how many african cichlids in a 34 gallon hex tank??

[primetime_3wise]

how many african cichlids could i keep in a 34" long/gallon hex tank? i know that with africans you are supposed to overstock the tank and kinda put more than you would with regular tropical fish, at least that's what a few people have told me. is there a general rule of thumb for african cichlids as far as size per gallon? right now i have 8 of them in there and am wondering if i could add more, or, if i have too many. they will all grow to the 4-6" range.

[fOx]

But a hex tank is no good for cichlids... anyone here will tell you that. They are shaped wrong (up and down) as opposed to side-to-side. There is less room to swim. I would stick with what you have (which sounds to be way overcrowded for my liking in that tank) and not add anymore...

just my 0.02 cents...

P.S. they say one inch of fish for every gallon, but that is really "iffy" and with Cichlids it can be bent... but (once again) I wouldn't try it in a hex tank... sorry.

fOx

[primetime_3wise]

i just realized that you are probably mistaken about my hex tank. yes it is a hex, but it is 34 inches, almost 3 feet, long in the back. it's not shaped like a normal hex tank because it was handmade my and individual. it's not like 2-3 feet tall, but only about 14-16 inches tall. with that being said, how many africans could i put in there?

[fOx]

First off, you didn't say the tank was hand made.
Secondly, because of its odd-shape you have taken away from the total possible surface area (which is necessary for oxygen exchange) and you have also limited the amount of swimming space for your fish. You have also made filtration a real problem as, in all wierd shaped tanks, water movement becomes a problem and you will find several areas within the tank that act as dead "drop" areas for debris. These will turn into ammonia producing zones. As for the number of fish that can be introduced to your tank, I wouldn't add any more. (I mean the tank sounds like its about 30 Gallons?) Eight seems like too many already.

I don't mean to be a prick (however those who know me on this forum know that I have knowledge to contribute and I speak my mind - even if it's not the popular opinion). Personally, I don't think that hex tanks should be used for anything other than live plants/ coral growth. They are just way to hard to circulate, unless you want to have four or five water pumps throwing currents all over the place and turning the tank into a whirlpool.

just my 0.02 cents...

fOx