Considering an African Cichlid aquarium?
Setting up an African cichlid aquarium is very easily done, but can seem overwhelming and costly for the new hobbyist. Proper fish care requires a tank, a filter, a heater, lighting, a canopy (so fish don't jump out), a stand, substrate, proper water chemistry, and of course, fish. My experience has taught me that there are several economic alternatives to buying all of the items from your local fish store that will not only save you money, but help to ensure you are buying quality products and specimens. The objective of this blog is to share those tips with other enthusiasts and beginners in the hobby. African cichlids are beautiful, amazing fish that will give you years of enjoyment, and keeping them is easy with proper knowhow, and can be relatively inexpensive.
Why keep African Cichlids? As the years passed my experience has guided me down a path of wanting only to keep pure & true species of these magnificent fish. Think about it for just a moment, African Cichlids are still being discovered as you read this & will continue to be discovered for many years to come. Of these three main lakes in Africa (lake Malawi, lake Tanganyika, & lake Victoria) hundreds of different fish are now available on the market today &
most are relatively easy to obtain. If you get bored of keeping the same fish for too long, you have several hundreds to choose from. They are a maternal mouth brooder, the mother will hold the eggs in her mouth for up to 25 days give or take a few days. They are very interesting to watch during their mating rituals & the males are typically looking their best!
What I have experienced with a few local fish stores in & around the greater Vancouver area:
1) Many local fish stores (lfs) sell a large variety of fish & staff rarely know the needs of all the fish they stock.
2) Many lfs will sell cross bred African Cichlids & other fishes.
3) Many lfs will sell hybrid/man made fish strains or cosmetic/hormone enhanced fishes.
4) Many lfs will sell sick or unhealthy fishes knowingly.
5) Many lfs have fish that are living with parasites.
6) Many lfs will sell you fish for a hefty fee & once its time to return the babies they don't want them, or they will low ball you by offering you 1 fish for 5 to 10 of your fish you brought in.
7) Many Africans that lfs keep are low quality, malnourished or suffer from other health factors caused by generations of inbreeding, or from living in poor water conditions (ie. Dirty water).
8) Many lfs do not have quarantine tanks for new shipments or "trade in fish" that come into
the store. If a single tank gets infected the store will have to treat all of the fish in the central system, the fish that are not sick are being forced to take the medication which could have its negative effect at a later date. (ie. Weaker immune system/medications may not work as well if at all if the fish happens to "truly" become sick)
9) Many lfs feed the cheaper brands of food to cut down cost & save money.
10) Many lfs do not maintain the quality of water that most fishes should be living in.
11) Many lfs keep tanks highly overstocked which is not healthy for the fish, some have aquariums that are not suitable in volume for the number of fish per tank.
12) Many lfs will sell you certain chemicals/additives that are not needed "ever"
Im sure I could come up with many more reasons not to purchase fish from most lfs/fs but I will stop here. I am not trying to give all fish stores a bad name, but I disagree with the way some tend to conduct their buisness. "Some of the lfs, not all by any means" A word of advice, "do your research" Ask questions if you don't know, but foremost you should already know what you're after before you set foot in a fish store (call ahead of time to see if they have what you're looking for) It will save you money in the long run.
Choosing the correct aquarium for your fish: The first thing to consider when purchasing an aquarium is the size of the aquarium, the second would be the footprint. The type of fish you choose to keep will decide the size of tank you will be setting up. What type of fish are you wanting to keep? Large Africans need a large aquarium such as (108g-250g) & the foot print should be deeper than the height, All haps will need a large tank. I will over stock a show tank & the reason I do this is because it tends to curb aggression between tankmates, if I am breeding a certain species the tank will be set up accordingly. If you choose to keep some of the Mbuna species, some of them can be housed in smaller aquariums such as (55g-90g) again if this is a show tank you will probably have a larger number of fish unless you are focusing on breeding.
