Top 5 African Cichlids in a 40 Gallon Aquarium

Continuing my videos discussing African cichlids in aquariums, I will now share my top 5 African cichlids for a 40 gallon aquarium.
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[@TazawaTanks]

If you’d like to learn more about African cichlids, watch this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/a5rLm6OLaL6Ujbc Thank you to my channel sponsors and supporters, Aquarium Co-op and Xtreme Aquatic Foods. Shop here: www.aquariumcoop.com Also, thank you to my Patreon supporters! John Skoglund Graham Penn Jessica Headley Kerry Pitt Daniel Scerri Brendan Holthaus Rebecca Bacon If you would also like to support this channel, please click on this link: www.patreon.com/tazawatanks You can also support me by getting a Tazawa Tanks t-shirt: www.TazawaTanks.com

[@Doyalongtime]

I love my 40 breeder and I do have African cichlids in my tank..plus the way you said everything is brilliant..

[@melissab5612]

I can't get over how great your fish room looks and the sound quality on your videos is super clear since you made all the changes 😊

[@TazawaTanks]

Thank you! I notice the audio quality too!

[@kerrypitt9789]

The Jewel Cichlids are really beautiful Zenzo. I am enjoying this series very much!

[@kasperaquatics]

Thanks for putting out the video. It helped out with my questions about stocking my 55. 🤘

[@justinsharp3506]

Great video as always. Keep up the good work!

[@cjcichlidsbailes1346]

Glad to see the cichlid passion back on videos bud I missed it haha awesome video as always

[@faedoyle4147]

I know this is an older video but the more I see these fish the more I want them. They are all gorgeous!! The five star generals are awesome.

[@jamesgreen9372]

Thanks, as a novice this information is totally new, informative, and educational. I look forward to more and will check out your 29 gallon video. Thanks again, Jim

[@luckybahin2694]

Like your videos. The new setup is such a big improvement. Congrats.

[@aquariumhacksbymarcus5653]

Your passion for hobby is awesome! that's why i like your videos informative!

[@thomaslanders6244]

I was huge into keeping/breeding West African Cichlids. Loved using a 40g long. I’ve kept some aggressive fish in those-Chromidotilapia Guntheri ‘Loenberghi’ , Pelvicachromis Humilis ‘Liberia Red’, Hemichromis Guinea 2 and many smaller ones. WA Cichlids are way underrated.

[@fsfishroom2027]

great video Zenzo! thanks for the info and great to have someone else to sharing the cichlid love!!!

[@aquaticbeast1621]

Everything is looking great 👍! Agreed on your choices for the 40 breeder and veteran info, TAZ! By the way you and your sponsors make a hard hitting team of fish pros.

[@aloratalyn]

Yellow tail acei and yellow labs are my favorite. Good choices!

[@AnthonysFishyFriends]

I did it with your help. I've since upgraded to a 125 and added more fish. Thank you Zenzo.

[@gardenmatic8178]

Hi Zenzo! Great video once again!

[@davidbowman2501]

3 of the 5 fish you mentioned are on my bucket list to keep at some point. Five Star Generals, demasoni, and salousi.

[@LAB-ff7pj]

I wish I had seen this video for my 1st 40 gallon tank. I had 5 of the super aggressive breed and they fought like crazy lol I'm in position now to get a bigger tank and I'm a tad bit more experienced as far as maintenance and I'm on a concrete floor so I'll be getting at min a 75 but I greatly appreciate your channel for the awesome info

[@flowerhornfreak9569]

Great vid!

[@michaelphillips2875]

Zenzo love your channel. I have been following you for about a year. I have 7 tanks and I’m adding 2 40 breeders. I have been wanting to do MBuna but everywhere I read the fish police come out on that size tank. You have motivated me to go w Saulosi in one of the 40 breeders. I can’t express how much I appreciate you getting specific on the number for stocking. Thank you and keep it up!

[@jamalwalker2104]

Good deal. Very good information

[@FishTankBarn]

Great list Zenzo! I currently am keeping a breeding group of Pseudotropheus Interuptus Chizmulu in a 40 breeder.

