When you look at African cichlids care you will notice that it is not complicated to do even for a novice aquarium owner. There are only about four things that you must remember once your tank is setup and ready for fish. When you see these fish you will realize that they are as colorful as many salt water specimens and a lot easier to care for.
There are three things that are a must with these fish. The pH levels must be correct, the DH levels must be controlled and the water temperature must remain constant. The pH level in Lake Malawi can range from 7 to 8.2 while Lake Tanganyika has a range of 7 to 9 on the pH scale. The water hardness or DH in all of the lakes is very high and the temperatures in the wild range from 85-95 degrees Fahrenheit. These levels must be met in the tank before adding the fish.
Because there are three different lakes that these fish are taken from and each lake has different water makeup you cannot mix fish from different lakes. That should not be a problem for most aquarium lovers because there are over twelve hundred different species of cichlid to choose from that occupy the lakes and even more species in the surrounding rivers that feed the lakes.
When putting the tank together there are some items that are "must have" pieces of decor. These fish need rocks arranged to have openings like caves. They will mark them as their property as soon as they are put into the water. You will also need to supply them with plastic plants with ceramic bases. They dig in the pebbles in the tank and move the plants around trying to enlarge the territory they have claimed.
One of the joys of this fish is that you can over crowd your tank and it is highly recommended that you do. With less space to become territorial about there are far fewer battles over the space. You will want to be careful not to place fish that are of the same size in your tank together because they will fight for dominance. Smaller fish will be safe so long as they are not small enough to eat.
You will have no problem feeding your fish. They will eat anything you give them. They are partial to frozen or live food such as worms and brine shrimp but flakes are just fine for them too. They need to have some vegetation also so you can float lettuce on top of the water.
According to many owners of these fish they recognize their humans. When their human passes their aquarium they will flock to the front glass and beg for food. They further add that if a stranger passes they will hide at the back and under plants. If true, this adds an unexpected element of camaraderie to owning fish.
When giving African cichlids care all you want to remember is that they will need hard water, excellent filtration, a lot of hiding places and many compatible tank mates to ensure they will have a long and healthy existence in your tank.
There are three things that are a must with these fish. The pH levels must be correct, the DH levels must be controlled and the water temperature must remain constant. The pH level in Lake Malawi can range from 7 to 8.2 while Lake Tanganyika has a range of 7 to 9 on the pH scale. The water hardness or DH in all of the lakes is very high and the temperatures in the wild range from 85-95 degrees Fahrenheit. These levels must be met in the tank before adding the fish.
Because there are three different lakes that these fish are taken from and each lake has different water makeup you cannot mix fish from different lakes. That should not be a problem for most aquarium lovers because there are over twelve hundred different species of cichlid to choose from that occupy the lakes and even more species in the surrounding rivers that feed the lakes.
When putting the tank together there are some items that are "must have" pieces of decor. These fish need rocks arranged to have openings like caves. They will mark them as their property as soon as they are put into the water. You will also need to supply them with plastic plants with ceramic bases. They dig in the pebbles in the tank and move the plants around trying to enlarge the territory they have claimed.
One of the joys of this fish is that you can over crowd your tank and it is highly recommended that you do. With less space to become territorial about there are far fewer battles over the space. You will want to be careful not to place fish that are of the same size in your tank together because they will fight for dominance. Smaller fish will be safe so long as they are not small enough to eat.
You will have no problem feeding your fish. They will eat anything you give them. They are partial to frozen or live food such as worms and brine shrimp but flakes are just fine for them too. They need to have some vegetation also so you can float lettuce on top of the water.
According to many owners of these fish they recognize their humans. When their human passes their aquarium they will flock to the front glass and beg for food. They further add that if a stranger passes they will hide at the back and under plants. If true, this adds an unexpected element of camaraderie to owning fish.
When giving African cichlids care all you want to remember is that they will need hard water, excellent filtration, a lot of hiding places and many compatible tank mates to ensure they will have a long and healthy existence in your tank.
