Feeding

Food is the number one cause for Cichlid aggression. This is because African Cichlids live in vast numbers in the wild and are required to defend themselves for food. They also display the same behavior in an aquarium. It is best to feed in small amounts several times a day. By feeding throughout the day, you are helping to eliminate their food related aggression.

Tank Size

Since African Cichlids tend to be very territorial by nature, it is important to have a large enough tank for them to live in. It is suggested that you use at least a 55 gallon aquarium for keeping this species. Having a larger tank will allow you to build a lot of nooks and crannies for your Cichlids to hide in and claim as their territory.

Similar Sizes

When choosing your African Cichlids, it is best to pick those that are similar in size. If you have one Cichlid that is much larger than the others, it is most likely going to take over your tank and be the most aggressive Cichlid. This rule of thumb is especially important if you are keeping several males of the same species.

Before choosing your tank mates, I suggest that you do a bit of research to determine how big they will get when they are adults. This will also help to ensure that you have the proper size tank for the species you plan on keeping.

Variety

Having a large variety of colors with different body markings will also help reduce African Cichlid aggression. If they look like one another, chances are they will not get along.

Temperature

It is recommended that you keep the temperature of your Cichlid tank on the low side. High temperatures will increase the fish’s metabolism and can trigger more aggressive behavior. Of course you don’t want freezing cold water, but 74-76 degrees is acceptable for most African Cichlid species.

Male/Female Ratio

The general rule for most African Cichlid species is to keep one male per every three females. This is important because males, in almost all cases, tend to be the most aggressive cichlids in the tank. This is because the males will be aggressive towards females that do not want to mate. Having more females in the tank will take the male’s focus off of just one female and instead his anger will be evenly distributed.

Mixing species

The three main lakes that African Cichlids originate from are Malawi, Tanganyikan, and Victorian. Although it has been done, I do not recommend combing species from different lakes. However, if you insist on mixing African Cichlids from different lakes, Malawi and Tanganyikan are going to be your best bet. If you plan to mix the two, I suggest that you do some serious research to determine which species will be compatible with one another. If you are a beginner at keeping cichlids, it is best to stock your tank with African Cichlids from the same lake.

African Cichlids are a wonderful species to keep, but it is important to remember that they can be aggressive if you aren’t careful. Taking precaution and following these guidelines will help keep your African Cichlids aggression at a minimum. These really are a beautiful species of fish and I hope that you can enjoy them as much as I do.

For more helpful information, I recommend checking out the step-by-step guide “Keeping Cichlids”

Canister filters

Canister filters are most popular within the freshwater hobby because they are simple to install and are normally more than enough filtration if maintained properly on a regular basis. When a canister filter is purchased, pretty much everything is already together and all you need to do is add the filter media, place the intake and outtake in the water, and start it up. Below is a picture of a basic canister filter and its functions.

Water enters the canister filter on the left hand side, running through filter pads that catch debris. Once the water has run through the filter pads it does a U-turn and flows up the right side where the filter cartridges are placed, then pumped back into the display tank. Of course this is just a basic concept of how a canister filter operates; therefore you should know that different models will function differently.

Depending on your preference, you can put whatever media you would like into the cartridges. Personally, I like to place larger filter media at the bottom such as pre-filter media grams. This media is used to catch large to medium size particles. In the second cartridge, I prefer to fill about half with pre-filter media grams and the other half with a polishing filter pad. In the last cartridge I normally use something that helps to clarify the water such as carbon. This is just my personal preference, and you can pretty much setup your cartridges however you’d like.

I have used canister filters for several years and I personally prefer Hagen Fluval filtration over the other brands. I used a Fluval 204 filter in a 40 gallon aquarium for over 6 years and never had any problems. I am currently running a Fluval fx5 in my 110 gallon tank and it does an awesome job at keeping my tank clean. I wouldn’t use anything else.

The only disadvantages of a canister filter are that it requires regular cleaning about twice a month. This does not mean that the media needs to be changed, but filter pads should be rinsed along with the canister to get rid of any unwanted buildup. Whichever media you decide to buy, the instructions will tell you how often it needs changed.