Buying a used aquarium: Choosing to buy a used aquarium takes some knowhow. Check all the joints, is the silicone still flexible? or is it coming off when you scratch it with your finger nail? You do not want many air bubbles in the joints, they should be tight/a solid seal. Look for any chips or cracks, shell chips are not typically a problem and if on a back edge of the tank it wont matter. The price will be a little lower and it wont compromise the integrity of the aquarium. Another thing to look for could be the tank sitting level, what did the previous owner have it sitting on? Was it level or twisted? Also look for scratches on the tank, is the viewing of the fish going to be impaired? When looking for a stand, you may choose to build one & save yourself a few bucks. (must have some skill with power tools)
Sand, rocks, & shells: If you are going to go the route I have taken you must first research the types of rock, sand, & wood (if it is going to be used) that are safe before setting up the aquarium. I had a friend use some sand from a local beach in Vancouver & lost all his expensive juvies. Depending on the species you choose you want to set up the aquarium accordingly, The Mbuna (um-boona) species is a rock dwelling cichlid that eats algae & other life growing on & around the rocky territory it lives in. An Mbuna tank would consist of alot more rockwork than a Cichlid that cruises the open water in search of food such as ie. Champsochromis sp. The various larger species tend to cruise the shorelines or open water. The correct way to set this type of aquarium would be fewer rocks & a larger sandy bottom, with more open water for cruising. As far as choosing the correct substrate, I highly recommend natural beach/lake/river sand. "Not crushed coral!" None of the African lakes have a substrate of crushed coral & the ideal African Cichlid biotope should consist of rocks & sand. I am not going to get into all the numerous ways that a tank can be set up but I will tell you something I learned over the past few years...Thatt is that you will almost never find the fish you truly want at most local fish stores, so placing an online order is a great option to have available.
Aquarium set up: Now that you have the Tank & Stand you will need lighting, it is very cost affective buying a fixture from your local hardware/lighting store & building a cap to mount it under. Choosing the bulb will depend on the fishes you are intending to keep, Ipersonallyy prefer Aqua glow, Powerglow or Allglass Aquariums version of the 2 previously mentioned.
Filtration should be considered one of the most important, if not the most important piece of equipment purchased. (NOTE: it is always better to have at least two filters on a single tank) why? Better filtration & incase one fails you have a back up filter. If you choose to set up a large tank then a Sump may be your choice. If your running a smaller tank a couple of Aquaclear's would do the trick.
The heater is a simple choice, buy a trusted name brand heater such as a Ebo-Jaeger.
Now that everything is ready to go, make sure the floor can handle the weight of the tank intended to sit in the chosen spot. Get the tank on the stand, attatch the chosen background, hook up the filters to the tank, put the heater where you can easily get to it for adjustments. NOTE: (do not turn filters or powerheads on yet)
Just a reminder with the rockwork being used, Your choice of rockwork & layout will again depend completely on your chosen stock.
Positioning rockwork, adding sand & start up:
The next step is positioning the rocks in the tank the way you like them and what best suits your fishes needs, then add the sand to the tank.
Make sure to add the correct amount of salt to the water 1tbll spoon per 5 gallons)
Once the tank has filled and the sand has settled you may start the filters & turn the heater on.
I would suggest seeding the tank to decrease the cycling time if possible. Do you have a friend in the hobby or can find an established set-up you trust? Live bacteria from a filter sponge will help you get the tank ready for fish alot sooner. If you are able to get your hands on some live filter bacteria, try to get it into your tank asap. Within an hour if possible, let the tank run over night & get your hands on a couple tester fish. If the local fish store is your only option then purchase the two cheapest Africans you see. Once the tank is seeded & healthy, you may add your chosen stock. (Note: this only works if the tank has added biology from an established aquarium)
New stock: Do not fiddle with the tank for the first few days after adding your new prized stock, let your new fish get comfortable & settle in.
(unless you must, ie.Filterr stops working)
Water changes: For healthy active African Cichlids you should be doing water changes every 5-7 days, (depending on the number of fish you are keeping) ie. I have my 130 g's stocked med/high. I do 50% water changes every 4 - 5 days, every third change may take place on the 6th or 7th day.
Before going to a fish store: Ask yourself.... does the local lfs really deserve my buisness or are they just convenient ? Are they selling a lacking product/stock for premium prices? Is the quality of the stock to your standards? Maybe you should look elsewhere. Do some research & find a reputable dealer. One last point. I strongly disagree with impulse buying, you will almost never be making the correct choice.
Feeding your fish: I feed one brand of food to every African Cichlid I own, from fry to adults.
The food is called NLS/New Life Spectrum, I have had the least amount of problems using this product & I cant say enough positive things about it. "& no I don't get any kick backs from Neil"
His web site address is www.cichlid-food-canada.com
Give it a try, I have not seen anything on the market like it.
