What to stock 55 gallon tank with?

[Truth_FishGuy]

After all the previous fish I had in the tank died off (due to natural causes) I’ve decided to restock the tank with African cichlids. The idea I have currently is 6 rusty cichlids and 6 yellow labs. I heard they’re pretty peaceful for cichlids. Would this combo work? What gender ratio should I go for with these cichlids as well?

I’d also like to hear what you guys would recommend putting in the tank. I know I can get really creative with stocking it but I haven’t done research on most African cichlids except for the ones I named.

 

[Wills]

Hi this sounds good Rusty's and Yellow Labs have the reputation of being easy going but there are a few others that are worth checking out. I really like this article https://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/features/the-mbuna-keepers-survival-guide/

Gives loads of good info and advice and the section called 'Smaller less aggressive species' is a great go to when coming up with ideas

 

[Colin_T]

What are the tank dimensions (length x width x height)?

What is the GH (general hardness), KH (carbonate hardness) and pH of your water supply?
This information can usually be obtained from your water supply company's website or by telephoning them. If they can't help you, take a glass full of tap water to the local pet shop and get them to test it for you. Write the results down (in numbers) when they do the tests. And ask them what the results are in (eg: ppm, dGH, or something else).

Rift Lake cichlids like hard water with a high pH.
Lake Malawi has a GH around 300ppm and a pH around 7.6-8.5
Lake Tanganyika has a GH around 350-450ppm and a pH between 8.5-9.0