How To Set Up A Cichlid Fish Tank

African cichlids are a larger species of freshwater fish that originate in Africa, Asia, and S America. These fish tend to exist a pop pet among aquarists, due to the big range of colors that you lot tin can proceed, even if you don't have a saltwater tank.

Each unlike kind has slightly varying temperaments too, and are resilient in captivity.

African cichlids are an extremely agile group of fish, making them an aquarium favorite for viewing. Though they require special intendance, many different types can be good for beginning aquarium owners because of their toughness.

There are enough of colors and patterns of this species for you to choose from, though it can accept up to a year for them to develop full colour. Coloring can be impacted by the quality of care they receive (nosotros'll cover that more than a scrap farther down).

Each blazon of African cichlid's aggression level should exist minded when placing together in an aquarium. They are more aggressive in general than other common tropical fish.

Though in that location a ton of different African cichlid species confirmed in the wild, only far fewer are available equally pets. About all of the species that you'll find in personal aquariums originate from Lake Republic of malaŵi in East Africa. A handful of others come up from Lake Tanganyika and Lake Victoria.

Common Types Of African Cichlids
Temperament And Behavior
African Cichlid Tank Setup
1. How Large Should Their Tank Exist?
2. What To Put In Their Tank
3. Ideal Water Flow
4. Water Temp And pH Levels
African Cichlid Tank Mates
Food And Diet Options
African Cichlid Care
Average Lifespan
Breeding African cichlids
It'southward Time To Decide If They're Right For You

Common Types Of African Cichlids

Understanding a bit well-nigh the types of African cichlids you can choose from is very important (past merely a simple colour preference). Although these fish are aggressive in general, in that location can exist some slight behavioral differences between them.

It doesn't matter if yous're someone who is planning on getting their very first aquarium, or a seasoned pro. Nosotros highly recommend taking some time to acquire about each variation.

Maingano: These take bold horizontal stripes in a variety of dejection.

Zebra Mbuna aka Zebra Cichlids: As the name suggests, these fish have black and white stripes down their bodies.

Orange Zebra: These fish display black stripes or spots on their orange body. They grow to exist about five inches in length and are highly ambitious.

Compressiceps: Likewise know by the startling proper name of the "Malawi Eyebiter", these fish are long, sparse, and have a shiny silver color to their bodies. They can be highly aggressive.

Electrical Xanthous: The Electric yellow cichlid tend to exist less aggressive than their relatives, which can make them good fish for the inexperienced tank owner. These fish are shorter, only about three inches long. They are yellow with dark fin tips, and a long dorsal fin running down the back.

Peacock Cichlids: Only slightly aggressive, Peacock cichlids (also called Aulonocara nyassae) are 1 of the more colorful types of cichlids, ranging in colors of dark tan to silvery-blue. They are also bottom-feeders.

Sunshine Peacock: These moderately-ambitious fish are resilient, making them some other good choice for new hobbyists. They sport a shining mix of yellows and blues.

Yellow sunshine peacock with black background — Yellow sunshine peacock

Hap (curt for "Haplochromis"): I of the most mutual types of cichlids, these fish prefer swimming in open water, they accept a medium aggression level, feeding on smaller fish. Female person haps tend to be duller in colour than the males.

Electrical Bluish Hap: Also known as the Hap Ahli, these fish are piece of cake to maintain and come in a solid and vibrant blueish colour. Interestingly enough, blue haps don't get forth well with peacock cichlids, then you may not desire to business firm them together.

Kribensis ("kribs", for short): The smallest of the cichlids, these fish range from iii to iv inches in length. They are less aggressive and suitable for beginners.

Blue Dolphin Moorii: This fish is popular because of its shiny blue scales. They abound to be big, up to 9 or ten inches. Considering of this, they tend to be a picayune harder to care for, requiring a larger tank.

Butterfly: These cichlids sport vertical black stripes. They tin be pretty docile, allowing them to live with some other fish.

Buffalo Head: They accept other names such as "Humphead", "Lionhead", and "Blockhead", referring to their prominent foreheads. They tend to be more peaceful than others, and they grow to nearly 4.5 inches in length).

Mbuna (sometimes chosen Malawi cichlids): Like the other most common blazon of cichlid that is constitute in Lake Republic of malaŵi, Mbunas are fairly aggressive. They are herbivores, and both sexes are as bright in colour. These fish seek out rocky areas to reside in.

Giraffe: Too names the Venustus, these fish tend to take blueish faces with dark, giraffe-similar spots. They are larger, measuring at up to x inches. Giraffe cichlids require more than experienced handlers, as they can be extremely sensitive to the nitrate levels in their h2o.

Temperament And Behavior

Equally we mentioned before, African cichlids are an ambitious species in general (expect at the Jack Dempsey for example). For example, they're more than aggressive than fish such equally tetras. They're also very active.

This activity level makes them fun fish to observe though. There's always something going on!

They're not the kind of fish that will merely sit dorsum and take it easy.

They desire to investigate what'south going on in their tank and volition show no fearfulness when doing this. This can sometimes lead to confrontations with other fish at times.

Their aggression is non something that you should have 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.

African Cichlid Tank Setup

When it comes to finding the correct tank setup, you just have to stick to the fundamentals. Make sure all the fish in the tank take enough space and the water is comfy for anybody.

As long every bit you lot take intendance of these basics and maintain a good for you tank, everyone should be just fine.

How Large Should Their Tank Be?

Since African cichlids are an active and aggressive species, they should have plenty of space.