"Keeping over 20 African Cichlid aquariums takes work but its enjoyable"
I wish you all the best of luck & enjoy the hobby!
My web site address is www.riftzoneaquatics.com & my e mail address is africancichlids@riftzoneaquatics.com
Send me a e mail if you have any questions.
C.Calderwood.
Why keep African Cichlids? As the years passed my experience has guided me down a path of wanting only to keep pure & true species of these magnificent fish. Think about it for just a moment, African Cichlids are still being discovered as you read this & will continue to be discovered for many years to come. Of these three main lakes in Africa (lake Malawi, lake Tanganyika, & lake Victoria) hundreds of different fish are now available on the market today &
most are relatively easy to obtain. If you get bored of keeping the same fish for too long, you have several hundreds to choose from. They are a maternal mouth brooder, the mother will hold the eggs in her mouth for up to 25 days give or take a few days. They are very interesting to watch during their mating rituals & the males are typically looking their best!
What I have experienced with a few local fish stores in & around the greater Vancouver area:
1) Many local fish stores (lfs) sell a large variety of fish & staff rarely know the needs of all the fish they stock.
2) Many lfs will sell cross bred African Cichlids & other fishes.
3) Many lfs will sell hybrid/man made fish strains or cosmetic/hormone enhanced fishes.
4) Many lfs will sell sick or unhealthy fishes knowingly.
5) Many lfs have fish that are living with parasites.
6) Many lfs will sell you fish for a hefty fee & once its time to return the babies they don't want them, or they will low ball you by offering you 1 fish for 5 to 10 of your fish you brought in.
7) Many Africans that lfs keep are low quality, malnourished or suffer from other health factors caused by generations of inbreeding, or from living in poor water conditions (ie. Dirty water).
8) Many lfs do not have quarantine tanks for new shipments or "trade in fish" that come into
the store. If a single tank gets infected the store will have to treat all of the fish in the central system, the fish that are not sick are being forced to take the medication which could have its negative effect at a later date. (ie. Weaker immune system/medications may not work as well if at all if the fish happens to "truly" become sick)
9) Many lfs feed the cheaper brands of food to cut down cost & save money.
10) Many lfs do not maintain the quality of water that most fishes should be living in.
11) Many lfs keep tanks highly overstocked which is not healthy for the fish, some have aquariums that are not suitable in volume for the number of fish per tank.
12) Many lfs will sell you certain chemicals/additives that are not needed "ever"
Im sure I could come up with many more reasons not to purchase fish from most lfs/fs but I will stop here. I am not trying to give all fish stores a bad name, but I disagree with the way some tend to conduct their buisness. "Some of the lfs, not all by any means" A word of advice, "do your research" Ask questions if you don't know, but foremost you should already know what you're after before you set foot in a fish store (call ahead of time to see if they have what you're looking for) It will save you money in the long run.
Choosing the correct aquarium for your fish: The first thing to consider when purchasing an aquarium is the size of the aquarium, the second would be the footprint. The type of fish you choose to keep will decide the size of tank you will be setting up. What type of fish are you wanting to keep? Large Africans need a large aquarium such as (108g-250g) & the foot print should be deeper than the height, All haps will need a large tank. I will over stock a show tank & the reason I do this is because it tends to curb aggression between tankmates, if I am breeding a certain species the tank will be set up accordingly. If you choose to keep some of the Mbuna species, some of them can be housed in smaller aquariums such as (55g-90g) again if this is a show tank you will probably have a larger number of fish unless you are focusing on breeding.
