elephantnose3334
Fishaholic
About the Great Lakes
The African Great Lakes are a series of large lakes around and in the East African Rift. This contains the Rift Valley Lakes Tanganyika, Victoria and Malawi. The Rift Valley Lakes are home, in total, 1500 African cichlid species, with Malawi holding roughly 700 species of African cichlids, with Tanganyika holding 250 species and Victoria holding 500 species. Other Great Lakes include Edward, Albert, Kivu and Turkana. The lakes are characterised by deep-water rocky outcrops with a lack of live plants and alkaline waters.
Lake Tanganyika
Lake Tanganyika is the second oldest freshwater lake in the world, and second deepest lake after Lake Baikal in Russia. It is also the world's longest freshwater lake. Tanganyika holds 250 African cichlid species, with nearly all the species being endemic to the Lake. Most cichlids that live in the lake live along a shoreline depth of 100 metres deep. Many of these cichlids are popular aquarium fish due to their colour and behaviours. The Lake's waters are medium-hard and the pH is 8.2-9.4, depending on the website. The Lake's GH is around 7-11. The convict julie is native to this Lake.
Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria is the least popular Rift Valley Lake because not many cichlids native to the area are in the aquarium trade. However, it is the largest tropical lake, Africa's largest lake by area and the world's second largest freshwater lake by surface area. Victoria holds approximately 500 species of African cichlids which, like Tanganyika, nearly all of them are endemic to the Lake. The pH of the Lake is 7.2 to 8.6 and the GH is around 2-8. Haplochromis phytophagus is a colourful cichlid endemic to Lake Victoria.
Lake Malawi
Lake Malawi is the most popular Rift Valley Lake. It is the second deepest lake in Africa. There are 700 species of African cichlids that are endemic or native to the Lake, most of which are captured for the aquarium trade. The Lake's water is alkaline, with the GH of around 7 and the pH is 7.7 to 8.6. The critically endangered Pseudotropheus saulosi is endemic to the Taiwan Reef and nowhere else in the Lake. Some of the cichlids are critically endangered because of capture for the aquarium trade.
How to make a Rift Valley Lake biotope
For this setup, you will need a lot of lava and river rocks and a sandy substrate for nest building, gill cleansing and grazing. The tank must be 60 gallons or more in order to have these cichlids from either of these Lakes. Pour a good amount of cichlid sand in the tank. Flatten the sand into the depth you want. For the rocks, pick bigger rocks for the background and smaller rocks for the foreground. For a shell dwelling cichlid (Lamprologus) aquarium, put lots of shells for shelter and foraging. You may want to put a wave maker on the tank to make it more natural looking. Watch underwater videos of either of these lakes for your biotope reference. These fish are fun to keep if you put them in a biotope aquarium dedicated only to them.
The African Great Lakes are a series of large lakes around and in the East African Rift. This contains the Rift Valley Lakes Tanganyika, Victoria and Malawi. The Rift Valley Lakes are home, in total, 1500 African cichlid species, with Malawi holding roughly 700 species of African cichlids, with Tanganyika holding 250 species and Victoria holding 500 species. Other Great Lakes include Edward, Albert, Kivu and Turkana. The lakes are characterised by deep-water rocky outcrops with a lack of live plants and alkaline waters.
Lake Tanganyika
Lake Tanganyika is the second oldest freshwater lake in the world, and second deepest lake after Lake Baikal in Russia. It is also the world's longest freshwater lake. Tanganyika holds 250 African cichlid species, with nearly all the species being endemic to the Lake. Most cichlids that live in the lake live along a shoreline depth of 100 metres deep. Many of these cichlids are popular aquarium fish due to their colour and behaviours. The Lake's waters are medium-hard and the pH is 8.2-9.4, depending on the website. The Lake's GH is around 7-11. The convict julie is native to this Lake.
Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria is the least popular Rift Valley Lake because not many cichlids native to the area are in the aquarium trade. However, it is the largest tropical lake, Africa's largest lake by area and the world's second largest freshwater lake by surface area. Victoria holds approximately 500 species of African cichlids which, like Tanganyika, nearly all of them are endemic to the Lake. The pH of the Lake is 7.2 to 8.6 and the GH is around 2-8. Haplochromis phytophagus is a colourful cichlid endemic to Lake Victoria.
Lake Malawi
Lake Malawi is the most popular Rift Valley Lake. It is the second deepest lake in Africa. There are 700 species of African cichlids that are endemic or native to the Lake, most of which are captured for the aquarium trade. The Lake's water is alkaline, with the GH of around 7 and the pH is 7.7 to 8.6. The critically endangered Pseudotropheus saulosi is endemic to the Taiwan Reef and nowhere else in the Lake. Some of the cichlids are critically endangered because of capture for the aquarium trade.
How to make a Rift Valley Lake biotope
For this setup, you will need a lot of lava and river rocks and a sandy substrate for nest building, gill cleansing and grazing. The tank must be 60 gallons or more in order to have these cichlids from either of these Lakes. Pour a good amount of cichlid sand in the tank. Flatten the sand into the depth you want. For the rocks, pick bigger rocks for the background and smaller rocks for the foreground. For a shell dwelling cichlid (Lamprologus) aquarium, put lots of shells for shelter and foraging. You may want to put a wave maker on the tank to make it more natural looking. Watch underwater videos of either of these lakes for your biotope reference. These fish are fun to keep if you put them in a biotope aquarium dedicated only to them.
