African Cichlid Guide

 Cichlids are some of the most colorful fish in the fish farming industry, which, unsurprisingly, makes them one of the most popular as well.

These fish can be found all over the world, making them a very diverse group. There is a species for everyone; each species has a different pattern and color scheme.

They can be difficult to care for due to their aggressive nature, which may be unexpected for someone buying their first. However, this should not put you off as they are social creatures that can be easily kept by someone who knows how to care for them.

To view this video, please enable JavaScript and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

NEON_TETRA 

This article will cover everything you need to know about cichlids, including their care, habitat, and compatibility. We will also discuss some of the more popular species.

Here is a summary with all the key information:

Category Classification

Level of attention: Intermediate

Temper: Aggressive

Shape Color: Several

Useful life: Up to 20 Years (depends on the Species)

Size: 3-15 inches

Diet: depends on the species

Family: Cichlids

Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons

Tank configuration: Fresh water: Rocks and Caves

Compatibility: species dependent

Cichlid Overview

Behaviour

Appearance and Known Varieties

Lake Malawi Cichlids

Lake Victoria Cichlids

Lake Tanganyika Cichlids

Angelfish (Pterophyllum)

Convict Cichlids (Amatitlania nigrofasciata)

Midas cichlids (Amphilophus citrinellus)

Cichlid Habitat and Tank Conditions

tank mates

What to feed cichlids (Diet)

How to care for cichlids

breeding cichlids

Are Cichlids Right for Your Aquarium (Summary)?

Cichlids in an aquarium

Cichlids are a group of freshwater fish in the Cichlidae family. They are one of the most diverse families of vertebrates with more than 1600 species, a number that is always increasing.Today they can be found in most tropical areas of the world, but aquarium species are generally from Africa or South America, with some from Asia and Europe.

African varieties tend to be from one of Africa's three great lakes: Lake Malawi, Lake Victoria, and Lake Tanganyika. These contain the largest number of species of any part of the world. The Amazon River is home to many South American cichlids, but some species can be found in slow-moving streams across the continent, and even as far as Central America.

In the tropical rain forests of South America there is a group of small fish, usually called dwarf cichlids. These are approximately 0.5 inches.Due to their bright colors, distinctive patterns, and active lifestyles, they are popular for home aquariums. They are also sturdy which is always a plus.

However, there is a price to pay when you get some of the most colorful fish in the world, you have to be able to handle their aggressive nature. Most are territorial creatures that will often attack and kill any weak fish you add to your tank.

These fish are best suited for a more experienced fish keeper; their aggressiveness makes them more difficult to care for compared to other tropical fish.Since there are so many species available, this article will cover some of the most popular examples from around the world.

Behaviour

We have already mentioned that they are aggressive; this is the biggest problem most people have with them. They will claim a territory and attack fish that swim too close.

This shouldn't deter you from keeping them; you just need to know how to handle them. If you set up a proper tank and pick the right tankmates (which we'll talk about later), you won't have much of a problem.If you see two males locking lips, then they are in the middle of a fight. This is probably due to a territorial dispute or an exhibition to show the women. When you see a man and a woman locking lips, it is likely part of a courtship ritual.

If you watch them for a while, you'll see that much of their time is spent searching for food, which involves burrowing through the substrate.When digging, they can knock over decorations that are not stacked properly. You must ensure that the decorations are secured in the substrate so that the fish do not get trapped.

Adults are not usually schooling fish in the aquarium, but will mate when mating.

Although they are not shoals, they are still very active and social swimmers. Some would say they are too good at swimming as they have been known to jump out of the water so make sure your tank has a tight lid.You may see them rubbing themselves on surfaces. Most of the time this is due to a parasite such as Ich or Velvet, but sometimes it can be a reproductive behavior.

Some species rub surfaces to clean them before laying their eggs. Research the species you have to see what behavior it is most likely to display.

Appearance and Known Varieties

peacock cichlid

Most of the 1600 species have a unique appearance. Below we have listed and detailed the most popular genera and species of the Cichlidae family.

Lake Malawi Cichlids

This is the first of three great African lakes that offer some of the most popular species for home aquariums. They are divided into three main groups, Haps, Peacocks and Mbunas.Haplochromis, also known as Haps, are typically piscivores. They have long, torpedo-shaped bodies and are typically silver or gray when young, with males becoming shiny as they reach sexual maturity.

Peacocks belong to the genus Aulonocara and are very brightly colored, as their name suggests. Males show most of the color and can reach 4-6 inches in length. Their body shape varies and can be used to identify between species.