Buying a used aquarium: Choosing to buy a used aquarium takes some knowhow. Check all the joints, is the silicone still flexible? or is it coming off when you scratch it with your finger nail? You do not want many air bubbles in the joints, they should be tight/a solid seal. Look for any chips or cracks, shell chips are not typically a problem and if on a back edge of the tank it wont matter. The price will be a little lower and it wont compromise the integrity of the aquarium. Another thing to look for could be the tank sitting level, what did the previous owner have it sitting on? Was it level or twisted? Also look for scratches on the tank, is the viewing of the fish going to be impaired? When looking for a stand, you may choose to build one & save yourself a few bucks. (must have some skill with power tools)
Sand, rocks, & shells: If you are going to go the route I have taken you must first research the types of rock, sand, & wood (if it is going to be used) that are safe before setting up the aquarium. I had a friend use some sand from a local beach in Vancouver & lost all his expensive juvies. Depending on the species you choose you want to set up the aquarium accordingly, The Mbuna (um-boona) species is a rock dwelling cichlid that eats algae & other life growing on & around the rocky territory it lives in. An Mbuna tank would consist of alot more rockwork than a Cichlid that cruises the open water in search of food such as ie. Champsochromis sp. The various larger species tend to cruise the shorelines or open water. The correct way to set this type of aquarium would be fewer rocks & a larger sandy bottom, with more open water for cruising. As far as choosing the correct substrate, I highly recommend natural beach/lake/river sand. "Not crushed coral!" None of the African lakes have a substrate of crushed coral & the ideal African Cichlid biotope should consist of rocks & sand. I am not going to get into all the numerous ways that a tank can be set up but I will tell you something I learned over the past few years...Thatt is that you will almost never find the fish you truly want at most local fish stores, so placing an online order is a great option to have available.
Aquarium set up: Now that you have the Tank & Stand you will need lighting, it is very cost affective buying a fixture from your local hardware/lighting store & building a cap to mount it under. Choosing the bulb will depend on the fishes you are intending to keep, Ipersonallyy prefer Aqua glow, Powerglow or Allglass Aquariums version of the 2 previously mentioned.
Filtration should be considered one of the most important, if not the most important piece of equipment purchased. (NOTE: it is always better to have at least two filters on a single tank) why? Better filtration & incase one fails you have a back up filter. If you choose to set up a large tank then a Sump may be your choice. If your running a smaller tank a couple of Aquaclear's would do the trick.
The heater is a simple choice, buy a trusted name brand heater such as a Ebo-Jaeger.
Now that everything is ready to go, make sure the floor can handle the weight of the tank intended to sit in the chosen spot. Get the tank on the stand, attatch the chosen background, hook up the filters to the tank, put the heater where you can easily get to it for adjustments. NOTE: (do not turn filters or powerheads on yet)
Just a reminder with the rockwork being used, Your choice of rockwork & layout will again depend completely on your chosen stock.
Positioning rockwork, adding sand & start up:
The next step is positioning the rocks in the tank the way you like them and what best suits your fishes needs, then add the sand to the tank.
Make sure to add the correct amount of salt to the water 1tbll spoon per 5 gallons)
Once the tank has filled and the sand has settled you may start the filters & turn the heater on.
I would suggest seeding the tank to decrease the cycling time if possible. Do you have a friend in the hobby or can find an established set-up you trust? Live bacteria from a filter sponge will help you get the tank ready for fish alot sooner. If you are able to get your hands on some live filter bacteria, try to get it into your tank asap. Within an hour if possible, let the tank run over night & get your hands on a couple tester fish. If the local fish store is your only option then purchase the two cheapest Africans you see. Once the tank is seeded & healthy, you may add your chosen stock. (Note: this only works if the tank has added biology from an established aquarium)
New stock: Do not fiddle with the tank for the first few days after adding your new prized stock, let your new fish get comfortable & settle in.
(unless you must, ie.Filterr stops working)
Water changes: For healthy active African Cichlids you should be doing water changes every 5-7 days, (depending on the number of fish you are keeping) ie. I have my 130 g's stocked med/high. I do 50% water changes every 4 - 5 days, every third change may take place on the 6th or 7th day.
Before going to a fish store: Ask yourself.... does the local lfs really deserve my buisness or are they just convenient ? Are they selling a lacking product/stock for premium prices? Is the quality of the stock to your standards? Maybe you should look elsewhere. Do some research & find a reputable dealer. One last point. I strongly disagree with impulse buying, you will almost never be making the correct choice.
Feeding your fish: I feed one brand of food to every African Cichlid I own, from fry to adults.
The food is called NLS/New Life Spectrum, I have had the least amount of problems using this product & I cant say enough positive things about it. "& no I don't get any kick backs from Neil"
His web site address is www.cichlid-food-canada.com
Give it a try, I have not seen anything on the market like it.
"Keeping over 20 African Cichlid aquariums takes work but its enjoyable"
I wish you all the best of luck & enjoy the hobby!
My web site address is www.riftzoneaquatics.com & my e mail address is africancichlids@riftzoneaquatics.com
Send me a e mail if you have any questions.
C.Calderwood.
posted by RiftZoneAquatics at 3:07 PM
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