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Aquascape
To start with, the real Lake Malawi
has rocky shores and a sandy (muddy) bottom while vegetation is not
very common. On the other hand most of the Malawi fish that we keep
in our tanks are raised in captivity therefore one should take care
of factors that will affect the fish due to the genetic information
they carry, but he doesn't have to be very strict when it comes to
tank decoration. Mbuna will graze the algae (mainly for crustaceans)
from the rocks in the aquarium, will dig to spawn and will run to
hide under a rock for shelter. Non-mbuna will do the same with the
exception of algae eating. Therefore the aquascape should contain as
many rocks as possible (creating hiding places) and a sandy bottom.
Alternatively, one can use crushed coral (also buffers the water and
increases the hardness) or fine grain gravel.
The
rocks should not have any sharp edges which could scratch the
fishes. If you collect them yourself it is better to get rocks
rounded by the water movement. Plants can be added for the aesthetic
pleasure of it but they also provide shelter to many young mbunas
AND they remove nitrates. Therefore they can serve many roles in
your tank even if they are not part of the natural habitat of these
cichlids. When I sent a photo of my mbuna tank to my Italian friend
Francesco Zezza (also in love with Africans), he replied that
"there are probably more plants in your tank than the ones I
saw during diving in the Lake Malawi". I know that he is right.
However, I think it is more pleasing, it shows the yellows and reds
of these cichlids much more vividly and they create a working
biotope.
Most
mbunas may attack plants to eat the soft leaves, while all species
may uproot them in the process of digging. Plants should be secured
in place by adding rocks around their base. Use hard plants such as
Vallisneria, Cryptocoryne or Anubia species. You can use some fast
growers during the initial stages of your tank which may protect it
from algae bloom. Such species include Egeria densa, Hygrophila
corymbosa etc. Unless you have a really big tank (more then 150 cm
in length) do not choose the Vallisneria gigantea species which, as
the name implies, grows to more than 2 meters and is a really fast
grower. Rocks should be secured in place too, otherwise the rock
pile may fall apart due to digging and break the side glass of the
tank bottom. You can either glue rocks together using aquarium
silicone or put styrofoam on the base of the tank and then put the
rocks on it. Always place the rocks first and then the sand.
Styrofoam should be covered with rocks before the addition of water
in the tank otherwise it will float.
Bear
in mind that your Malawis will change the decoration to fit their
own needs. It is a battle you can't win. They will keep on moving
the gravel where they want it to be or uproot a specific plant every
time you put it back. Cichlids are very sensitive to their
environment mainly because they use it to establish territories. Any
plant or rock is a boundary and is treated like that. When doing
your water changes take some time to count your fish and to see what
is happening on the back side of your tank. You will be surprised to
see what these beauties can do in just one week. It took me three
weeks to find the sceleton of my second male Melanochromis auratus
which I thought was hiding. The dominant male had killed it and left
the carcass under a rock. Recently, I was shocked to see that a 25
Kg rock was actually standing in the air since almost all gravel had
been removed under it. A remarkable work that took the fish more
than a month to accomplish. Adding 5 more kilos of gravel on that
spot temporarily solved the problem. Needless to say the suspect is
identified (Melanochromis chipokae) and is working on it again.
More related articles
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Aquascaping - A never
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Can Food Change your Tank?
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All About Aquarium Lighting
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Big
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An 160 liter miniature m'buna biotope
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DIY project: making a double
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My 1500 liter
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A 700 liter Paretroplus maculatus
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How
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Space
(tank size) When
it comes to housing African cichlids the bigger is always the
better. Many hobbyists keeping Africans have tanks well exceeding
the 1.000 liter mark and even 2.000 liters is not very rare. Buying
a small tank of 20-30 liters is not suitable for cichlids from Lake
Malawi except for the smallest species. This is mainly the reason
these species are not for the beginner. One is supposed to learn the
basics of fish keeping with a small community tank and then move to
a bigger tank with more demanding fishes. In my experience, the
smallest tank that will allow you to have a descent number of Lake
Malawi cichlids and observe their unique behavior and breeding
habits is a 350 liter (90 gallon) tank. I have personally witnessed
the change in behavior of many species when I removed them from
their 500 liter tank to their final home (1300 Liters). Many
peaceful and inactive species in the smaller tank were proved to be
very active and aggressive. Species that didn't spawn did that on
the spot. It was amazing to see species kept for a year in the first
tank to spawn within one week, despite the different environment;
instant acclimatization and use of the extra space.
My
plan is to keep the big tank as empty as possible though the
temptation is always there… I have just 21 fishes in it and
I do not intent to have more than 35. When choosing (or building)
your tank it is always better to go for a tank which is shorter but
with more depth. When aquascaping with rocks, ten more centimeters
can make the hell of a difference. I would recommend 50 cm as the
least depth that will allow you to build a good and working
aquascape. With this sort and size of tanks, special care should be
taken to ensure that your floor can take the weight. A 350 liter
tank filled with water, gravel and rocks can weight much more than
600 Kg. If we assume its dimensions to be 150 cm long X 50 cm deep
(0,750 sq. meters) then we already have a load of 800 Kg / square
meter which is more than most floors will take (bearing walls may
take a bit more). Setting this sort of tank on special supports
(metal or concrete) that spread the weight evenly is a must. Always
use some sort of foam plastic between tank and support. Moreover,
you should put this tank on a solid floor (marble or stone) and not
wood. More related articles
:
Which
tank size will fit my fish ?
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