Mbuna has some of the most dazzling patterns. One of the most famous and sought after is the zebra cichlid (Pseudotropheus zebra), which has an iconic striped pattern. They are rock-dwelling species that grow about 5 inches when mature.

Lake Victoria Cichlids

While Lake Victoria used to contain over 500 species, this number is declining due to the introduction of the Nile Perch.The species here are moderate in size at around 3-7 inches. Their shape varies from the sleek, bullet-shaped ruby ​​green cichlid to the Kenyan gold cichlid, which has large, colorful fins.

Lake Tanganyika Cichlids

Lake Tanganyika is the last great African lake that we will talk about. This is home to the largest species, Boulengerochromis microlepis (36 inches). However, not all species in this lake grow this large, some are as small as 1 inch (such as asa female Neolamprologus multifasciatus).As in the other two lakes, the fish in Lake Tanganyika are very colorful and come in many different shapes and sizes.

Angelfish (Pterophyllum)

Although the Angelfish is a small genus, it is one of the most famous in South America.

Its long fins make it much taller than most fish, reaching up to 10 inches in height. These fins mean that angelfish need a tall tank to fit comfortably in an aquarium. Colors can vary from white to orange, with some showing black vertical stripes all over their body.

Convict Cichlids (Amatitlania nigrofasciata)

This species has black and white stripes on their bodies, hence their other common name: zebra cichlids. These South American fish live in large rivers or streams. Males can grow up to 6 inches and display large dorsal and anal fins along their length.

Midas cichlids (Amphilophus citrinellus)

You can find these fish in several different colors due to their captive breeding, but the most common is bright orange. An adult will be around 15 inches in size with a hump on its head.

Cichlid Habitat and Tank Conditions

Haplochromis

To make the perfect cichlid tank, you need to think about where your new fish are coming from. Although they all share similar habitats, there are some differences between them. An example is the flow of water. The African species of the great lakes do not need as much water movement as those of the rivers of South America.

It's always best to research the species you want; this will give you a better idea of ​​what your preferences will be. If they are happy, they are more likely to stay healthy.A soft substrate at the bottom of the tank is important due to its burrowing behavior. The sand would let your fish dig all day without being scratched by sharp stones.

Caves and crevices are also needed throughout the tank. These allow your fish to claim a territory and escape when other fish show aggression. For rock-dwelling fish like the Mbunas, caves are a must. If you are stacking rocks to create your caves, then you need to be careful that they don't collapse. Aquarium safe glue can be used to hold them together when the fish start digging.

Adding plants to your aquarium is always a risk. Most species eat or pluck them when searching for food. You have the option of not adding plants or choosing a hardy species that can survive.

Java fern and Amazon swords are good choices if you want plants. However, not all species (such as some peacocks) will eat plants.As for the equipment, you don't need anything special. You just need a filter that can process all the water in the tank 3-5 times in an hour and a suitable heater. Some people like to add air or water pumps to create water movement, but the filter outlet usually produces a strong enough flow in smaller tanks.

African and South American varieties will be healthy at temperatures between 75°F and 85°F, but have different pH preferences.African lakes have an unusual pH range of 7.8 to 8.6, but South American species are used to a more acidic pH range of 6.0 to 7.5.

A similar trend is shown with water hardness. Species from Africa like hard water (4-6 dH), but species from South America need softer water (<2 dH).Be sure to check the preferences of the species you want, as one could be different from another, even if they are from the same continent.

The larger the tank, the more fish you can keep and the larger the species. 30 gallons is enough space for a small group of most species, but not all. If the fish grow larger than 7 inches, a 50-gallon tank would be safer. A single midas cichlid needs about 60 gallons of water. If you're not sure what size tank to buy, a larger tank is always better.

Once your tank is set up, you need to keep it clean by doing water changes every 1-2 weeks.

tank mates

Cichlids swimming in an aquarium

The aggressive nature of this group of fish makes it difficult for them to mix with other fish without a fight. It is common to keep a single species, but you are not limited to this.

To add fish without starting fights, the new species should occupy a different area of ​​the tank. For example, bottom-dwelling fish should be fine with free-swimming cichlids. Any fish you add should be similar in size to your cichlids, and they should be aggressive themselves. This means that they can defend themselves.

Clown loaches and redtail sharks are among the bottom-dwelling fish, while the leopard bushfish is an aggressive free-swimming fish for species of a similar size (7 inches).

Smaller species (3-4 inches) could even be kept with giant danios (tare big enough that they didn't look like a meal).

African catfish pair well with African varieties because they are fast, large, and aggressive. The bristle pleco (Ancistrus) is a good example from South America and is a good algae eater.