[@TazawaTanks]

I bet those look great Mike!

[@FishTankBarn]

Tazawa Tanks for sure. It is definitely a fun tank.

[@mattstephens4947]

Excellent video! I’ve been wanting jewels for while and am currently hunting for a 40 breeder. You sir, just made up my mind on stocking. BTW cool shirt.

[@markvonwisco7369]

If there's a Petco local to you, watch for their $1 per gallon sale. They sell 40 breeders for $49.99.

[@mattstephens4947]

Mark von Wisco thanks. I’ll keep my eyes open.

[@sharonkaczorowski8690]

As a former Latin student, your pronunciation is excellent. Great video!

[@Calilasseia]

Two you've missed ... [1] Iodotropheus sprengerae. This is the least aggressive of the Mbuna. This is possibly THE ideal beginner's Mbuna. [2] Anomalochromis thomasi. A West African Cichlid that is possibly THE candidate for the title of "pacifist Cichlid". These will go beautifully in a planted 40 gallon, and will live compatibly with more conventional community fish into the bargain. If you want a truly impressive West African biotope aquarium, team this Cichlid up with Neolebias ansorgei in a planted aquarium with Cryptocorynes and low light leafy plants from the same habitat. You can also team them up with a couple of the smaller and less aggressive West African Killifishes if you so wish.

[@dro420mandrews]

I was your 1,000 like. Made me feel special lol. Thank you for the video

[@TazawaTanks]

🥇🥇🥇

[@ricardoayala4969]

Thanks for the info Zenzo, by the way when you say good filtration what would be a recommended for filtration. Miss the SFAS meetings, hopefully soon.

[@jrawles87]

@TazawaTanks, thank you for the video. I have two 55 gallon glass aquariums. One is old and I'm not using because it's been down for years and not I didn't want to take the chance in cleaning it and the seals ended up leaking anyway. So I bought a brand new 55 gallon for about $75.00 and i've had for about nine months which is beautiful but I only have glo tetras in it. About 35 of all colors. I have a 15 gallon fluval flex downstairs in my wife's offfice that we only keep guppies in it and a honey goranami. I've turned one of our bedrooms into a family room and I wanted to put a 55 gallon in it but the room is not big enough. I have room to put a 36" X 18" X 24" in it. I wanted to go with a 65 gallon Aqueon glass aquarium but doing research on it, I found out that they leak real bad. So I thought about the 40 gallon but I want to put cichlids in this tank. I've also been thinking about getting a 50 gallon acrylic aquarium and just do about 8 of the Mbunas. I have a large unfinished basement that will probably be years before we finish it. Then I'll step up to the 150 and 220 gallon aquariums but for now my aquariums are on the second floor of the house and I'm not about to put that weight up there and I don't want to take the chance of any type of leak. We spend most of our time upstairs and we love to sit there and just watch the fish. Especially after driving tractor trailers all day, this is how I relax. Just wanted to thank you for posting your videos for people who might not have the room for the huge tanks but still would like to join the cichlid world.

[@darrellburks410]

great stuff

[@user-jk4xz7sk2q]

Thanks for the great video! What do you think about the demasoni with yellow labs in a 40 breeder?

[@danstanford89]

I would have put some Victorians in the top 5 for sure like the yellow rock kribensis very colourful alot more so then the mbuna u mentioned. But for mbuna my fav has to be mpanga elongatus

[@riteshfamily369]

Nice info

[@amoos2006]

hi great video iam going to buy a cichlid and was thinking blue dolphin , can it work in a 40 gallon tank and how many ? i want a blue one , so maybe i go for damasoni

[@magnifishent1224]

Lots of love bro

[@andrewchiakongthao]

Love the Hemichromis cichlids... very very aggressive. Top 3 p4p aggression in my experience.

[@jwilson2536]

Great video! Where'd you get that shirt tho?

[@Icehso140]

I started a 75 gallon African tank and just bought a 40 breeder. came here for ideas. Thanks

[@rrrrrr-ry3cn]

The five star jewel are awsome fish

[@djowen23]

That's an awesome shirt I really like it👍 Where did you get it?