Sump

If you want to do a more complex filtration system, a sump may be for you. A sump or a wet/dry filter is a separate tank that is located below the main display aquarium that consists of compartments/dividers used to place filter media and equipment in. You can also add a canister filter into the sump for even more filtration. The idea of a sump is to dilute the bio-load of your main aquarium by adding the extra amount of water. Most people use a sump that is about 1/3 of the size of their main aquarium, but it can’t hurt to go even bigger. When it comes to the sump, bigger is usually better; more dilution.

Okay, this is how it works. The water enters the sump by using an overflow box. The overflow box is started by a syphon and drains down to the sump through plumbing. Water moves through the sump to the other end where there is a return pump. The return pump delivers the water back into the main tank, which also requires plumbing.

Here is a diagram of a basic sump setup:

Advantages of a sump:

• A place to put equipment such as chillers, filters, and heaters eliminating clutter in the main tank.
• Water level in the main tank always remains the same because evaporation takes place in the sump.
• Overflow box always keeps the surface of the main tank clear, which also allows for better gas exchange.
• Water changes can be done in the sump rather than disturbing the main tank.
• Dilutes bio-load which helps keep nitrates down.
• Gives you the ability to fully customize your filtration to maximize its effectiveness.

From my experience with sumps, I can’t really say that there are any disadvantages other than the fact that it takes a little extra work to get setup. In my opinion, I personally enjoy doing things myself and taking the time to do things right to avoid complications later down the road.

Of course this is just an overview on the advantages of a sump and I will go into more detail on how to actually build a sump in a different article. You can find prebuilt sumps at ThatFishPlace.com under the filtration section.

First, let’s take a look at some of the signs that a cichlid will show when they are sick:

-Loss of color
-loss of appetite
-damaged or deformed fins
-hanging out in uncommon areas of the tank
-fuzziness or growths on the body
-irregular behavior

Of course these signs can only be detected if you are familiar with the behavior and health of your cichlid fish.

If you notice any of the symptoms listed above, you should immediately place the sick fish in an isolated tank. This tank is also commonly referred to as a hospital tank and should be an appropriate size according to the fish. It is important to place some bio media, décor, and water from your main display tank into the hospital tank in order to keep the water parameters stable. The décor will provide the fish with a place to hide to ensure they feel safe and secure. I suggest not using carbon media in the hospital tank because this will cause most medications to not work properly.

In the hospital tank there should be a filter to keep the water clean and circulated; you may also need an air stone to provide adequate oxygen.

Here is a description of some of the most common cichlid fish diseases and treatments:

Ich

This is one of the most well-known diseases among freshwater fish. Most fish that are infected with ich will show small white specs all over their body and fins.

Ich

The easiest way to cure this specific disease is to purchase an ich treatment such as Clout. Carefully follow the instructions given on the bottle, and be sure not to dose more than recommended. Even once the white spots have gone away it is not acceptable to assume the disease is completely cured. You should continue to dose the ich treatment for at least another 3-4 days after the spots have disappeared.

Malawi Bloat

Despite the name, this disease can affect every species of cichlids and is normally caused by overfeeding, adding too much salt, or stress. This particular disease is very fast acting, and if not caught early, it can kill your fish within 1-7 days. Common symptoms for this disease include swelling, loss of appetite, breathing difficulties, and white feces.

Malawi Bloat

To treat this disease, I recommend placing the ill fish into your hospital tank and using the medication called Clout. When dosing Clout, carefully follow the instructions given on the bottle and perform a 30-40% water change before each dosage.

Clout – 100 tabs

$17.89

Effective medication for the treatment of parasitic and protozoan infestations of freshwater and saltwater fish. Does…[Read More]

Of course there are several diseases and infections that can occur with cichlid fish, but there are far too many to list. If you would like to learn about more diseases and treatments, you can find them in the Keeping Cichlids e-book.

I hope that you found this article informative and that you have success with curing your ill cichlids.

There are two ways to cycle your tank: with or without fish. They both have their advantages and disadvantages, but most fish enthusiasts prefer to do a fishless cycle. Doing a fishless cycle (which I recommend) has many more advantages: it’s faster, easier, and avoids permanently harming fish.

