African Cichlids

The substrate is defined as the materials used for the bottom of the aquarium. The type of substrate you’ll put inside affects the overall appeal of your aquarium. You must be aware there are numerous types of substrates. It can be for freshwater or saltwater fishes. Since this blog is dedicated to African cichlids, let’s talk about how to choose substrate for freshwater aquaria.

Gravel is the most and probably the most popular substrate. Try shopping around and you can see it in numerous colors. Some even have polymer seal to meet the required level of water chemistry. The first I bought a gravel for my aquarium, I got screwed. I chose the cheap gravel and to my surprise, it really destroy the beauty of my tank. From that time onwards, I learned not to buy any gravel available in the market. The quality must always come first before the price.

If you’re not satisfied with gravel, it’s still possible to buy other substrates such as shell grit, crushed marble, crushed limestone and coral sand. These types of subtrates have variety of direct effects on water quality. They have the ability to release substance and absorb it from the water. Therefore, it’s important to choose the right substrate carefully. Make sure it will not be a destruction to the breed of cichlid you are taking care of.

It might not be your top priority once you have an aquarium. Yet I assure you of this. The background plays a vital role in aquascaping. Choosing a good background is the second principle in Birgit Wolfgang’s list.

The overall feel of your aquarium can depend on the type of background you want to have. You know, there are several types of background and it’s up to you what you choose and what you thibk suits your aquarium filled with African cichlids. A good background can either be in a form of cord, wood, paint, picture or adhesive foliage.

Your aquarium stands out even more if you’ll give it a lively and attention-seeking background. In such a case you have visitors and you let them sit on yor living room, the aquarium is the first thing they can easily recognize before reading the magazines you hand them to read. Yet, having a striking background is not recommended. It can be annoying and destructing for some people. Just choose a simple picture.

Lets say you consider painting the background, experts suggest to use blue or black. These colors give your aquarium a nice contrast. It’s easier for you to concentrate on what’s inside the tank rather than give more importance on the background.

Birgit Wolfgang listed eleven principles of aquascaping that you’ll surely use to decorate your aquarium filled with African cichlids. The first and the most important principle involves imagination.

Your imagination is powerful. It can take you somewhere without leaving your seat. As a fish hobbyist, it is expected of you to widen your imagination. What you imagine or visualize is what drives you to get the exact aquarium you want to have. In aquascaping, it’s helpful if you’ll write what have in mind while visualizing the exact type of plants and accessories. Sometimes, thinking of too many plants and accessories can only destroy the overall design of your aquarium. This is the reason why you need to learn how to combine your ideas in numerous ways.

Of course, it’s impossible to execute your ideas without getting the tank you have in mind. Buy the tank of your dreams and right off the bat, find ways to turn your ideas into life. This process will take some times, yes, but with constant practice and with the help of numerous helpful photos online, you’ll just get better.

Rocks, as long as it is compatible with your African Cichlids, are the basic and the most essential tool in aquascaping. You can use rocks to instantly create an attractive aquarium. You don’t have to be an expert to aquascape your tank with rocks. All you need to do is observe balance and symmetry.

However, it’s a different story if you’ll aquascape using sand. Sand is hard to control and it’s tricky. Truth is; it might only make your aquarium two times attractive or three times least attractive. That’s why; before attempting to aquascape using sand, you need to study how it’s properly done.

Below is an instructional video on how you can aquascape your aquarium filled with African cichlids using only sand and rocks. Take some important notes while watching it.

How to Aquascape a African Cichlid Fish Tank

Mastering the art of aquascaping is important. This type of art gives life and color to your aquarium filled with African cichlids. If you consider yourself a fish hobbyist, you are expected to master its basics. You must study how these aquatic plants are pruned and put together to balance the overall feel of your tank.

Listed below are the following tips on aqua-planting:

1. Aqua-planting must be done before putting water to your tank.

2. These aquatic plants will only look better when planted by groups or by bunches.

3. Mosses are one of the basic plants installed inside a tank. To stay away from mess, you must trim them like how you comb your hair.

4. It’s recommended that the stem plants must be cut from the stem. Each of this cut is expected to produce leaves and if you want, you can replant its heads.

5. Those carpet plants are dense and they can be suffocated. Just make sure if you plant the right “runners” for cichlids, do not allow them to overgrow inside the tank. Vallisneria is a freshwater aquatic plant but you must remove any leaves which turn yellow. When this type of plant is ignored, it can easily grow long and will cover the surface.

6. Buy Anubias if you want a plant than can live longer and its leaves can catch algae. Just don’t fail to cut its rhizome once it begins growing out of order.

7. Another aquatic plant that covers the surface is water lilies. Therefore, it’s a must to cut the long floating leaves.

8. Ferns and crypts must be carefully trimmed. Both of them are nasty plants when completely ignored. Their leaves turn brown and it’s clearly not a nice view to look, especially if it’s an African cichlids tank. It’s suggested to cut the old leaves once recognized.

When you decide to buy any fishes, be it African cichlids or not, never purchase it on an impulse. Just because you see the fish online is not an enough reason to buy. Pause for a while, think of your budget and ask yourself: “What things should I know before buying these fishes?”

Answering this question makes you confident about your purchase. You’ll realize how important to conduct a thorough research first instead of finding yourself inside a pet store. You see, buying African cichlids is like buying a dog. You need to know everything (lifestyle, behavior, what to feed, how much, how to care etc.) about the pet.