[@austin5657]

So I’ve seen some lists saying keeping more than one of the same species could cause some territorial issues and to keep one of each semi-aggressive to peaceful species mixed together for variety, what are your thoughts on that? I’m looking to start up a cichlid tank with an AIO 45 cube. Getting an idea of should I just get 6-8 of one species or 6-8 single species that are semi aggressive to peaceful.

[@mikem6105]

Thanks Z, I’ve been researching chindongos for my 54g. What do you recommend doing with the fry if you can’t set up another tank?

[@TazawaTanks]

Well, you can leave them alone and some will survive, or, try and catch them and give them away or sell them.

[@wilk7958]

Please do a video on the 5 star generals

[@chipfillers]

Can we get a list in the description of the video please. Thanks

[@treeehrhardt4509]

Just got some polar blue parrot convict cichlids. Hybrid! Ever heard of them? How big? Heard anywhere from 3 to 8 inches. Thanks. Another great video.

[@TazawaTanks]

Tree Ehrhardt I am not familiar with that fish.

[@JJ-fm1sh]

What was that large beautiful blue fish with orange fins in the background?

[@braydenhamilton2655]

looking to make my forty gallon breeder a cichlid tank thanks for the vid

[@arthurschamne]

I am thinking about setting up a 40 for multifasciatus, I also have a 40 community take with a few female kribs

[@jordanbyates]

I had 3 bumblebee cichlids in a 40 breeder, two of them made little ones so now I have about 15. I’m torn between a bigger tank and getting rid of some. What would be the max you would keep in a 40 gal?

[@vikesfan63]

Hi, I've been subscribed to Your channel for awhile now and I like Your videos, I commented to Rachael O'Leary with the same question and that is why so many water changes, You can have clean water and Your fish will still be happy and healthy with less water changes + Your planets will like it. I've been in the hobby for 49 Years, I don't know everything but I know we don't need as many water changes as it has become a big fad in the last 10 years and it wastes water. There are a lot of channels with people that want to act like teachers of the hobby but very few discuss or act with conservation of water. We need to rely more on our filters, with technology filters have become very good, how many of us use Great sponge filters. If You change Your water more than once a month, that's excessive.

[@nicl2065]

What’s the temperature they like, and is a fluval 207 external filter sufficient for them in a 40g?

[@zanesequeira832]

Where did you get your chindongo saulosi from?

[@tommyblansett9254]

Your 75 gal. tank is gorgeous.

[@bigbbadnoobian]

I’m in Sacramento so our water might not be too different but I do have a softer water. Is it just as simple as using crushed coral as a substrate and coral rocks to harden the water for cichlids or is there more that needs to be done?

[@TazawaTanks]

bigbbadnoobian I would suggest adding a Cichlid salt or Cichlid buffer to add some hardness to go along with the crushed coral. In SF, we have water that is 8.6 pH out of the tap, with a TDS of 30 (very soft).

[@bigbbadnoobian]

@@TazawaTanks im from SF, North beach!! Anyways thanks for the info bro.

[@philthyphil3324]

I kept a colony of saulosi in a 40 they did great

[@TheIowegian]

What quantity, how hard was it to keep the water balanced?

[@ge4013]

Hello sir, is it safe to use tempered glass with 8mm thick for 40gallons?

[@nu12007]

Man you gave me hope. Ive a 180l (48 Gallon) tank.

[@hotjoe85]

In my 55, I'd like a lot of color variations but low aggression and on the smaller side. Any suggestions? Could you mix your #1, 2 and 3 choice in the same tank?

[@TheBaBaTV]

As long as you have many various rocks, hiding spots for every fish to claim. Plus if they are all around same size it helps too !

[@goldfishthedestroyer3233]

Do they sell Chindongos at big chain pet stores like PetSmart?

[@JuanRamirez-lr8lu]

Good Afternoon boss. What would you recommend for a tank size in a 40gal tall tank

[@TazawaTanks]

I would recommend the 40 breeder size.