Fishless Cycle

One effective way of doing a fishless cycle is to use media, gravel, sand, or decor from another (disease free) aquarium that already has good bacteria established. If you can’t find any of these materials, you can purchase bacteria in a bottle from your local fish store. Also, during this process I suggest raising the temperature in the aquarium to around 85 degrees, this allows for a faster chemical reaction.

Cycling with fish

If you decide to go the other route, then you will need hardy fish that can withstand these harmful water conditions; I recommend using either tetras or guppies. Cycling your tank with fish can take anywhere between 4-6 weeks for the nitrates to become established. You will need to do frequent water changes (20%) 3-4 times a week until the cycle is complete. Of course if you are doing a cichlid fish aquarium you will need to remove the starter fish before adding any cichlids to the tank.

Conclusion

Whichever method you chose, it is important to realize that this can be time consuming, therefore patience is a virtue. It is also important to constantly test your water during this process to ensure that your tank is cycling properly. Before adding sensitive fish, your nitrates should be at, or below 20ppm.

For more information on how to properly care for your cichlids and maintain a healthy living environment, I highly recommend reading Keeping Cichlids. This all in one e-book will tell you everything you need to know.

Believe it or not, obtaining and maintaining the correct water chemistry for your cichlids may be less complicated than you think. There are three important properties that need to be measured and adjusted in order to give your cichlids the most ideal water chemistry possible. Those three are pH, GH, and KH.

pH

Having the correct pH balance in your cichlid’s water is probably the most important part of good water chemistry. Your water’s pH balance describes whether it is more acidic, more alkaline, or just plain neutral. If your water tests for a pH balance of seven, this means it is perfectly neutral – an ideal balance for most fish. Any number greater than seven means it has an alkaline balance, and any number less than seven means it is acidic.

Even the slightest changes in the pH balance of your water can upset your delicate cichlids so try to keep a stable level. If you need to make adjustments, be sure that you don’t raise or lower the level by more than a third of a point per day. Keep in mind that each number on the pH scale signifies a difference of ten times more or less acidity or alkalinity than the numbers adjacent to it. A reading of six – just one point less than a neutral seven – means your water is ten times more acidic.

General Hardness (GH)

The hardness of your water is measured by the amount of calcium and magnesium it contains. Many African cichlids are happiest in an aquarium with a GH level that hovers somewhere between 160 and 320 parts per million. Because calcium and magnesium do not keep for very long in water, your aquarium’s GH level will steadily drop if not manually adjusted. There are various scales used to measure water hardness so make sure to determine which of them your testing kit is using before judging the results.

Carbonate Hardness (KH)

The carbonate hardness level of your water describes the level of carbonates and bicarbonates it contains. It measures your water’s ability to keep a stable pH level, which, as we know, is crucial to the survival of your cichlids. With a sufficiently high KH level, your water will maintain its pH balance even through various changes. The right amount of carbonates and bicarbonates acts like a vacuum cleaner, absorbing any harmful additives before they affect the acidity of your precious water. A good KH range is usually somewhere between 180 to 240 parts per million.

Testing

It’s important to test your aquarium’s water for these three properties to ensure that your fish are as healthy as they can be. Having the correct levels in all three of these categories will contribute to happier, prettier cichlids that will live longer, more natural lives.

One of the most accurate water testing kits is the API liquid test kit, which comes with a number of different tests for various minerals. As a rule, liquid drop test kits are generally of better quality than the cheaper but less accurate test strips.

API Testing Kit

How to Adjust and Maintain pH and KH

Because cichlids are so vulnerable to even the slightest changes in their water chemistry, if you need to adjust any of these levels, it’s important to do so slowly. Adding one teaspoon of baking soda for every five gallons of water in your tank can help to slowly begin raising its pH and KH balance if needed, but make sure that you add it slowly(too fast can harm the fish). This should be dissolved ahead of time in a glass of aquarium water.

Each time you do a water change, you will need to add 1 teaspoon of baking soda for every 5 gallons that you take out. For example, if you take out 30 gallons of water, you will need to put 6 teaspoons of baking soda in. This should also be dissolved before adding it to the aquarium.
Lowering your pH balance is much trickier as you first need to obliterate the carbonates and bicarbonates in the water, after which you can then lower the pH. Driftwood and sodium biphosphate both contain acids that will get the job done nicely, but be sure to keep a close eye on your water. After you are finished the process, restore your water’s KH balance with crushed coral, limestone, or oyster shell.

