Pre-built stocking plan90-gallon Mbuna Cichlid Stocking Blueprint
90-gallon Mbuna African cichlid stocking blueprint with intentional overstocking.
Setup
90-gallon (48"×18"×24"), oversized filtration, aragonite sand, holey limestone hardscape
Fish stocking
- 6x yellow labs (Labidochromis caeruleus)
- 6x acei (Pseudotropheus acei)
- 6x demasoni (Pseudotropheus demasoni)
- 4x rusty cichlid
- 4x red zebra
- NO catfish, NO peaceful species - all are mbuna
Invertebrates
- NONE - mbuna eat snails + shrimp
Stocking timeline
Week/Phase 1Cycle 3-4 weeks (high bio-load demands more aggressive cycling)
Week/Phase 2Add ALL fish at 1.5-2" SAME DAY (juveniles minimize aggression)
Week/Phase 3Year 1: territory + breeding pairs form
Week/Phase 4Year 2: thin out aggressive males if needed