Kelberi's would be good in the tank. Can't go any bigger at the moment and when I saw that they get to 20 inches I was pretty excited. I had written off PB and thought they could only be housed in a pond. Do Kelberis ever kill eachother? Do they have the capability? Or would I be selling them as they grow up to thin out numbers?

Depends what variant you get. If it’s the Bahia strain they attain the largest sizes as oppose to the wild variants such as Rio dolce,parana,tocantins etc. wilds anymore are rare and the only person I know personally that still brings them in is Derek D dereks fish/ E Elsurati on Instagram. As for rules to tank size there’s no such thing, a glass box is a glass box, it all comes down to judgement and personal preference. I still stand by grabbing a big group and thinning down to what you consider appropriate based on your judgement over time.

 

[mrrobxc]

Depends what variant you get. If it’s the Bahia strain they attain the largest sizes as oppose to the wild variants such as Rio dolce,parana,tocantins etc. wilds anymore are rare and the only person I know personally that still brings them in is Derek D dereks fish/ E Elsurati on Instagram. As for rules to tank size there’s no such thing, a glass box is a glass box, it all comes down to judgement and personal preference. I still stand by grabbing a big group and thinning down to what you consider appropriate based on your judgement over time.

I agree with Thomas. I have six total in a 600 woth tankmates and wouldn’t add anymore. Now if I didn’t have mates, I would add two more max.