African Cichlid Aquarium
African Cichlid
If you are ready for something a little different and enjoy keeping freshwater fish, an African Cichlid aquarium could be for you. These beautifully patterned and colored finned friends have many admirers. Their distinctive personalities and innate intelligence have a way of endearing these fish to their owners. However, if you have never kept this variety of fish, you owe it to yourself to learn about their habits and needs while planning your African Cichlid aquarium.
Many things make this species of fish very special. African Cichlids are usually a very hardy fish that grow very fast, especially when compared to the growth rate of other fish species. However, the very thing that makes the African Cichlid special is what causes the need for would-be owners to plan carefully before purchasing their fish. A fish that grows as large as fast as an Oscar or a Jack Dempsey deserves a home that it will not outgrow!
You should definitely plan to buy the largest aquarium you can afford if you are planning to keep Cichlids. If the aquarium that you can see in your mind’s eye is a heavily planted one, you should probably rethink the desire you have to own this type of fish. Cichlids were probably archeologists in another life! They really enjoy digging in any kind of substrate you give them, and can make a big mess out of a carefully planted tank.
An African Cichlid aquarium should instead be outfitted with rock formations, overturned clay pots, and other places where the fish can hide and feel safe. Most African Cichlids are territorial around other fish to a certain extent. Some of these fish can co-exist in the same aquarium with other Cichlids, while some cannot. Other types of fish should not be housed in the same tank, as the Cichlid can be aggressive with them. It is most common for those who keep Cichlids to have a species-specific aquarium because of this aggressive and territorial nature.
Feeding your African Cichlid can be a bit more complicated than just shaking a few dried fish food flakes into the tank daily. In the wild, these fish are vegetarian as a rule. They will eat brine shrimp and daphnia as part of their staple diet, and will also nibble at bloodworms, though the latter are a little too rich for them.
A good Cichlid pellet along with a flaked vegetable-based food containing spirulina and kelp will keep your fish active and healthy. You can also feed African Cichlids human foods such as cooked peas minus their shell, spinach, zucchini, and dark green leaf lettuces like romaine.
You will definitely want to pay attention to the water quality in your African Cichlid aquarium. Cichlids prefer a hard, alkaline water pH of around 7, but a higher pH is well tolerated by these sturdy and colorful fish.
An easy way of keeping the aquarium water clean and clear (and your fish healthy!) without having to do frequent water changes and test the water on a regular basis, is with the use of an EcoBio-Stone. Your choice of product will depend upon the size of your aquarium. All the products in the EcoBio-Block family quickly establish a colony of beneficial bacteria, which break down the toxins which develop with organic waste, into safer by-products. These bacterial and mineral benefits of EcoBio Block products will help make your established African Cichlid aquarium a breeze to maintain.
April 1, 2010 at 1:26 PM
February 1, 2011 at 12:25 AMAnna Hayeran
Strange. My African Cichlid likes nothing better than to eat those 12 cent guppies and picking fights with every other fish, biting chunks off of their tails (even the giant pacu that was nearly 20 inches in length). Are you sure these guys are vegetarian?
#174
February 10, 2011 at 10:15 PMAquarium Care
Sorry it took so long to get back to you. For some reason, your post went to our spam file.
African Cichlids are notoriously aggressive.They should not be kept with other species of fish. Even though they are herbivores, they will attack other fish in their territory.
They do well in their own tank and like a diet of staple flakes and algae disks, with supplements of peas, spinach, finely chopped zucchini and romaine lettuce. Your can also feed them special food pellets.
#177 | @174 | Author
February 24, 2011 at 4:34 PMThe Dub
What do you recommend for cloudy water? I change the water at least twice a week. I also use purifiers/detox.
#178
February 24, 2011 at 5:19 PMAquarium Care
You need to keep a constantly high level of good beneficial bacteria population in your tank to keep the water clear. The best and easiest way is to use the EcoBio-Block product and be careful not to overfeed your fish,
#179 | @178 | Author
May 24, 2011 at 1:11 AMage
hi i have a tank with 11 different cichlids in it with only 2 pairs of the same breed or( markings ) i have had them all together for around 2 months and they all seem pretty happy and get along quiet well, bare in mind theyre still young between 1″ and 2″. the 2 biggest of the group 1 seems to have a problem with the other and basically any time he spots the other 1 he will give him a chase. although i havent seen any real damage being done is this because they are size wise the most dominant fish? also will this get worse as they grow or may they end up living happy or is it a 50 50 chance if either..im only new to this and could not resist the colours but i do seek info before mixing fish. cheers
#201
May 24, 2011 at 8:55 AMAquarium Care
Depends on what kinds of cichlids they are. If they are African cichlids, which is most probable, as they grow it is going to get worse. They are very aggressive, especially as they get towards wanting to breed, and depending on what you have by species and male/female you may be in for a big problem.
You should be prepared for having to move them out, especially if a pair forms and wants to breed, in which case they will pretty much kill everyone else in the tank.
