cichlid help

Question
QUESTION: i have a 55 gallon aquarium with
(2) two inch comet goldfish
(4) one inch black skirts
(2) one and a half inch bala shark
(1)two inch sun catfish
(1) two inch snakeskin gourami
(1)one and a half inch jewel cichlid
(1) one and a half inch jaguar cichlid
(1) one and three quarter inch jack dempsey
(1) one and a half inch malawi golden cichlid
(2) one and a half inch convict cichlid

they all get a long pretty well
the question is what other fish can i add to it?
i was curious if adding a red tail shark, rainbow shark or green terror cichlid was a good idea?  
thanx in advance
mike

ANSWER: Dear Michael,
I'm sorry it took so long to respond...

Wow, you have a well-stocked tank already. The two comet goldfish could easily grow to a large size of around 6 inches or more... Bala Sharks can also grow to 10 inches and really do need a larger aquarium and be kept ideally in a group. Sun Catfish easily grow to 10 inches and often larger, Snakeskin gouramis are alright. Jewel Cichlids are a reasonable size at about 5-6 inches but they may become too aggressive so watch for that. Now probably the biggest thing I worry about is your Jaguar Cichlid. Female Jaguars grow up to 14 inches and males grow even bigger, at 16 inches! Jaguar cichlids can also be viciously aggressive when they get older. While some individuals may live with other tankmates, some Jaguars have to be in their own individual aquarium. Given their large size, they would really be best in an aquarium of 100 gallons or more.

Jack dempseys also can be aggressive and they certainly will grow to at least 8 inches or more. I'm not sure exactly what species your Malawi Golden cichlid is, but he/she is probably fine. If your Convict cichlids turn out to be a pair, watch out!

Your fish may appear to be doing well at the present time, but they are still small. As they grow and mature, they will need more space and some of them may turn aggressive. I've noticed this plenty of times when I would try to mix cichlid species. They would be reasonably peaceful when small but by the time they were medium size problems starting happening of fish being bullied and having torn fins. It's just something you must watch out for, even if you have a very large aquarium of 100 gallons or more.

You could probably easily add a Red-tailed Shark, Rainbow shark or Green cichlid. But be prepared for problems and try to have a plan B in case things don't work out. You can never really know what cichlids will get along and it's always a gamble.

And really try to get a larger tank of 100gallons or more. Be sure to have plenty of good filtration and keep up with those water changes, your fish should do well until they grow enough to need a much larger tank.

I really hope this helps!
I'm sorry again for the long delay!
Happy fishkeeping,
Karen~


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: there's so many frozen foods out there for fishes.  so i wondering which type of frozen food (bloodworms, brine shrimp,etc) is best for my cichlid and what each does for the fish?
I'm only 20 and going into my third year of university which limits my time with the fish.  i have never checked the pH or the nitrogen level of the tank.  i just change the water when the filter gets slower the the water seems a little darker in color.  Just wondering if that will affect the growth of my fish?
thanx
mike

Answer
Hi Mike,
What I feed my fish (including cichlids) as far as frozen foods is mainly Redworms and Brine shrimp. I also use a lot of OMEGA ONE brand Cichlid pellets which are about the best food you can get for your fish, as well as supplement with algae wafers, siking shrimp pellets and other kinds of high quality pellets and flakes. Red worms are a high protein foood and Brine shrimp are said to not be as nutritious but they are great for keeping a fishes digestion in good working order. Some other types of worms are fattening and good for getting fish into spawning condition. The best thing to do is to vary their diet  as much as possible. With all the very high quality fish foods available, you can even eliminate frozen foods. But it's always nice to give your fish some just as a treat and extra supplement on occasion.
Rotating between 2-3 frozen foods is great!
I also give my cichlids earthworms on occasion. You can buy these at a bait shop or similar store or harvest them outside on your own (which is what I do) with the large cichlids I have I can give them small earthworms whole. But with little fish you may have to chop them (cringe) if you harvest them from the 'wild' so to speak make sure the place you get them from hasn't been treated with pesticide or fertilizers. Buying baitworms or "Nightcrawlers" as they are sometimes called may be best. When getting them from the wild also make sure to rinse them well under running water.

It would be much better for your fish if you had a regular water changing maintenance schedule. It's really not the best thing to let the water turn dark and let the filter clog. This will definitely slow your fishes growth and could even set them up for getting an illness. It could in fact even cause them to become stunted. Try to do a water change once a week at least. Around 30-50% is best. Remember the more heavily stocked you have, the more water you'll need to change. Especially if it's cichlids..And your current cichlids have the potential to turn into rather large messy fish who demand large regular water changes.

I really hope this helps!!!
Best wishes and Happy fishkeeping!
Karen~