If you add small fish (such as tetras) they will be treated as a snack, peaceful small fish are absolutely impossible to use as tank mates.If a tank is large enough, then more than one type of species could be kept together, but it will be risky. If you have multiple species, don't mix Africa with South America. They have evolved on two different continents; their immune systems are very different. When kept together, one species can make the other sick.

The species that work best together are small fish from the same area. Smaller species are usually less aggressive, and if they are from the same area, they can tolerate the same conditions.

Advanced fish keepers sometimes use a technique called huddling, used to reduce aggression. It's all about overfilling the tank so that aggressive fish lose their victim.Overcrowding allows you to keep more individuals without increasing the fights. This is shown in the great lakes of Africa, where between 10 and 18 fish per square meter are found.Beginners shouldn't try this right away; this amount of fish will often lead to errors.

What to feed cichlids (Diet)

Their diet in the wild is much more varied compared to that in an aquarium. Naturally, different species eat different foods, some eat meat and some eat plants. In captivity, most species are not picky eaters and will happily eat a mixture of both.

Everyone should accept both store-bought fish foods and homemade foods. Flake foods can make up the main part of your diet, then you can add natural preferences as an occasional treat.Benthic fish appreciate the wafer or pellet of food as it sits in the substrate by the time they are cleaned and is more likely to slip past any fish swimming above it.

Peacocks and convicts are insectivores so you can add live/frozen insects for them. Mbuna are primarily herbivores, so you can feed them algae wafers and plant matter.The better you know the fish you are keeping, the easier it will be to plan a healthy diet.

Another option is to add raw vegetables from your kitchen to the tank; this is a good way to change the diet of a herbivore feeder.

If your fish get hungry, they will become aggressive. You can feed them a couple of times a day, but only an amount that will be completely eaten after 2-3 minutes.Even if they are not, healthy fish will always seem hungry. This makes it easy to overfeed them, leading to health problems. If your fish don't seem interested in feeding, they are sick or overfed.

How to care for cichlids

convict cichlid

No matter what fish you're keeping, chances are you'll run into a disease or two at some point. There are many species, so there are many diseases that they could be affected by.Malawi bloat is probably the most common disease affecting African varieties in the aquarium. A fish will begin to lose its appetite and its abdomen will begin to swell. The main cause is overfeeding.

Parasites can also be a problem. White spot (Ich) and velvet disease are caused by parasites; they eventually lead to respiratory problems because they damage the gills. Gill flukes are caused by a flatworm parasite that coats the gills in slime.

If you feed them regularly, watch out for aggression and do water changes every 1-2 weeks to keep nitrates down, your fish should stay healthy and not suffer from many diseases.

breeding cichlids

If kept in a healthy environment, your fish should be able to reproduce without much intervention.The process begins with an impressive courtship display. This will show your colors and it's really amazing to look at.

All species lay eggs, but the way they do so can vary. Some species are mouthwashers and others lay their eggs in the sediment.

The oral broodstock keep the fertilized eggs in their mouths until they hatch after about 21 days. This is a common breeding method for African types including Peacocks, Mbunas and Haps.South American varieties are more likely to lay their eggs on a surface and protect them until they hatch. Aggression will be at an all time high during this time to protect their young.

The females will care for the young for a week or two before going out to breed again, leaving the young to fend for themselves.The young can take a while to mature, but it is different for each fish. Some might get their colors after 3 months and be able to breed in a year, others might take twice this. If you are looking to keep the young for breeding, it is best to use a breeding tank to separate them from the parents (they will gradually start to see them as food).

The young will need their own diet, with smaller pieces of food than adults, until they are older.For the best odds of successful breeding, try to keep the aquarium environment the same. Don't move decorations or add fish, and make sure the water parameters are consistent. They will breed when they are comfortable and settled.

If you want to encourage breeding, you should keep one male to 4-5 females.They can also cross. This is where individuals of different species will mate.

Are Cichlids Right for Your Aquarium (Summary)?

You should now know that keeping cichlids is not a light task. Their size and aggressiveness make them more difficult to care for compared to other tropical fish.

Most of the common species sell for around 55 to 115 per fish, but you can expect to pay 1,100 or more for some larger and rarer species.Those who have done their research and have the time to devote to fish keeping will be able to maintain a healthy tank of some of the most rewarding fish available.

A cichlid tank is one of the most interesting tanks you can get your hands on. They have bright colors and patterns; they are active and social and display some unique behaviors, especially when mating.

Those who keep any of these species will not be disappointed.