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African Cichlids, a Varied Species
African Cichlids are popular tropical fish because they are colorful, large, personable, and easy to care for. These fish are found in Africa's Lake Malawi, Lake Victoria, and Lake Tanganyika, with 1,200 different species between them. They can range in size and need at least 50 gallons. Popular types include the Red Zebra, Cobalt Blue, Electric Yellow Lab, Electric Blue, Albino Compressiceps, and Frontosa. Maintaining their habitat properly will bring out their brilliant colors. Their intelligence and social behavior will fascinate the fish hobbyist. They display plenty of energetic movement whenever you approach their tank, and always act as though starved. When you feed them, they will consume just about anything quickly, even if it's not good for them.
Well-fed African cichlids do not display as much aggression. African cichlids that are of the herbivorous variety do well on staple flakes and algae disks with supplements of peas, romaine lettuce, spinach, and zucchini cut into small pieces, and also pelleted food made for cichlids. There also are omnivorous and carnivorous varieties. They are all voracious eaters and will consume a lot in a short time. Therefore it is necessary to feed them less but more frequently.
African cichlids should not be kept with other species, and they will even attack each other, especially if they are of similar type and color, with the largest one dominating and the smallest one getting attacked and killed. Newly introduced fish will also get attacked because there are no more territories available. Providing enough caves for them would reduce the aggression somewhat, and rock formations, plants, and large shells would offer some protection for the smaller cichlids. In nature, they inhabit high-density waters, so they are used to competing among their own kind for food, which accounts for much of the aggression. They also compete for mates.
During breeding and spawning, they are especially territorial and aggressive, so they require lots of space, rocks, and caves that re-create their natural habit. These egglayers make good parents, depositing the eggs carefully on a hard surface and guarding them until hatched. The fry are cared for until they can take care of themselves. The females are mostly mouth-brooders, carrying the eggs and fry in their mouths to protect them, though some are substrate spawners.
In general, fish that do well with Africans are Synodontis catfish, most Botia Loaches, most Labeo Sharks, including the "Flying Fox," and larger Rainbowfish, Danios, Plecos, and the larger Tetras. These fish will have to adapt to a higher pH water content than is customary to accommodate the needs of the African cichlids. Besides water requirements, keep in mind likenesses in diet, aggression, and cross-breeding tendencies when stocking the tank. The fact that African cichlids do well in crowded conditions has the advantage of providing a lively and colorful tank with fewer opportunities for them to prey on lone fish, but you will have to consider your tank size, water needs, and filtration capacity when adding the extra bio-load.
Well-fed African cichlids do not display as much aggression. African cichlids that are of the herbivorous variety do well on staple flakes and algae disks with supplements of peas, romaine lettuce, spinach, and zucchini cut into small pieces, and also pelleted food made for cichlids. There also are omnivorous and carnivorous varieties. They are all voracious eaters and will consume a lot in a short time. Therefore it is necessary to feed them less but more frequently.
African cichlids should not be kept with other species, and they will even attack each other, especially if they are of similar type and color, with the largest one dominating and the smallest one getting attacked and killed. Newly introduced fish will also get attacked because there are no more territories available. Providing enough caves for them would reduce the aggression somewhat, and rock formations, plants, and large shells would offer some protection for the smaller cichlids. In nature, they inhabit high-density waters, so they are used to competing among their own kind for food, which accounts for much of the aggression. They also compete for mates.
During breeding and spawning, they are especially territorial and aggressive, so they require lots of space, rocks, and caves that re-create their natural habit. These egglayers make good parents, depositing the eggs carefully on a hard surface and guarding them until hatched. The fry are cared for until they can take care of themselves. The females are mostly mouth-brooders, carrying the eggs and fry in their mouths to protect them, though some are substrate spawners.
In general, fish that do well with Africans are Synodontis catfish, most Botia Loaches, most Labeo Sharks, including the "Flying Fox," and larger Rainbowfish, Danios, Plecos, and the larger Tetras. These fish will have to adapt to a higher pH water content than is customary to accommodate the needs of the African cichlids. Besides water requirements, keep in mind likenesses in diet, aggression, and cross-breeding tendencies when stocking the tank. The fact that African cichlids do well in crowded conditions has the advantage of providing a lively and colorful tank with fewer opportunities for them to prey on lone fish, but you will have to consider your tank size, water needs, and filtration capacity when adding the extra bio-load.
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