restocking my 55 gallon tank

[islando]

Hey everyone, so I'm looking for some advice on new additions to my tank. Recently lost the rest of my rainbowfish to an unidentifiable disease that hasn't affected the other fish, thankfully. My current stock is: 2 juvenile clown loaches, 1 bn pleco, 1 synodontis, 1 Siamese algae eater (not Chinese), and 1 juvenile blood parrot.

Considering the following additions:

1) 4-5 Peacock cichlids - I know they're less aggressive than mbunas, but they can get pretty big over time.

2) Mbuna cichlids - I'm aware they're aggressive, my main concern is how they'd interact with the blood parrot and SAE.

3) Victorkento4 Cichlids - From what I've gathered, they're less aggressive than mbunas and similar to peacocks in terms of temperament. I'd love to know more about them.

4) A large school of tiger barbs - I've had limited experience with barbs, and I know they can be semi-aggressive.

[pastime1]

Before we dive into your stock additions, I'd like to know your current water parameters - what's your KH and GH looking like? I've got some concerns with the stock you've got going on already, to be honest. I might elaborate on those once we get the water parameters sorted. As for the cichlids you mentioned, I'd advise against them - they're not exactly community fish.

[islando]

Before we dive into your stock additions, I'd like to know your current water parameters - what's your KH and GH looking like? I've got some concerns with the stock you've got going on already, to be honest. I might elaborate on those once we get the water parameters sorted. As for the cichlids you mentioned, I'd advise against them - they're not exactly community fish.

My water parameters are as follows: ammonia at 0.25, nitrates less than 20, and nitrites at 0. The pH is 7.8. I'm not entirely sure of my KH and GH levels, but I do know my tap water is quite hard.

I understand that African cichlids aren't typically considered community fish, but I've seen it work for a friend who's kept mbunas with clown loaches, Synodontis, and plecos for years without any issues. I plan on rehoming the clown loaches when they get too big for my tank.

From my research, peacocks seem to be less aggressive than mbunas, but I'm still concerned about compatibility between the blood parrot and SAE with cichlids. I know blood parrots are technically SA cichlids, but I've personally seen them kept with Malawis without problems.

[boomer]

There are problems with keeping these fish in the same tank. You might not see them, but they're there and it's affecting the fish. Let me explain.

First, water parameters for rift lake cichlids and soft water fish like the loaches and SAE are worlds apart. It's all about physiology - every species has evolved to function best in specific water parameters. This isn't something you can just change because you want to, and it'll put the fish under stress. There's no middle ground; one group will lose out.

You've got loaches that need to be in groups of at least five. They'll grow big - at least eight inches, and if they're healthy, they'll easily hit a foot. That means you need a massive tank, at least 6 feet long. SAE are also shoaling fish, so you need a group of five, and they'll get to six inches. Keeping both groups together isn't a good idea.

When fish live in environments that are completely wrong for them, they won't be healthy. Their internal balance will be off. They might look fine to you, but trust me, they're not. Please think about the welfare of the fish before you get them. It's just a matter of doing some research and giving them what they need, not what you want.

And that's not even taking into account the nature of some of the cichlids. That's a whole other issue.

[islando]

There are problems with keeping these fish in the same tank. You might not see them, but they're there and it's affecting the fish. Let me explain.

First, water parameters for rift lake cichlids and soft water fish like the loaches and SAE are worlds apart. It's all about physiology - every species has evolved to function best in specific water parameters. This isn't something you can just change because you want to, and it'll put the fish under stress. There's no middle ground; one group will lose out.

You've got loaches that need to be in groups of at least five. They'll grow big - at least eight inches, and if they're healthy, they'll easily hit a foot. That means you need a massive tank, at least 6 feet long. SAE are also shoaling fish, so you need a group of five, and they'll get to six inches. Keeping both groups together isn't a good idea.

When fish live in environments that are completely wrong for them, they won't be healthy. Their internal balance will be off. They might look fine to you, but trust me, they're not. Please think about the welfare of the fish before you get them. It's just a matter of doing some research and giving them what they need, not what you want.

And that's not even taking into account the nature of some of the cichlids. That's a whole other issue.

I'm having trouble understanding how you can say my fish are unhealthy when they're thriving and showing normal behavior. I'm not trying to be argumentative, I just genuinely want to learn from your perspective.

If we were to somehow magically create an environment where water parameters like pH and hardness weren't an issue, do you think it would be possible for my current stock to coexist with the fish I mentioned earlier - the peacocks, mbunas, or Victorkento4 cichlids, and the tiger barbs?

[boomer]

Hey everyone, so I'm looking for some advice on new additions to my tank. Recently lost the rest of my rainbowfish to an unidentifiable disease that hasn't affected the other fish, thankfully. My current stock is: 2 juvenile clown loaches, 1 bn pleco, 1 synodontis, 1 Siamese algae eater (not Chinese), and 1 juvenile blood parrot.

Considering the following additions:

1) 4-5 Peacock cichlids - I know they're less aggressive than mbunas, but they can get pretty big over time.

2) Mbuna cichlids - I'm aware they're aggressive, my main concern is how they'd interact with the blood parrot and SAE.

3) Victorkento4 Cichlids - From what I've gathered, they're less aggressive than mbunas and similar to peacocks in terms of temperament. I'd love to know more about them.

4) A large school of tiger barbs - I've had limited experience with barbs, and I know they can be semi-aggressive.

To answer your first question, I'd need to delve into the intricacies of fish biology, which is far more complex than a simple observation of their appearance can convey. In reality, a fish's external appearance doesn't always accurately reflect its state of health - both physically and mentally.

To gain a deeper understanding, I recommend you read the citations in my signature block. It's essential to comprehend what a species requires to thrive, and then provide those conditions if we want to achieve success in keeping them healthy.

Regarding your second question, I must reiterate that it's highly unlikely these species can coexist harmoniously, even if we were to disregard water parameters such as water hardness and pH. The species you've mentioned have vastly different requirements in terms of numbers, space, environment, and behavior - all of which are crucial factors in determining how a fish's homeostasis functions. I'm confident that unless we provide these species with the conditions they're naturally programmed to expect, they won't be able to live healthy lives.