For more details on maintaining your cichlid’s aquarium water, check out the Keeping Cichlids e-book.

The angel fish is one of the most common new world cichlids. A South American cichlid, the angel fish is beautiful and queenly but needs very specific water conditions. Angel fish are generally triangular-shaped with long, string-like fins trailing behind them and sometimes a stripe or two across their backs.

Angelfish

Another common new world cichlid  is the convict, so named because of its feisty temperament.Most experienced Cichlid owners would agree that the convict is one of the most aggressive cichlids. Convicts may be bullies but they can live in a wide variety of aquarium conditions and are easy to keep and breed. Convicts can be identified by their light blue bodies and the dark black, zebra stripes across their backs.

Convict Cichlid

The Jack Dempsey is also a favorite among cichlid lovers. Like the convict, the Jack Dempsey is also commonly listed as one of the most aggressive cichlids, and as an adult they can grow up to nearly a foot in length. Jack Dempseys are dark brown but males usually have splashes or dots of bright blue or green on their sides and humps on their foreheads. Jack Dempseys are easy to keep and need large open spaces as well as caves to hide in.

Jack Dempsey Cichlid

The Texas cichlid fish can grow to about a foot in length when fully mature. Its flesh is golden in color with turquoise or white freckles dotted across the length of its body. The Texas is known to be a slightly aggressive cichlid.

Texas Cichlid

In the wild, most North and Central American cichlids are found in rivers and lakes. Some lay their eggs in the sand of the river bottoms while others lay them simply on top of rocks at the bottom of the lake in which they reside. Some even make their homes in tiny underwater caves and tunnels. South American cichlids are usually found in water conditions that are more acidic such as black water regions in the Amazonian basin.

The aquarium requirements for these types of fish vary according to their natural habit. North and Central American cichlids are more adept at adapting to vary aquarium conditions but need good hiding places or caves in their aquarium for refuge. These should not be kept in any tank with a length of less than 48 inches. To found out how to properly care for your new world cichlid aquarium, I recommend checking out Keeping Cichlids.

The South American cichlid usually needs much more specific water conditions in the aquarium in which it is kept. The pH balance of the water needs to be quite low – sometimes as low as six – and the water itself needs to be very soft. Plants are popular with the South American cichlid, although certain species may cause havoc to underwater plants.

South American Plant Aquarium

One of the best things about new world cichlids is that there are so many from which to choose. The variety available among these species of fish is simply astounding and there is always something new to discover. New world cichlid fish can be a joy to take care of and a delight to own.

Cichlids can range in size from four to nine inches. Breeds can be very different ranging from zebra stripes to giraffe spots to bright colors. Often the males are vividly beautiful and the females mutely colored. Some are even dichromatic with the males and females looking like completely different species.

With the right knowledge, these fish are not difficult to maintain and breed. I recommend picking up a copy of the e-book Keeping Cichlids for all the important information you need.

Easy Care Breeds

Many cichlids are considered easy to care for. Among these are the ‘sunshine peacock’ cichlid and the colorful ‘Eureka Red Peacock’. Each grow to an average of 5.9 inches(depending on tank conditions). The males are known for their beautiful coloration, just like the bird of the same name. Another easy breed is the blue dolphin cichlid, which can grow to be 10 inches, and the ‘Afra’ or ‘dogtooth’ cichlids which grow to only 3.9 inches. The ‘Venustus’ cichlid is another easy care breed and has giraffe spots while in its juvenile state.

Eureka Red Peacock

Rock Caves Needed For Some Breeds

One entertaining, easy care breed is the gorgeous ‘electric yellow’  Malawi cichlid. This is a very popular breed among the Malawi Cichlids. To create the best living conditions, the aquarium should include rock caves where males are able to establish territories. Other rock cave dwellers include the ‘red zebra’, the ‘cobalt blue’, and the ‘johanni blue’. These fish are entertaining and social creatures.