#203 | @201 | Author
May 25, 2011 at 5:13 AMage
aquarium care much appreciated i can explain wat i have in detailed colours, ok heres the list r u ready i have 2 electric yellow’s 2 yellow and brown camo lookin thing, which i believe males grow to have awesome blue patches on the neck and face, 1 orange thing which sometimes shows darker stripes or oragne but stands his ground, 1 princess (shes beautiful), 2 light blue with dark black or blue stripes similar to zebras but more light blue body than grey, 1 angry faded purplish body with dark stripes and orangy/ yellow fins and very visible teeth, 2 really significant purple bodies with obvious beautiful purple markings both with a gold-ish spot on the under, rear fin. and 1 all grey with black eyes and 1 black stripe just over the gills. please dont mind my descriptions and disrespectfulness,or arrogance please keep in mind im new to this and dont have the best memory with names let alone fish names… soz, im only new to this and am over excited by the colours although like i said i ask to make sure the fish ( should ) be ok together also to mention i only have a 2 foot tank at the moment, BUT within the next week or 2 ( no rubbish talk ) i plan to upgrade to a 4 foot maybe larger tank. i keep a close eye on the fish as i dont work the water is clear as day and all fish have grown a lil except for 1 electric yellow which sits down the botow and most of the food he eats he spits out, and looks like just before its rear bottom fin and bottom front fin his body is starting to dip in like the poor bugger is really hungry but also freaked out. is he crook or just unfortunately the lil 1 of the colony? feel free to input any constructive criticism, but please do remember i do have a passion for these fish and want to learn as much as i can, and i promise to upgrade also another question ( sorry to go on and on) but if i step up from a 2 ft tank to a say 4 to 5ft can i use the same filter and heater or do i need bigger, and yes i could ask the pet shop but i prefer to learn from ppl who have a passion not just a business. thanks so so much for any input… age
#213
May 29, 2011 at 6:23 AMage
1 other question too as my last post might have been too brain frying… if i take that 1 fish that seems to be the big bully out of the tank will that just give space for the next in line to take his place as the bully??? or once again is that just wait and see??? he is the only rough fish in the group everyone is very chilled… thanks age
#214
May 30, 2011 at 9:06 PMAquarium Care
Hi,
Re: your previous question. You should go back and ask the people you purchased your fish from, they would know what they are. It would take some research for us to do it.
This question is simpler. The problem may be 2 fold. One – you may need more hiding places. Cichlids like to hide. Try adding a few more pieces of wood or rocks, but don’t clutter your tank or it may get too hard to clean.
Two- you should have only one male per every 3 females. Try that first. If that doesn’t work, try removing the bully for a while and see what happens.
#215 | Author
June 11, 2011 at 4:42 PMKaryn
What type of cleaner fish are safe to put in with african cichlids?
#237
June 11, 2011 at 9:14 PMAquarium Care
Hi,
Your best bet for bottom feeders with cichlids is a fish from the Synodontis catfish species. . The Pygmy Synodontis is nice because they are pretty small, growing only to about 5 inches. If you want a slightly larger fish (about 8 inches), you can try the Synodontis multipunctata. They like meaty foods, but will also eat some algae. Cichlids are a little difficult because they tend to be aggressive, but either of these fish will do fine with them.
#238 | @237 | Author
July 4, 2011 at 5:05 PMage
hello all. 3 days ago i decided to pull most of the plants n hiding spots out of my tank to clean it all up whilst doing a water change as well, i cleaned all the stuff in the bucket of water i had taken out of the tank to keep as much bacteria and stuff still on the plants n stuff which the fish r all still alive yet they dont seem too keen to eat. i tried to change their food from flakes to pellets which they don’t seem to be the slightest bit interested so i’ve gone back to flakes again and still they don’t seem interested…. is it possible i have just stressed them out a little bit or could there be another explanation? please help even tho im probably freaking out more than them. (bare in mind when i used to feed them they went nuts at the top of the tank now nothing)…..thanks guys any input is much appreciated
#241
July 4, 2011 at 7:40 PMAquarium Care
Hi,
Your fish are probably a little stressed and additionally, the water may be going through a mini cycle both of which would affect their appetite. You should check the ammonia and nitrite levels. It’s okay for them not to eat for a few days.
#242 | @241 | Author
July 4, 2011 at 9:25 PMage
aahhhh cool i figure the food i give em, if they get hungry enough they will eat it off the bottom. thanks so much for the advice…
#243
January 2, 2012 at 5:13 PMJeff
Hi,
So I received a 15 gallon fish aquarium for this past Christmas. I was very excited and set it up right away to get the water cycling started. 4 Days ago, (December 30, 2011), I went to Petco to have my water tested. They said my water was great so I could get fish right away. I narrowed it down to either Fantail Goldfish or African Cichlids, and eventually went with the African Cichlids. I bought six(6) of them (Which I now know was a tremendous mistake). I went to a local fish store after reading in multiple places that African Cichlids need at LEAST a 55 gallon tank to survive in, and they told me that I shouldn’t have more than one or two Cichlids in my tank. Keep in mind that the fish guy at Petco that I do NOT have the room or money to expand to very large tanks. I complained, and grilled him myself the next time I saw him. I feel bad because I was told that all of the fish but one will probably die, and I will be left with just that one since I can’t combine species. Is there anything I can possibly do to keep them alive and well as long as possible? And whatever happened to that whole “Fish only grow as big as their environment will let them” thing? I was told that it doesn’t matter with Cichlids as they will continue growing until they die no matter what.
#296
January 2, 2012 at 10:19 PMAquarium Care
Your tank hasn’t even started cycling yet at 4 days. African chiclids need at least about 30 gal of tank space. You should ask Petco to exchange the fish before the fish die. Fish will grow even in a small tank. You should switch to tropical community fish for a 15 gal tank. Use cheap fish like minnows for cycling and when you finish cycling which will take about 1 – 2 month, then you can add fish safely.
EcoBio-Block products will speed up the cycling process and keep your aquarium clear and healthy by keeping good bacteria population high.
#297 | @296 | Author