[@mikekupetsky6879]

i had a breeding group of 5 female and 1 male peacock cichlids in a 40 breeder for a few years and I bred thousands of fry so it can be done

[@YEKTAAKVARYUM]

Güzel video eline sağlık

[@phillymanpete]

What do you think about a couple pair of Caudopunks in a forty breeder?

[@TazawaTanks]

Beautiful fish. They would be awesome to keep.

[@roberteggers9304]

I like your 40 gal inputs...But I need to buy some African solisi. About 20

[@jpbsc2009]

Could you discuss hybrids. My local store has 2 tanks filled with pretty ugly brown fish that are the result of mixing Mbuna. I think it is a real problem in the African Cichlid hobby.

[@nathandelong2432]

Could I do two electric blue, with three Bolivian ram and 5 platy?

[@gdolo7226]

Where could I find a 5 star General(banded jewel fish)

[@HumbertoFishTanks]

I’m keeping red zebra mbuna in my 40 gallon breeder

[@chefrarestones1960]

Do I need two male salousi or is one with the 5 females alright? Thanks 😊. Love your channel ❣️❣️❣️

[@TazawaTanks]

One is fine. They will make more!

[@ChMEDAKA714HAMA]

Tropical fish and aquatic plants are just things I have never seen in Japan.👍🇯🇵😆

[@kerrypitt9789]

Really? I would have thought you would have a great aquarium hobby going on. Can you buy any equipment there?

[@ChMEDAKA714HAMA]

Kerry Pitt Aquarium URL brio35😆 www.brioaquaponics.com/manuals.htm

[@jamesmoore603]

I don’t have any experience with demasoni I know there aggressive towards each other, but how aggressive are they with other Mbuna from your experience?

[@TazawaTanks]

Pretty aggressive.

[@navaneethaprabhu4828]

What is the maximum tds tropheus and malwi can tolerate

[@mikep9341]

Where can I get Rocks like you have?

[@brucedaboss3132]

Could i do 40 breeder with 3 yellow labs, 2 yellow tail, and 2 demasoni cichlids?

[@zacharyshearer1569]

I feel like Convict Cichlid's would do great in a 40 gallon fish tank.

[@janiceshepherd671]

I currently have Africans in a 30, bravo..happy is what we goin for

[@Rsolanzo]

Are Tropheus Duboisi doable in a 40 breeder?

[@ra-inventedtv2883]

If African cichlids are born in America, does that make them African Americans?

[@aidenb3069]

Underrated

[@sakuta6088]

Hello community! I have just bought my first 5 gal nano tank and this is the most recent video and I just wanted to ask some questions if I set up the tank correctly. I have a heater, filter and the light. I added old water from my prior goldfish bowl, so the bacteria develops, but should I add fish food to develop more bacteria? Can I start putting my fish in after one day? Also, I am planning on keeping 3 fish in here, is it okay to have one female beta fish and 2 tropical? This is a plain freshwater or tapwater tank. For whoever responds, thank you for helping! Edit: the tank is a Pisces 5GB model all in one nano aquarium

[@justinsharp3506]

I would definitly not put fish in after only one day without adequate bacteria. They do sell starter bacteria you could put into the tank to jumpstart the bacteria cycle. I would not rely on the water from the fish bowl especially if it was not being circulated. Bacteria needs circulation in the tank to survive. Once you have added bacteria you could purchase one fish. Wait a few weeks and then a second, and finally a third. This will allow the bacteria to adapt to the amount of fish in the tank.

[@sakuta6088]

Justin Sharp I put in some top fin bacteria supplement. It was only a little though

[@melissab5612]

Bacteria isn't held in the water column ....it's held in the gravel and filter media ....was your gold fish "bowl" filtered? A 5 gal tank is big enough for 1 Betta in my opinion don't add any other fish...also don't add any fish until you cycle your aquarium ( a jump start works but it doesn't instantly cycle your tank ) get a API water test kit to test your tank to be absolutely positively it cycled before you add any fish ,also you'll need to do water changes as well,you'll need fish food,plants ( fake or real doesn't matter) and caves for your tank....please watch more KZbin fish keepers like this channel,kg tropicals, aquarium co op, Rachel O'Leary,king of diy, steenfott aquatics to learn more about fish keeping ... knowledge is power and leads to successfully keeping fish....watch KZbin fish keepers listed above like it's your job before you buy any fish ...also keep aquarium salt and medication for your fish on hand ....you'll learn all that in the KZbin videos....you also need a net ....good luck,happy fish keeping ...

