j.c
Fish Fanatic
I WANT TO KEEP AFRICAN CICHLIDS BUT PEOPLE SAY THERE AGGRESIVE TOWARDS EACH OTHER AND HARD TO MAINTAIN.I HAVE BEEN TOLD NUMEROUS THINGS FROM PET SHOPS BUT DON'T KNOW WHO TO BELIEVE.AND WHAT ARE THE BEST TO KEEP? 
African Cichlids
- Thread starter j.c
- Start date
Bloo
~ I learn something new ~ ~~~~ every day ~~~~
I WANT TO KEEP AFRICAN CICHLIDS BUT PEOPLE SAY THERE AGGRESIVE TOWARDS EACH OTHER AND HARD TO MAINTAIN.I HAVE BEEN TOLD NUMEROUS THINGS FROM PET SHOPS BUT DON'T KNOW WHO TO BELIEVE.AND WHAT ARE THE BEST TO KEEP?
to TFF !This question should be asked over in the correct section - The African Cichlid Section
But you can only do so once you are validated as a member - and to do so, you need to click on the link sent to you by email when you registered.
I'm sure you'll get some good advice in the section
Ps: Best not to type in CAPS - it's seen as shouting
Hello and welcome to the forums.
j.c
Fish Fanatic
Hello and welcome to the forums.
I have never kept african cichlids but know a bit of information about them. And wont be offended about any information you give me as i would like to set up the fishtank the best i can for the fish.
ARXC08
Fish Fanatic
I've kept africans in the past. But you are first going to need a big tank what size are you planning to get?
j.c
Fish Fanatic
Have got a 4ft and want to keep lake malawi's any suggestions on what type? my favourite is a red-finned cichlid (labeotropeus trewavasae).
If you want a tank that doesn't have a lot of agression then i think you should keep a haps and peacock tank....africans are very hardy fish and they are really easy to take care off....if you want more info specially on species profile then you should definitely check cichlid-forums.com....
j.c
Fish Fanatic
Aren't haps lake tanganyika (if not sorry) want to keep lake malawi only and i like alot of the aloncara
j.c
Fish Fanatic
hey peoples i had glued rocks in my tank and they made the water go a yellow colour. today i have ripped them out and now the waters clear havent gotten many suggestions yet am hoping to set the tank up in a few days.and by the way what does GH stand 4.
Before you start, how many gallons is your tank? I know you said it's 4 feet long - but that says nothing about its actual capacity. Post dimensions or the volume in litres if you don't know what it is in gallons.
I'd also like to know what pH your water is at. As you seem to be interested in Rift Lake cichlids, you'll be looking to have a high pH and hardness. this is very simple to achieve by adding lots of crushed coral sand or limestone rocks. Because I live in a hardwater area, I've never realy had to worry about this so other people will have more info on how to get the water chemistry you want. The one thing I can say, however, is to not attempt to alter your pH using one of the commercial products. this results in dangerous fluctuations more often than not. Rocks/sand that buffer the pH are much safer to use and the rocks/sand are important for your cichlids' well-being anyway because they need rocks to hide in and enjoy having sand to 'excavate' in.
You also can't add fish to your tank yet. Have you kept fish before? Are you aware, first and foremost, that you must use dechlorinator in the water? Do you have a tank already running with fish somewhere?
You need to fishless cycle your new tank before adding any fish. it'll only take about 2 weeks and I can assure you, your patience will be rewarded by the health of your fish. i have links in my signature related to cycling - please read them.
My experience with African Cichlids has mainly been with mbuna so those are the kinds of species I feel most comfortable reccomending. My favourites are yellow labs/electric yellows (labidochromis caeruleus), pseudotropheus socolofi, pseudotropheus saulosi, pseudotropheus acei and iodotropheus sprengerae (commonly called the 'rusty cichlid'). These are mostly peaceful species and, IME, get along well if you are careful of how many of eachs ex you keep and how many you stock over-all. As you are probably aware already, mbuna are aggressive fish by 'ordinary' standards. they are reccomended to be kept in an over-stocked biotope situation. Crowding them enables aggression to be spread out amongst the individual fish so that no single individual is unduly stressed. With the species I've suggested, p. saulosi and p. socolofi I would reccomending keeping in ratios of several females per a single male and would stick to only one male per tank. Rusties and yellow labs are more difficult to sex as juveniles but the ratios matter less and p. acei is almost impossible to sex at a young age so it's quite pointless suggesting a ratio. Though i haven't encountered any issues myself, you'd simply have to watch for excessive aggression and remove any overly-dominant individuals.