To make sure you are buying the right type of cichlid, you just need to follow these simple tips:

1) Cheapest is Not Always the Best

Either you’ll buy fishes at a local pet shop or a local fish store (LFS), it’s still your decision to buy what and to buy it where. The choices in pet shop are limited but inexpensive while there are array of specific selections in LFS but quite pricey.

2) Just Buy What It is Advertised

You can avoid buying hybrid fishes if you just buy commercial fishes. You can expect a pure-bred cichlid and their colors are not washed-out.

3) Never Buy Too Many Fishes at Once

List down all the cichlids you want to buy. Sort it out according to size and compatibility. Just buy three or four cichlids every time you make a purchase.

Yesterday, my cousin forgot to ask me the specific type of cichlids to buy. So, when he went home, it ended up in an unruly manner. We only have one large aquarium and we could not put them together. We tried it but there’s competition in an instant.

This is the type of situation which we realize cichlids are choosy fishes. They are colorful, they are smart but it does not mean they can also be good with anyone. They exactly know who their friends are and if they detect someone is a threat, better do something so fast or your money will just turn into ashes.

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African Cichlids Fish Selection Advice For Home Aquarium
You must be aware there are three groups of African cichlids based on diet: vegetarians, meat-eaters and those that eat both.

It’s possible for you to mix these types only if you don’t mix predators with smaller ones. Those predators are killers and it’s hard to control them. They will only eat those small and powerless cichlids.

Another rule to compatibility says it’s wrong to mix cichlids from those rift lakes with those from rivers and deltas. Cichlids from lakes are called “riverine cichlids” and they dwell in freshwater streams with a pH neutral level of seven.

The water in Lake Malawi and Lake Victoria has a pH level of 7.4 – 8.6. That’s why; cichlids from these lakes should not be blend from those that live in Lake Tanganyika. While buying cichlids, it’s helpful if you’ll identify where each is from. (This is exactly what happened to us. I should be the one buying the cichlids.)

Most importantly, be aware of the aggression of the cichlid. If you’ll put fishes of same genus and color together, the mortality rate will just increase. I have a two Victorian Hap but I make sure I don’t mix them in one tank as they totally have similar color and shape.

Healthy Cichlids

It’s easier to breed cichlids if you’ll constantly monitor their diet. They need certain amount of energy and other materials such as proteins and fats to survive and grow. Feed them with flakes and frozen food once a week.

African cichlids also need an aquarium with good filtering system. Studying filter systems will help you determine the correct type to install. The water must be changed regularly and make sure its temperature is steady (about 76 – 78oC). Hard water will still aid in breeding cichlids.

Types of Breeders

Cichlids breed in various ways. American Cichlids such as Angelfish and Discus are mostly open brooders and they tend to lay more eggs (about 1000). They reproduce on open surfaces such as rocks and substrates. Cichlids who considered shelter brooders come in two types: the Cavity Brooders and the Mouth Brooders. Cavity Brooders lay their eggs in caves while Mouth Brooders carry their eggs and their fry inside their mouth.

Do Not Overfed

Overfed cichlids have no appetite to mate. By monitoring their daily diet and keeping them hungry at times will only result to more aggression. More aggressive cichlids will likely mate. Auloncara takes time to mature sexually and you need to be patient with them.

Create a List

Familiarize yourself with all types of cichlids. Cichlids come from the three large lakes in Africa (Malawi, Victoria and Tanganyika) and you need to take your time identifying what cichlid belongs to what lake. It’s also helpful to categorize them according to their sizes and their level of aggression. After that, make your own list. Just remember, the type of cichlids you choose must not exceed your budget.

Sort your list

Rank all the listed cichlids as 1, 2, 3, 4 and so on. This strategy makes it easier for you to identify the biggest, the most aggressive, the tiniest and the least aggressive. Always consider the size of a full grown fish and not the size of the fish as you buy it.

Your List is The Order of Buying

When everything is ranked accordingly, take time to review the list and add or delete some names from the original list. Also make sure you are categorizing them according to compatibility.

Buy the First Three

After all the sorting and categorizing, you will need to buy the first three cichlids on your list. These must be the three large fishes but docile in nature.

Buy Slowly

Wait for about two days before buying the next two cichlids on the list. Repeat this procedure until you populate the tank.

Jack Dempsey is a type of cichlid fish that lives in the freshwaters of North and Central America. Like African cichlids, these native fishes from Mexico and Honduras are popularly known for their distinct facial features and aggressive behavior. When kept inside an aquarium, they quickly have the instinct to defend their territory. While there are Jack Dempseys who remain shy, these fishes choose to hide inside a cave.

Many fish hobbyists wonder if these freshwater cichlids from America can be mixed with freshwater cichlids from the three major lakes of Africa. The answer is no. It is not advisable to house two same-type fishes from different worlds. Both Jack Dempseys and African cichlids are aggressive and you can no longer change that fact. If too much aggression is observed inside an aquarium, it can only result to chaos and these fishes will stress to a great extent, eventually, many of them will only get sick and die.

Therefore, have a large aquarium for each cichlid. Truth is; there are various types of African cichlids and if you’ll follow what is just recommended or what is written in the compatibility chart, these jewels can be managed properly.