How can I figure out how many American cichlids can I have in my 180gl tank with catfish and pleco?

Answer by  jsflw2010 (459)

Rule of thumb for all aquarium enthusiasts is 1 inch of fish per one gallon of water, mouth to the base of the tail. When deciding what fish to introduce and keep in your water community, you should look at the size of your inhabitants. This will determine the number of finned friends you will be able to house.

Answer by  goldfishlady (207)

The rule is 10 gallons per fish. I think it's a bit overkill but it's a good rule. A catfish or pleco doesn't count because they are bottom feeders and eat algae and don't produce the waste other fish do. I would start with ten and see how it goes.

Answer by  Liz59 (10966)

Well basically you should keep it to a few as possible. Put as many as you can. But the thing is you don't want to over fill the tank. I say about 20 is good.