They are herbivores, and both sexes are equally bright in color. These fish seek out rocky areas to reside in. Giraffe: Also names the Venustus, these fish tend to have blue faces with dark, giraffe-like spots. They are larger, measuring at up to ten inches. Giraffe cichlids require more experienced handlers, as they can be extremely sensitive to the nitrate levels in their water. As we mentioned earlier, African cichlids are an aggressive species in general look at the Jack Dempsey for example.
This activity level makes them fun fish to observe though. This can sometimes lead to confrontations with other fish at times. Their aggression is not something that you should take lightly when planning your aquarium. These traits will need to be accommodated for in the tank setup if you want to ensure the safety and health of all the fish in your tank.
When it comes to finding the right tank setup, you just have to stick to the fundamentals. Make sure all the fish in the tank have enough space and the water is comfortable for everyone. As long as you take care of these basics and maintain a healthy tank, everyone should be just fine. Fish that are at least six inches long should be considered larger, and require a minimum of 30 gallons of aquarium space.
Smaller fish need at least a gallon tank. Should you want to add more fish to the aquarium, you should accommodate about three extra gallons per additional fish.
Keep in mind that the fish will grow, so plan your aquarium around the size of adult cichlids. Most African cichlids prefer either open water or rocky spaces, so make sure to accommodate for both. Some fish like to search for food in the sand, so it is ideal to have a fine-grain substrate they can search through without getting injured.
African cichlids are very territorial, so having lots of cavities and hiding places is crucial for avoiding conflict. Aquarium plants, furniture, and rocky caves are suitable for this.
If rocks are used, they must be secure and not able to fall onto the fish in your tank. Of course, there must also be a suitably-sized filter and heater in each tank. Special lighting is not required but often used for viewing pleasure. The water in the tank should be moving, to mimic natural current.
This is usually achieved with a regular tank filter, however, African cichlids that are found in rivers may appreciate a slightly stronger current. An additional air or water pump can be used for this purpose. Having a water level test kit on hand is crucial for monitoring the conditions in your tank. This should be the standard protocol for ensuring that your tank is in a healthy condition for your fish.
The freshwater lakes and rivers that these fish reside in have hard water. Therefore, they need a pH range of 6. The exact number is more specific to the type of fish. The ideal water temp for African cichlids is a fairly flexible range between 75 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
This should be plenty to allow you to make them comfortable and also accommodate their tank mates. Due to the aggressive nature of these fish, there are specific types of tankmates that should be avoided. Number one on this list would be fish that prefer swimming in open water. They will most likely be attacked since they will be mostly defenseless. Live Plants: Research your species as some Cichlids are aggressive towards plants Oscars, Dempseys , while others do well in a planted tank Angels, Discus, Frontosas.
Tank Size: Cichlids grow to a large size, so the bigger the tank the better. Substrate: The bottom of the environment should be sand. Some Cichlid species will ingest a small amount to aid in digestion, while others use the sand bed to build their nest. Larger Cichlids like Oscars are fine with gravel. Learning Center How to set up a tank for cichlids.
Rock Dwelling Cichlids like Calvus are solitary hunters with slender large jaws used to suck smaller prey out from rock crevices. Frontosas are the feature fish when it comes to Lake Tanganyika cichlids. They are usually known for being kept alone in an African cichlid tank, but have been known to be kept with large Tanganyika fish like Calvus and Compressiceps. Lake Victoria Cichlids are the least known and popular of the three lake Cichlids.
There is a lack of hobbyist literature available which makes Victorian cichlids sometimes difficult to identify. They are in general naturally aggressive fish. Some can mix with Mbuna and Peacock cichlids. A lot of secondary research should be done with this species of fish given the lack of information in the hobby.
When it comes to any freshwater fish species and aquarium setup, bigger is always better. You will have more water volume to make your tank stable and more room to curb aggression. However, not everyone wants a massive tank. Cichlids do get large and are territorial. The minimum for most African cichlid species is going to be 55 gallons. Longer tanks are better than tall as many cichlids are mid-level or bottom-level swimmers.
Always go for a wide vs taller aquarium. All African Cichlids should be kept in water with a pH of 7. Since all African Cichlids appreciate this higher pH, these are one of the few freshwater species whose aquariums may be decorated with marine coral , sand, and rock which will push the pH and buffer the water. In some instances it may be necessary to buffer water to reach these higher pH levels. There are various Cichlid Buffer additives available in stores that can be used or Cichlid Salts.
A Cichlid aquarium needs to be well filtered. Overfiltration is actually encouraged in an african cichlid tank as it is typical to purposely overstock them to curb aggression among tank mates. In addition, Cichlids are messy eaters and even messier excreters. Aeration is also very important since Cichlids require well oxygenated water. Because of the added demands of African Cichlids, dual filtration is recommend. Dual canister filtration is commonplace for African Cichlid keepers.
Your goal is to have times gallon per hour flow filtered per hour. So for a 55 gallon tank, you are looking at a goal of filtered gallons per hour from your filtration system. You can be fine with less filtered per hour if you have a high capacity canister like a BioMaster Thermo or Eheim Professionals, but you may need to supplement flow with powerheads to keep the flow strong in the tank in order to prevent dead spots within the tank.
The top choice among professional aquascapers. German engineering and equipped with an intregrated heater. Rock work is an important consideration and will vary depending on what species of African Cichlids you decide on. For Mbunas and other rock dwelling Africans, you will want to have rocks with lots of holes and cevices. Rocks will cover most of the bottom of the tank for these types of fish.
Texas Holey Rock and lava rock are two good examples of such rock. For Haps and Peacocks and other open swimmers, there should be more open water to mimic their environment. Other rocks that you can consider would be slate, limestone, and even ocean rock. Making sure your rock is more smooth should be considered as rough rock can hurt your African cichlids. All Cichlid tanks should have a sand substrate in an african cichlid tank.
This most closely mimics their natural environment. Many Cichlids naturally feed by grazing through the sand, others cleanse their gills, while others dive into it or build nests. Some hobbyists have been known to acquire substrates from golf courses, pool shops, or home improvement stores. These can save you money when building an african cichlid tank, but do some research before placing in your tank to ensure you have an aquarium safe substrate.
Within the aquarium industry, there are substrates available that will work with Cichlids, particularly aragonite sand used in marine tanks and Tahitian Moon Sand. Diet for your African Cichlids will depend on the type of Cichlids you have. Africans can cross all the food groups herbivore, carnivorous, omnivores, and micro predators so it is critical that you know what group your fish belongs to. Supplemental foods for herbivore fish would be peas, romaine lettuce, and spinach.
For fish carnivorous fish, brine shrimp, shrimp pellets, and krill would be good meat supplements. Fish with yellow, orange, or red will need to be feed foods with lots of pigment so keep their colors optimal.
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