Re: Cichlid tank stocking
#4
Hi
Unfortunately the stock you have is going to be a serious problem sooner or later. You have fish from a variety of different geographical locations who are not compatible due to a combination of differing water requirements, dietary needs, aggression levels etc. Many are juveniles so territorial problems haven't yet arisen, but they will as the fish mature. The tank is also overstocked, and some of those fish will outgrow the tank quite rapidly.
On the stock side of things we would normally stock 1 inch per gallon (at projected adult size) on a newly cycled tank, gradually rising to 2 inches per gallon as the tank matures, if all indications are good. This formula doesn't work very well with large/heavy bio-load fish - they usually need more volume, and with aggressive fish who can have complex territorial needs .
However using that rule as a very rough guide your tank is overstocked even by that standard:
Parrot x 2 at 18 inches each = 36"
Green Terror x 2 at 12 inches each = 24"
Fire Mouth x 2 at 6 inches each = 12"
Green Texas x 2 at 12 inches each = 24"
Peacocks x 7 at (rough estimate) 5 inches each = 35"
Rainbow x 2 at 6 inches each = 12"
Oscar x 2 at 13 inches each = 26"
Malawis x 8 at (rough estimate assuming dwarf Mbuna) 5 inches each = 40"
Pleco x 4 depends on species, but up to 24 inches each = 96"
Jewel x 3 = 6 inches each = 18"
The tank is 102 gallons, so about 90 gallons of water once rocks/gravel etc are taken into account. By the "inch per gallon" rule it will hold 90 inches of fish, rising to an absolute max of 180 inches. Your stock adds up to 227 inches excluding the Plecos - if they are Common Plecos that takes it to 323 inches
So, extreme overstocking is the first problem.
Next, you have fish from different areas who need different water hardness and pH:
Lake Malawi - hard, alkaline water: Peacocks and Mbuna.
South America - soft, acidic water: Plecos, Parrots (they are questionable as they are hybrids from SA/CA fish), Green Terrors, Oscars, Texas Cichlids.
Central America - harder and more alkaline than SA, but not so much as Malawi: Rainbows, Firemouths, Jewels.
Beyond that there are further issues, but as you are going to have to rehome the fish that don't suit the water, the first thing to do is test the gH, kH and pH of your tap water supply. Please test it twice - once immediately it's drawn from the tap and then again after it's been standing in a clean glass or cup for 24 hours. Post the results and we'll look at which of the fish are actually suited to your local water.