You may or may not be aware, also, that mbuna tend to be herbivorous and should not be fed high-protein foods such as worms, larvae or shrimp or, even, normal flake foods. A good quality spirulina flake and commercial cichlid foods, supplemented by grazing algae off rocks, is a better diet. The exception is with l. caeruleus which is actualy an insectivore in the wild. It, none the less, will do absolutely fine on your typical mbuna cichlid diet.
The only other thing I can think of to add, concerning mbuna, is to warn you that they'll uproot and dig up plants and re-arange rockwork if they can move it. Don't expect plants to survive long with them
Other than the mbuna cichlids I mentioned and depending on your tank's size, the other species of Rift Lake cichlids I enjoy are Tanganyikans... First I would reccomend any of the species in the brichardi complex - that is neolamprologus brichardi, n. savoryi, n. splendens, n. falcicula, n. gracilis, n. crassus or n. pulcher. the downside to these is that, despite being modest in size, they are highly aggressive and also should not be kept with each other because they'll hybridize readily. A mroe peaceful species I like even more is altolamprologus calvus. this species has fascinated me ever since I first saw it and they come in all sorts of color morphs and geographical variations to boot. Lastly, neolamprologus/lamprologus multifasciatus, a tiny shelldweller, has to be the most interesting little cichlid. the downside is, being as tiny as they are, they won't make for much of a display in a large tank. They also require shells to live and breed in but, since all you need is some medium-sized snail shells and they breed regularly, i would think they're worth it. Furthermore, despite their size, they can be kept in a Rift lake community setting provided their tankmates are chosen carefuly. Alternatively, top-dwelling or quick tropical community fish that can handle the pH/hardness, can also make good tankmates as these shellies rarely stray far from their shells, being highly territorial but in a very small area, and won't bother things like danios or suitable loaches.
There's a huge range of possibilities out there. I suggest you take this opportunity to start fishless cycling. Meanwhile, read up on your various options and see which you preffer so that in a couple of weeks time you'll be ready to make your purchase. Rushing into it won't get you anywhere.
I'd also like to know what pH your water is at. As you seem to be interested in Rift Lake cichlids, you'll be looking to have a high pH and hardness. this is very simple to achieve by adding lots of crushed coral sand or limestone rocks. Because I live in a hardwater area, I've never realy had to worry about this so other people will have more info on how to get the water chemistry you want. The one thing I can say, however, is to not attempt to alter your pH using one of the commercial products. this results in dangerous fluctuations more often than not. Rocks/sand that buffer the pH are much safer to use and the rocks/sand are important for your cichlids' well-being anyway because they need rocks to hide in and enjoy having sand to 'excavate' in
.You also can't add fish to your tank yet. Have you kept fish before? Are you aware, first and foremost, that you must use dechlorinator in the water? Do you have a tank already running with fish somewhere?
You need to fishless cycle your new tank before adding any fish. it'll only take about 2 weeks and I can assure you, your patience will be rewarded by the health of your fish. i have links in my signature related to cycling - please read them.
My experience with African Cichlids has mainly been with mbuna so those are the kinds of species I feel most comfortable reccomending. My favourites are yellow labs/electric yellows (labidochromis caeruleus), pseudotropheus socolofi, pseudotropheus saulosi, pseudotropheus acei and iodotropheus sprengerae (commonly called the 'rusty cichlid'). These are mostly peaceful species and, IME, get along well if you are careful of how many of eachs ex you keep and how many you stock over-all. As you are probably aware already, mbuna are aggressive fish by 'ordinary' standards. they are reccomended to be kept in an over-stocked biotope situation. Crowding them enables aggression to be spread out amongst the individual fish so that no single individual is unduly stressed. With the species I've suggested, p. saulosi and p. socolofi I would reccomending keeping in ratios of several females per a single male and would stick to only one male per tank. Rusties and yellow labs are more difficult to sex as juveniles but the ratios matter less and p. acei is almost impossible to sex at a young age so it's quite pointless suggesting a ratio. Though i haven't encountered any issues myself, you'd simply have to watch for excessive aggression and remove any overly-dominant individuals.
