how many in a 55 gal?

[fish_chic]

i have a 55 gal setup for mbuna (never know if i am spelling that right) and to me i think it might be a little of stocked.

i have in there now...

2 red zebras
2 yellow labs
2 fuelleborni
1 male auturus* 1 female holding (don't know how to spell that)*
1 kenyi
1 johannii
1 yellow one (unidentified)

anyway i know that they will all get pretty big (around 4-6 inches right) and i just think that i am a little overstocked. any advice.

 

[Cichlid-Man]

You are sitting pretty good right now with what you have. If it were me i'd acctually have a few more (15-20ish) fish in there. But it looks ok to me right now.

Have your auratus giving you any aggression problems?

And you spelled "Mbuna" correct

 

[SinisterKisses]

The major problem you have, are the pairs. Mbuna are very much NOT a pairing fish, and you'll likely find you end up with one killing the other off.

 

[fish_chic]

hes a little aggresive but not as bad as the fuelleborni, but he was in the tank first so. but even at full grown size 15ish to 20ish mbunas in a 55 gal is okay. right now they are about 2 to 3 1/2 inches big.

 

[TheFool]

Your overall number is fine but agree that you should avoid pairs unless you want all the females to be pestered to death, and should stick to the more peaceful species.
The auratus will be a case in point. The monet she spits, if not before, he will after her to breed constantly, and you know she isn't feeding with a mouthful of fry - recipe for a short, unhappy life sadly. I'd lose all the malanochromi, and bulk up the numbers of whats left.