Who Gives A Fish Forums

I'm in the process of setting up a 55-gallon mbuna tank and I'm really curious about whether I should go with an all-male tank or stick with the traditional method. There are a few things I want to consider.

1. Living in a rural area, the nearest decent LFS is an hour away, making it tough to return or get rid of fish if needed - and giving away fry is almost impossible.

2. I've got a 15-pack of cichlid stones and I'm just a short walk from a lake where I can collect natural rocks in various sizes if I need more hiding spots.

3. The tank will be planted, which I'm hoping will help with stability.

4. I've got two filters designed for a 55-gallon tank, and I can also add a 20-gallon filter if necessary.

I'd really appreciate any stocking suggestions you guys might have.

I am setting up a 55 gallon mbuna tank and I am very curious as to whether it would be better to try for an all-male tank or to go with the conventional method. There are some key points I would like to point out to keep in mind.

1. I live in a ruflake area and the closest (good) LFS is a hour away from my home so it is difficult to return fish to a store or get rid of fish for any reason (fry are incredibly hard to give away)

Having had a mixed male female African cichlid tank before, I know how tough it can be to get rid of fish when you need to. I had a hard time selling or giving away fish that were readily available, so going with only males might be a good way to avoid that problem.

2. I have the 15 pack of cichlid stones and live walking distance from a lake where I can get many natuflake rocks of varying sizes if additional hiding places are needed.

I've collected rocks from the wild for my cichlid tanks before, just make sure to boil them really well to avoid introducing anything unwanted into your tank.

3. The tank will be planted.

I wish you luck with that, but I've found that cichlids love to eat and dig up plants, so it can be a challenge.

4. I have 2 filters intended for a 55 gallon tank and a 20 gallon filter that can be added as well if necessary.

Those two filters should be fine, just make sure you've got plenty of ceramic media and be prepared to clean the filter floss more often than you would with other fish.

A few side notes - you probably know this, but the key to a peaceful African tank is overstocking with smaller cichlids, 3-5 inches. I'd go with 25 or so fish. And water changes are crucial - I used to do 60% a week on my 60 gallon tank with 45 full-grown cichlids, and honestly, they could have used it even more often.

Good luck with your tank, these guys are a lot of fun.

I'm leaning towards an all-male tank, mainly because of the difficulty in rehoming fish in my area. I've had trouble giving away fish in the past, and it's even harder with fry. Having an all-male tank would eliminate the issue of unwanted fry and make it easier to manage the tank's population.

I appreciate your advice on using natural rocks, I'll make sure to boil them thoroughly to prevent any contamination. I'm aware that cichlids can be rough on plants, but I'm willing to give it a shot. I've got a good setup with the cichlid stones and the natural rocks, so I'm hoping that will provide enough hiding places for the fish.

I agree with you on the importance of filtration, I've got two filters intended for a 55-gallon tank, and a 20-gallon filter as a backup. I'll make sure to use plenty of ceramic media and clean the filter floss regularly. I'm also planning on doing regular water changes, at least 60% a week, to keep the tank clean and healthy.

Thanks for sharing your experience with African cichlids, it's been really helpful. I'm looking forward to setting up my tank and learning more about these amazing fish.

In your situation, I think going all male would be the way to go, personally.

I think I'll give it a shot, gonna have to work on my venting skills too.

Good luck with the tank setup, looking forward to seeing some pics of it once it's all set up and running.