Rock Setup

Snail Shell Dwellers

Several breeds of cichlid fish, such as the striped ‘neolamprologus similis’ and the neolamprologus multifasciatus’, are actually shell dwellers. They prefer to make their homes in an empty snail shell. To make them feel at home, the tank should have many shells and a sandy bottom. Plants should be well anchored because these cichlids like to bury the shells in the sand.

Dwarf Cichlids

Dwarf cichlids come in a variety of colors and patterns, just like their slightly bigger cousins. One of the most common is the ‘blue ram’ which is considered easy to care for. Other dwarfs need a higher level of expert care. These include the ‘checkerboard’, ‘two-stripe’, ‘three-stripe’, ‘panda’, ‘cockatoo’ and ‘zebra’ dwarf cichlids.

Dwarf Cichlid

Aggression

When choosing among cichlids, it is best to find out how aggressive the males of any breed will be. The ‘electric yellow’ Malawi Cichlids are known to be a pretty calm fish.  However, mixing the wrong species together can cause severe aggression, so be careful when choosing your tank mates!

By following simple guidelines, you will be able to fill your aquarium with these exciting species and know that they will bring years of joy and entertainment.

Lake Victoria- Lake Victoria Cichlids live in moderately hard water with a slightly alkaline PH (7.2-8.6).  The water in which they live has very poor clarity and quality.

Xystichromis Victorian Cichlid

Lake Malawi- Lake Malawi Cichlids also live in moderately hard water with alkaline of 7.5-8.0.

Mbuna Malawi Cichlids

Lake Tanganyika- Lake Tanganyika Cichlid fish live in a much harder water and alkaline water (8.5-9.3).

Frontosa Tanganyika Cichlid

Both Lake Malawi and Tanganyika live in high quality water that is clear and pure from the turnover of waves, causing high oxygen levels.

All three of these lakes maintain average water temperate of around 78-80 degrees Fahrenheit. They have a variety of biotopes from sandy and rocky shorelines to open waters. It is important to try replicating their natural environment in your aquarium. There are many types of décor that you can use to help maintain hardness (KH and GH) and alkalinity: crushed coral, aragonite sand, and rocks or slate. However, it is very important to assure that the natural substances you are putting in your aquarium are safe for your fish type.

Setting up an African Cichlid fish aquarium can be very fun and exciting but at the same time it could be disastrous if you don’t know what you’re doing. I recommend doing a little bit of research before you dive into setting up an aquarium. I also suggest checking out the e-book Keeping Cichlids to get all of the proper information you need for keeping up with your aquarium.

]]> http://cichlid-fish.com/african-cichlid-fish/feed/ 0 http://cichlid-fish.com/about-cichlid-fish/ http://cichlid-fish.com/about-cichlid-fish/#comments Mon, 16 May 2011 19:34:21 +0000 Cichlid-fish http://cichlid-fish.com/?p=16 Cichlids belong to the Cichlidae family. This is a very large and diverse family with somewhere between 1500-3000 species. Each year, more species are discovered and many have not yet been identified. It is considered to be one of the largest vertebrate families in the world. Oscars , Jack Dempseys, Discus, and Angel Fish are among the most recognized species of the Cichlid Family.

Inhabitants of diverse environments, Cichlids are generally divided into three categories: African, North and Central American, and South American. Many people also categorize them as New World Cichlids (North,Central,South) and African Cichlids. Each of these categories are often broke down by the lakes in which they live. For example, Victorian Cichlids are found in the Lake Victoria. Malawi Cichlids come from the Malawi Lake, and Tanganyika Cichlids come from the Tanganyika Cichlids.

Mostly freshwater lakes, Cichlid fish often habitat in shallow depths. There are exceptions, however, such as the Tilapia which inhabit more brackish waters along the coastlines between rivers. Very few Cichlids habitat primarily in salt waters.

The Cichlids are a very resourceful species, adopting to a multitude of different habitats. Due to their variety of environments, there eating habits, size, and color are much different.

One thing that all Cichlid fish have in common is their ability to be efficient feeders. They have teeth on their upper and lower jaws that have pharyngeal bones which act as a second set of teeth when they swallow food. Some Cichlid fish feed on algae and plants (herbivores). Other Cichlids known as predatory, feed mostly on other fish, small animals, and larvae.