CichlidFish.com - Fish That Think.

I have a 90 G tank that I started with community fish but have personally converted to cichlids and am in the process of converting my tank to them also.  I'm sticking with Malawi fish, but have some questions about having a tank that will promote breeding and limit the aggression of the fish.  (Read: I don't want the environment to enhance aggressive tendancies)

The rule of thumb is 1" of fish per gallon (an estimate I know) but I'm thinking that it's got to be different with cichlids.  How do you know when you are at your limit?  (FYI: I know I'm crowded right now and am moving community fish to another tank each week)

Can my larger community fish safely stay?  (SilverTip Shark, Silver Dollar, Tinfoil Barb)  My cichlids are all small at this stage and don't bother the other fish, but I suspect this will change.

How many breeding "pairs" of cichlids is it realistic to have in a 90 G tank?

Does having just one of a particular fish help make them less aggressive?  (Auratus, Powder Blue Socolofi, Kenyii)

How often do you "rearrange the furniture" in the tank?  Is it necessary?  Beneficial?

Economically it's cheaper to get one larger tank (180 G +) than a couple smaller ones, but would I be better off with different cichlids to have them in different tanks?

Hi, Vadryn:

I'm not much of an expert on Africans, but I can make a few suggestions.  First of all, the gallon-per-inch rule is fine for small tetras, but cichlids need considerably more.  I've seen six gallons per inch quoted, but it can depend on the specific fish to some extent.  Also, a lot of the Mbunas pair up differently than the South Americans.  It's typical to provide several females per male to keep any one female from being harrassed to death.  Carefully research each species before buying, to make sure size, diet, and aggression are not too dissimilar.  For breeding, most Africans like a higher pH than your community fish are likely to appreciate, though they might be OK.  Here's a thread that might be of help:

http://oscarsfishtank.com/discuss/index ... ic=16962.0