You may or may not be aware, also, that mbuna tend to be herbivorous and should not be fed high-protein foods such as worms, larvae or shrimp or, even, normal flake foods. A good quality spirulina flake and commercial cichlid foods, supplemented by grazing algae off rocks, is a better diet. The exception is with l. caeruleus which is actualy an insectivore in the wild. It, none the less, will do absolutely fine on your typical mbuna cichlid diet.
The only other thing I can think of to add, concerning mbuna, is to warn you that they'll uproot and dig up plants and re-arange rockwork if they can move it. Don't expect plants to survive long with them
Other than the mbuna cichlids I mentioned and depending on your tank's size, the other species of Rift Lake cichlids I enjoy are Tanganyikans... First I would reccomend any of the species in the brichardi complex - that is neolamprologus brichardi, n. savoryi, n. splendens, n. falcicula, n. gracilis, n. crassus or n. pulcher. the downside to these is that, despite being modest in size, they are highly aggressive and also should not be kept with each other because they'll hybridize readily. A mroe peaceful species I like even more is altolamprologus calvus. this species has fascinated me ever since I first saw it and they come in all sorts of color morphs and geographical variations to boot. Lastly, neolamprologus/lamprologus multifasciatus, a tiny shelldweller, has to be the most interesting little cichlid. the downside is, being as tiny as they are, they won't make for much of a display in a large tank. They also require shells to live and breed in but, since all you need is some medium-sized snail shells and they breed regularly, i would think they're worth it. Furthermore, despite their size, they can be kept in a Rift lake community setting provided their tankmates are chosen carefuly. Alternatively, top-dwelling or quick tropical community fish that can handle the pH/hardness, can also make good tankmates as these shellies rarely stray far from their shells, being highly territorial but in a very small area, and won't bother things like danios or suitable loaches.
There's a huge range of possibilities out there. I suggest you take this opportunity to start fishless cycling. Meanwhile, read up on your various options and see which you preffer so that in a couple of weeks time you'll be ready to make your purchase. Rushing into it won't get you anywhere.
j.c
Fish Fanatic
Before you start, how many gallons is your tank? I know you said it's 4 feet long - but that says nothing about its actual capacity. Post dimensions or the volume in litres if you don't know what it is in gallons.
I'd also like to know what pH your water is at. As you seem to be interested in Rift Lake cichlids, you'll be looking to have a high pH and hardness. this is very simple to achieve by adding lots of crushed coral sand or limestone rocks. Because I live in a hardwater area, I've never realy had to worry about this so other people will have more info on how to get the water chemistry you want. The one thing I can say, however, is to not attempt to alter your pH using one of the commercial products. this results in dangerous fluctuations more often than not. Rocks/sand that buffer the pH are much safer to use and the rocks/sand are important for your cichlids' well-being anyway because they need rocks to hide in and enjoy having sand to 'excavate' in
You also can't add fish to your tank yet. Have you kept fish before? Are you aware, first and foremost, that you must use dechlorinator in the water? Do you have a tank already running with fish somewhere?
You need to fishless cycle your new tank before adding any fish. it'll only take about 2 weeks and I can assure you, your patience will be rewarded by the health of your fish. i have links in my signature related to cycling - please read them.
My experience with African Cichlids has mainly been with mbuna so those are the kinds of species I feel most comfortable reccomending. My favourites are yellow labs/electric yellows (labidochromis caeruleus), pseudotropheus socolofi, pseudotropheus saulosi, pseudotropheus acei and iodotropheus sprengerae (commonly called the 'rusty cichlid'). These are mostly peaceful species and, IME, get along well if you are careful of how many of eachs ex you keep and how many you stock over-all. As you are probably aware already, mbuna are aggressive fish by 'ordinary' standards. they are reccomended to be kept in an over-stocked biotope situation. Crowding them enables aggression to be spread out amongst the individual fish so that no single individual is unduly stressed. With the species I've suggested, p. saulosi and p. socolofi I would reccomending keeping in ratios of several females per a single male and would stick to only one male per tank. Rusties and yellow labs are more difficult to sex as juveniles but the ratios matter less and p. acei is almost impossible to sex at a young age so it's quite pointless suggesting a ratio. Though i haven't encountered any issues myself, you'd simply have to watch for excessive aggression and remove any overly-dominant individuals.
