Pros and Cons of Overstocking an African Cichlid Tank
Overstocking an African cichlid tank is a common practice used to curb cichlid aggression. The concept of overstocking is that with so many fish in the tank, a single fish cannot be constantly targeted by another more aggressive fish.
If you have done much research into African cichlid aggression you will already know that you need to overstock your tank. It is quite common to see Youtube videos with African cichlid tanks packed with colorful fish. There seems to be no limit on how many fish you can put in your tank. After all, overstocking an African cichlid tank is a good thing, right?
In this article, we’ll discuss the benefits and drawbacks of overstocking your tank.
Pros of overstocking an African cichlid aquarium:
- Aggression towards individual fish will be reduced.
- Aquarium looks more relaxing.
- Your aquarium will look very colorful and active.
- More different types of fish can be kept in the tank
Overstocking will reduce targeted aggression. However, it does not change African cichlids behavior turning them into peaceful fish. There will still be plenty of fights and chasing in the tank but no individual fish can easily be singled out and bullied to death by more aggressive fish.
An overstocked aquarium can look more relaxing as you are not watching one fish being chased all around the tank by another. It can be quite a stressful ordeal for a fishkeeper to find the right balance of fish to avoid this happening in the tank. Overstocking is the simplest way to achieve this.
Overstocking will make for a very active aquarium and the tank can look amazing with such a vast array of colors. I find that the focus is changed from admiring the beauty of individual fish to focusing on the tank as a whole. There is, however, a point at which your tank will look too packed for the fish to be comfortable.
Another benefit of heavily overstocking your tank is that you get to keep a larger variety of different colors and types of fish. Whenever you see a nice fish for sale it is easy to justify buying it to expand your collection, as one more fish won’t make much of a difference.
Cons of overstocking an African cichlid aquarium:
- Nipped fins
- Additional tank maintenance and water changes
- Strong filtration will be needed
- Low levels of dissolved oxygen
- Cost of fish and running the tank
African cichlids, mbuna and peacocks, in particular, are fin nippers. If a fin is anywhere near their mouth they are going to bite it. In a heavily overstocked tank, the majority of the fish will have some degree of fin damage as the fish are living on top of each other.
Water quality will certainly be a challenge due to the number of fish being kept in the tank. Many heavily overstocked tanks require huge water changes several times a week to keep nitrate levels down within an acceptable range.
Strong filtration will be needed with sufficient biomedia to manage the heavy bioload. To keep the water looking clean, a high water turnover rate and plenty of mechanical filtration to pull food and waste particles from the water column are required. The filter wool will need to be washed or replaced frequently to avoid clogging.
Oxygenation is another area that requires attention. This is often overlooked but heavily stocked tanks can have dangerously low levels of dissolved oxygen. Initially, when the fish are young this may not be an issue but as the fish grow they require more oxygen. A sign of low oxygen is when your fish breathing heavily or gasping. Make sure to have plenty of surface agitation and water circulation in the tank to keep the water well oxygenated.
There are various costs incurred with a heavily overstocked tank. There is the cost of all the additional fish, which may not be a problem if you enjoy buying fish as much as I do. Running costs also add up as you may require additional filters, wavemakers, food and dechlorinator or other items which are added at each water change.
Conclusion:
Initially, when I started keeping African cichlids my tanks were more on the heavily overstocked side. The main reason for this was my addiction to buying fish. Now my stock is more planned out in regards to the numbers of fish and variety in color and shape to give the tank a nice balance.
Does overstocking work to reduce aggression? Yes, it definitely does. However, in my experience, the same result can be achieved with lightly overstocking. The tank doesn’t look insanely overstocked and I get to enjoy the beauty of each individual fish without constant distractions from other fish.
Tank maintenance will be easier with less of a bioload and water changes may not need to be as frequent. This can help to reduce the cost of running the tank. In addition to using less water, you will use less dechlorinator and other products being added at each water change.
Once you find a good balance with the number of fish in your tank stick with it, resist the temptation to keep adding fish. The tank will still be lively and colourful and much easier to maintain.
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