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AFRICAN
CICHLIDS come
from a variety of places. There are cichlids from West Africa, East
Africa, the African rivers and cichlids from the Rift Lakes. The
term Rift Lakes applies
to the three main lakes of the African continent : Lake
Victoria, Lake Tanganyika and Lake Malawi.
Among them of special interest is Lake
Malawi. In this relatively small lake for millions of years more
than 600 species of cichlids have evolved. The unique fact with this
lake is that it is inhabited almost exclusively by cichlids (in
contrast to the other two Rift Lakes) and that, almost all cichlids
are endemic
in this lake, that is they are only found in this lake. Cichlids of
Lake Malawi belong to two distinct groups Mbuna
(fish usually inhabiting the rocky part of
the Lake) and non-mbuna which
are all the rest. Other names associated with the latter are utaka
and Haplochromines though most of them have been recently
abandoned.
These
two groups consist of many species each but there are some general
characteristics of special importance for the hobbyist. Thus, mbuna
are smaller, vividly colored fish, more active and aggressive than
non-mbuna, usually herbivores feeding on rock algae and crustaceans.
Species that belong to the mbuna group are Melanochromis,
Cynotilapia, Labidochromis and Pseudotropheus among others. Among
the non-mbuna group some well known species are Aulonocara (African
peacocks), Cyrtocara, Nimbochromis, Protomelas, Copadichromis,
Lethrinops etc. These are less aggressive (this doesn't mean not
aggressive) fish mainly because their territories are not so close
to each other and less defined, they become considerably larger than
the mbuna and are mostly omnivorous (most of them feed on small
fry).
When
the African cichlids from the Rift Lakes were introduced in the
hobby most of the aquarists tried to get the best of both worlds by
creating aquariums housing both Tanganyikans and Malawis. The recent
trend is to create tanks dedicated to species from one Lake only and
this is not the end. I have read many discussions by experts
concluding that the best is to have either an mbuna or a non-mbuna
tank. This conclusion is mainly based on the different dietary needs
of the two groups.
More related articles :
Conditioning
Wild Caught Cichlids ,
African cichlids - How do they communicate?
,
Keeping African Rift Lake cichlids
in “harmony” , Which
tank size will fit my fish ? ,
Selection criteria
Color
The most distinct characteristic of African cichlids is color. It is
said that some Africans have the kind of intense color only
encountered in marine aquaria and this is true for species like
Melanochromis auratus, Labidochromis caeruleus (electric yellow
labido) or Sciaenochromis ahli (electric blue hap). Almost all
species have a beautiful color combination which is a delight to see
when the males show their breeding coloration. It must be noted that
in many species there is a sexual
dimorphism and dichromatism. Usually
the male has a much brighter coloration. In these species, the fry
always comes in the colors of the female and it may take many months
before the male color appears. It is therefore not advisable to rely
on color when sexing these cichlids. This is better done by checking
the vents
of the fish.
Aggression
This is an unpleasant characteristic of the African cichlids from
Lake Malawi. Almost all species are territorial and most of them
intolerant of (at least) their own species. In the limited space of
the aquarium it is not advisable to have more than one male from
species like Melanochromis, some Pseudotropheus, Nimbochromis,
Protomelas and many others, unless a very big tank is available
(more than 1.000 liters). In some very aggressive species even the
females show a territorial behavior (Melanochromis auratus and
Melanochromis chipokae are characteristic examples). Sometimes, the
aggression of the male is directed against any similarly colored
fish (especially between Aulonocara species).
Some
ways to reduce aggression in the context of the aquarium are a) the
use of dither fish or b)an overcrowded aquarium. The dither fish is
quick fish that can become the target of the aggression of cichlids
but can escape because of their speed. The overcrowded tank is based
on the theory that when too many fishes are in the same tank no
territories can be established therefore aggression is minimized.
Generally speaking it is a good advice to carefully select the fish
you plan to put in your tank. Aggressive fish should be kept with
fish of similar temperament or larger species that can defend
themselves. Another point to consider is that latest additions will
have a much harder time finding their place in your tank so they
better be the most aggressive species you plan to keep. Adding the
fish just before lights go off is a good alternative. For the
newcomers to these cichlids it should be noted that aggression
doesn't mean just chasing around the tank; it means killing the
intruder.
More related articles :
Compatible
Fish - a complicated issue ,
Fish Aggression - A Pictorial
Guide ,
Africans and
Catfishes , Which
tank size will fit my fish ? ,
Keeping African Rift Lake cichlids
in “harmony”
pH
Alkaline. The pH of a Malawi tank should be somewhere between
7.8 and 8.5. You
should always take this requirement into consideration when buying
more fish or live plants for your tank. Very few plants (e.g.
Valissneria sp.) can thrive under these conditions.
More related articles
:
pH
table ,
The
effect of pH (and not only) on fishes ,
Lake
Malawi - Water Parameters ,
The effect of pH on the Fry
Sex ratio ,
The Chemistry of the
African Rift Lakes ,
Make
your own Salt Mixtures ,
Simple software which makes
our life easier
GH
/ KH A GH
value over 10 is
a good starting point (moderately hard water). KH values are not so
crucial for the well being of the Malawi cichlid but it can help a
lot to keep the pH stable even if something goes wrong (carbon
dioxide injection or overfeeding). A KH
value of 8-10 is a sure bet.
More related articles
; See
table and notes on KH ,
See
table and notes on GH ,
The Chemistry of the
African Rift Lakes ,
Lake
Malawi - Water Parameters ,
Make
your own Salt Mixtures ,
Simple software which makes
our life easier
Filtration
In short, the stronger the filtration the
better. It is estimated that the bare minimum for having healthy
Africans is 5.5
times the water volume per hour. Even
with a 400 liter aquarium you should use at least a 2.200 Lt / hour
filtration system. Africans dig a lot, eat a lot and produce too
much waste. On top of that, the typical Malawi tank doesn't have any
live plants in it. This means that the whole of waste must be
removed with filtration. It is absolutely essential to regularly
check that your filtration system is working. It is better to turn
the outlet of your filter upwards so you can easily see the surface
water movement and immediately know if the flow is the correct one.
Special care should be paid before leaving for vacations. I always
use a 780 VA UPS
(battery backup) with each tank. This UPS
is capable of keeping my internal filters on for 5-6 hours. It is
not advisable to connect your heaters to the UPS. Firstly, water can
keep its temperature for a very long time. Secondly, the heaters
need too much power to run, so they will drain your battery very
soon. More related articles :
On
Fluidized bed Filters ,
Filtration - Do It Yourself
,
Filtration
beyond Theory ,
The Use of Ultra Violet (UV) Radiation in Aquaria
systems ,
Using
Monitors - In a Mediterranean marine system ,
Tank Window Cleaning ,
Design and
Construction of a filtration system
(sump) ,
Replacing the filter in a
500 L tank ,
Activated Carbon
,
Leaving for vacations - Final
Preparations ! |