You may or may not be aware, also, that mbuna tend to be herbivorous and should not be fed high-protein foods such as worms, larvae or shrimp or, even, normal flake foods. A good quality spirulina flake and commercial cichlid foods, supplemented by grazing algae off rocks, is a better diet. The exception is with l. caeruleus which is actualy an insectivore in the wild. It, none the less, will do absolutely fine on your typical mbuna cichlid diet.
The only other thing I can think of to add, concerning mbuna, is to warn you that they'll uproot and dig up plants and re-arange rockwork if they can move it. Don't expect plants to survive long with them
Other than the mbuna cichlids I mentioned and depending on your tank's size, the other species of Rift Lake cichlids I enjoy are Tanganyikans... First I would reccomend any of the species in the brichardi complex - that is neolamprologus brichardi, n. savoryi, n. splendens, n. falcicula, n. gracilis, n. crassus or n. pulcher. the downside to these is that, despite being modest in size, they are highly aggressive and also should not be kept with each other because they'll hybridize readily. A mroe peaceful species I like even more is altolamprologus calvus. this species has fascinated me ever since I first saw it and they come in all sorts of color morphs and geographical variations to boot. Lastly, neolamprologus/lamprologus multifasciatus, a tiny shelldweller, has to be the most interesting little cichlid. the downside is, being as tiny as they are, they won't make for much of a display in a large tank. They also require shells to live and breed in but, since all you need is some medium-sized snail shells and they breed regularly, i would think they're worth it. Furthermore, despite their size, they can be kept in a Rift lake community setting provided their tankmates are chosen carefuly. Alternatively, top-dwelling or quick tropical community fish that can handle the pH/hardness, can also make good tankmates as these shellies rarely stray far from their shells, being highly territorial but in a very small area, and won't bother things like danios or suitable loaches.
There's a huge range of possibilities out there. I suggest you take this opportunity to start fishless cycling. Meanwhile, read up on your various options and see which you preffer so that in a couple of weeks time you'll be ready to make your purchase. Rushing into it won't get you anywhere.
today im taking my water to be tested at my local fish shop for nitrate and so on.the tank is 200litres and it has been cycling for longer for 2 weeks.and i have already filled it with gravel so i cant put coral sand in it but i wanted to is it ok to put a bit of coral in the tank because i know of other people that have.and i have already red up about these fishand know a fair bit about them.some of the fish i like are red-finned cichlid(labeotropheus trewavasae),electric blue (both types),electric yellow,pseudotropheus zebra,golden cichlid and many more but just cant think of them at this moment as i only woke up then.oh and im getting a few rocks to go up the back for hiding places.what type of fish do you reccomend?thanks for your help.and are blue dolphin lake malawi cichlids?
First of you don't have to raise your ph or anything like that...I have been keeping african cichlids from some time now and they are doing well with my ph below 8( my tap is around 7.6-7.8). And if your going for a mbuna tank make sure you buy plenty of rocks and get some good filtration as you will have to overstocked your tank for agression purposes(check out the site cichlid-forum.com and is a very good read and have lots of info). I wouldn't go for an all male mbuna tank as there is a good chance of one of the male or even the alpha male being killed...get the ratio of 1m/4f per species..BTW do not use glue to stick rocks together....if you want to stick the rocks together use clear silicone instead it's safe for fish and it won't pollute or poison the inhabitants in your tank
j.c
Fish Fanatic
sorry, did use aquarium sealent and have ripped them out anyway.have just ordered in a 2ft long fake rock its kind of rubbery plastic from my LFS it cost $136 it has lots of shelves and caves for the fish and will be getting fish around the 10th.what fish do you think i should get?
j.c
Fish Fanatic
Its s abit late i have already ordered the fake rock in and i cant get the rock as my lfs dosent sell it as he has had to many people crack their tank but thanks 4 the suggestions any ideas on fish?do you think the ones in my previous reply would go well?but i might get some aswell and do you think i could put some lake tangs in with the malawis such as the frontosa?
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