Cichlid Growth

[THUNDER]

Hello there thx for reading. I have a 72 gallon wth cichlids inside. They are all about 2 to 3 inchs long and i have been having a hard time get fish the same size. I picked up a 20 gallon tank so i could grow a few cichlids to about two inchs. I will be soon putting in two cobalt zebras and one bumble bee cichlid. What could i do to increase there growth and get them a inch bigger. There all about 1 inch now. How long will it take me to grow them a inch and could i add some more cichlids to there tank without slow there growth down to much. I was think of adding mabey three more with them. I am currently feeding them Xtream Cichlid food.

Thx for reading Kyle Santos

72 gallon

2 OB Peacock Male and Female

2 Johanni or Maingano Male and female

2 Cobalt Zebra

1 Red Zebra

1 Albino Zebra

1 Acei

1 Electric Yellow Lab

1 Crabro (Bumble Bee)

1 Jewel

10 gallon

Johanni Fry

10 gallon

Two Green Spotted Puffers

Edited April 28, 2010 by THUNDER

[Noodles]

Nls Grow .5mm pellets work well for me, i think they have a little higher fat? content. Good filtration and 40% water changes weekly should do the trick.

[Wingin' It]

Nls Grow .5mm pellets work well for me, i think they have a little higher fat? content. Good filtration and 40% water changes weekly should do the trick.

+1

[Vallisneria]

NLS grow and frequent water changes(like every 2-3 days). Fish need good food and clean water to grow quick.

[Baos]

tough for some. But the more food they eat the faster they grow. So frequent feedings if they'll eat it with no waste. Also your water quality will go downhill fast.

[Boom]

It's also not just what you feed them, but how you feed them. They can eat more and get more out of the food if you feed them 2, 3, or even 4 times a day, rather than just once. Spread out of coarse. The reason for more water changes is to keep them as healthy as possible. You can do other things to keep them healthy as well. Make sure their water conditions (ph, hardness, alkalinity) is correct, temperature is correct, keep the lights off, and don't put their tank in a high traffic area. These things will all help eliminate stress on the fish to keep them healthy. Healthy fish will grow the fastest.

Other than that, just be patient. It'll still take time.

Boom :boom:

[African_Fever]

IME, water changes with frequent feedings will get the fastest growth rate. The more water you change with the more food you can feed them, the better they'll grow. Ideally feed 4-6x/day, with as much of a water change as you feel comfortable with DAILY. I've done up to 50% daily when growing out cichlids and it makes a huge difference over 1-2x weekly changes.

[Aroman]

I agree it’s all about feeding and water changes more is always better.