Fish that are at least six inches long should be considered larger, and crave a minimum of thirty gallons of aquarium space. Smaller fish need at to the lowest degree a twenty-gallon tank.

Should you desire to add together more fish to the aquarium, you lot should adjust about three extra gallons per additional fish. Keep in mind that the fish will grow, and so plan your aquarium around the size of adult cichlids.

What To Put In Their Tank

Most African cichlids adopt either open h2o or rocky spaces, so make sure to accommodate for both. Some fish similar to search for food in the sand, so it is ideal to take 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 disharmonize. 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 simply often used for viewing pleasance.

Platonic Water Period

The water in the tank should be moving, to mimic natural electric current. This is usually achieved with a regular tank filter, however, African cichlids that are constitute in rivers may appreciate a slightly stronger current. An boosted air or water pump tin be used for this purpose.

Water Temp And pH Levels

Having a water level test kit on hand is crucial for monitoring the weather in your tank. This should be the standard protocol for ensuring that your tank is in a good for you condition for your fish.

The freshwater lakes and rivers that these fish reside in have difficult water. Therefore, they need a pH range of 6.5 to 8.5. The verbal number is more specific to the blazon of fish.

The platonic water temp for African cichlids is a adequately flexible range between 75 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. This should be plenty to allow y'all to make them comfy and besides conform their tank mates.

African Cichlid Tank Mates

Due to the ambitious nature of these fish, there are specific types of tankmates that should be avoided. Number ane on this list would be fish that prefer pond in open up water. They volition most likely exist attacked since they volition be mostly defenseless.

Small fish should also be avoided, as they will likely get an easy meal.

Information technology'south tempting to house African cichlids in the same tank as Southward American cichlids since they look similar. Still, they require dissimilar care, and volition likely fight.

Lesser-feeding fish that are large enough to defend themselves will most probable be left alone, such as African catfish. These tend to be considered the platonic tank mates for African cichlids.

If yous want to play it safe and ensure that no one gets attacked, then the best option will always be a solo-species tank. This might not seem that exciting, only information technology's a solution that many owners prefer.

You lot all the same get a tank of colorful and exciting fish, merely you lot never have to worry about walking in on a horror scene.

Food And Nutrition Options

Variation in the African cichlid diet is key. Depending on the kind you own, they might be mainly insectivores, herbivores, or omnivores. It is proficient to include a little of everything including a solid base of fish food.

Varieties of food you tin give them include small fish meat, tubifex worms, insects, cichlid pellets, frozen food, wafers, or brine shrimp, too as some household fruit and vegetable supply. They'll demand to be fed twice each solar day.

To avoid overfeeding, the fish should be given no more than than they can consume in three minutes. This will not only reduce waste matter, merely information technology will keep the tank cleaner also.

African Cichlid Intendance

It's important to have your tank on a stable surface. The tank itself should be sealed well, with no leaks. African cichlids have been known to jump out of the h2o occasionally, and so it'south a practiced idea to take a sturdy lid on your tank.

Electric blue cichlid swimming near bottom of tank

The water in the tank needs to be "cycled", meaning it needs to exist changed every other week, or weekly, depending on how muddy the tank gets. Every bit fish produce waste material, the nitrate levels in the tank h2o rise.

Changing the water often enough keeps the nitrate levels from getting high enough to impale the fish. Always thoroughly clean annihilation that comes into contact with the tank water as well.

A large part of African cichlid care is being able to recognize the signs of a trouble. There are some mutual signs of disease to scout for among your collection to foreclose fatalities.

Some mutual illnesses and symptoms include:

Tuberculosis, which is highly contagious, causing the fish to stop eating, also as develop white blotches on the scales.
Bloating, or, Malawi Bloat. Potentially fatal swelling in the abdomen.
Cotton Wool Affliction, a fungal infection causing white growths.
Swim bladder illness, noted by a fish existence stuck at the surface of the water.
Hexamita, marked by scale lesions and a lack of ambition.
Gill Flukes, a parasite causing problems with breathing and slimy gills.

Average Lifespan

The average lifespan of African cichlids is eight years with proper care. Just like any fish, this can vary drastically if they alive in a suboptimal tank situation with a poor diet and water quality.

Breeding African cichlids

When trying to breed African cichlids, you'll need to have a male and female in the same tank by themselves. For optimal breeding odds, the layout, piece of furniture, and size of the tank must not be changed during this process.

It's important to know that the species is able to mate within different species (cross-convenance). Information technology's easiest to use mature fish to ensure their power to brood.

Always monitor the tank for fights betwixt the male person and female, as breeding can bring out more aggression. African cichlids perform mating rituals in which they display their colors and move in sure ways. Once fertilized, your fish volition either lay their eggs and baby-sit them in a secure cave/tank cavity, or hold them in their rima oris for about 21 (mouthbrooding).

During this time, it's of import to lookout man for aggression around the group of eggs, called a fry. Sometimes, your fish will try to eat the fry. In this case, the eggs need to exist separated into a "breeding" tank. When the fry hatches, a female may await afterwards them for upwards to 14 days. Afterwards this point, the female is ready to mate over again.

It'due south Time To Decide If They're Right For You

At present that you have all the info you need to brand a decision, it's fourth dimension to sit down downwards and retrieve.

Owning African cichlids can be a lot of fun and very rewarding. They are beautiful, active, and very exciting fish!

However, their aggressiveness can sometimes be something that aquarists don't want to deal with.

There's no right or wrong answer here. The right choice is what's going to be best for you and the aquatic life you decide to take intendance of.

We hope you lot got plenty of value out of this care guide. Equally ever, if you have whatever questions you can always reach out and enquire.