[@justinsharp3506]

@@sakuta6088 I would advise getting at least one bottle of bacteria for the tank. The more you have the better. They sell it all over the internet and at your local fish store. Just ask for starter bacteria. Best of Luck!!

[@sakuta6088]

Justin Sharp one more question, is it okay to keep 3 fish 1 betta fish and 2 topical in 5 gal?

[@torresdestinya82]

How many algae eaters should I get I have 1 African cichlid and I have another species of cichlid with him but he’s way smaller he’s skinny shape with stripes and growing a little slower.. anyway should I get 1 or 3 pleco ? Hmm 🤔

[@finleycarr9313]

where can you get Hemichromis eleongatus

[@anandkajave8643]

I have 40 breeder, how many chichlids I can keep and what types?

[@Alex_Edits85]

I'm looking for fish to buy I live in anchorage Alaska

[@put_a_boot_in_yourazz]

Is a hexagon tank bad for cichlids?

[@juanjocabezas2428]

Chindongo saulosi is the best little mbuna ❤❤

[@cichlidwhisperer4198]

Where did you get the Five star generals?

[@TazawaTanks]

Locally at an auction with my fish club.

[@davidleach4689]

Calvus cichlids would be a good choice

[@applebtrend3221]

can you suggest any peacock in 40 gallon tank?

[@TazawaTanks]

Not really, unless it was a breeding group with one male and a few females.

[@s.linastaffords6744]

I have 8 African chiclids, 1 parrot, and 6 tiger barbs no issues… my parrot is the biggest fish in the tank… gonna upgrade as they grow up…

[@yournotdatguypal]

Can you sell the frie to pet stores?

[@TazawaTanks]

Yes. I do.

[@darrinmyagi2439]

Damn who’s that one person who disliked this video smh 🤦🏼‍♀️

[@Rooster2628]

I have 7 haps/peacocks in a 40 breeder. No problems at all.

[@ChrisRougeux]

Could you please put on how to spell the names of the fish. Thanks

[@akshaysharma7896]

Heyy anyone can suggest me how many Malwai/haps cichlids (6Inch) I can keep in 42 gallon? Please helpppp

[@TazawaTanks]

Zero haps in a 42. Smaller mbuna would be the only Malawi cichlids I’d suggest in a 42.

[@ricodegallo3060]

👍

[@filupondeznuts6732]

Salousi are number 1 on my list I've had a group of 10-12 with 3 males 9f and all 3 males full color. And btw rule with demasoni is 1m 10f 😆. Cause they are nasty. Unless you get lucky and get a mellow dominant male. Another mbuna is Rusty. They get along with Salousi but 2 groups you'll want to go 2 quads with an extra female here and there depending on rock and filtration. Btw i hate all the name changes.

[@jacksglasscagesfelizardo3648]

What about the auratus?

[@TazawaTanks]

I personally would only recommend the auratus for a 55+ due to the aggression factor along with the size.

[@jacksglasscagesfelizardo3648]

@@TazawaTanks Fair enough. I appreciate what you do, want to learn more about African cichlids, I look forward for more videos. Keep 'em coming my friend.

[@kympridham8267]

How could this list not have Kribs?

[@TazawaTanks]

Because they were part of a different list. See here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qXjIcpqff8dmntk

[@rifraf6135]

1. Kribensis

[@tommyblansett9254]

Rift Lake fish should be done separate from non-Rift Lake fish. Jewel cichlidare numerous enough to just talk about them. Hemichromis bimaculatus complex probably should be In a subspecies if not another species.