Care of Cichlids-Advice for Beginners

Lake Malawi Cichlid Information-Why Choose Them?

Cichlids can be a pleasurable fish to have in an aquarium tank for the home. The reason why is because they are very energetic, active, and alert thus making them very entertaining to watch. An additional benefit of cichlids over a standard tropical fish tank is you can disregard the rule that says you must have 1 inch of fish per gallon. Also, cichlids like to roam all over an aquarium, exploring all areas, making them more noticeable than other tropical fish that mainly school together in one area of the tank. So it is very important to learn the proper care of cichlids and that is why I have started this cichlid site.

A huge difference between cichlids and other types of fish for aquarium of the fresh water type is they are extremely territorial. Because of this it is recommended that you put in more than what is recommended for typical tropical fish. Yes, packing your aquarium full of cichlids will not allow them to establish boundaries and territories. If you choose to only have a few and you decide to add other fish later it is a good possibility that the cichlids will defend their established territories and can viciously attack the newly added fish. You can avoid this dilemma by adding lots of cichlids.

It is also recommended that you add many species but don't add pairs (unless you are planning on breeding). If you have no pairs then there won't be any cichlids ganging up together and bullying the other tank mates. This will also add much variety in the way of patterns, shapes, sizes, and colors, and thus make your tank really stand out as unique. Because no two fish look alike your tank will be fascinating to view and to show off.

If you want an aquarium full of entertaining and interactive fish then a cichlid aquarium just may be the best choice for you and your family. Listed below are some topics that are discussed in this blog to help you to learn about these exciting and popular fish species and with this information you will know how to properly take care of these beautiful and unique creatures. There are other species of cichlids, such as South American Cichlids, but in this blog I only feature and discuss Lake Malawi Cichlids, particularly Mbuna's .

Lake Malawi Cichlid Care Topics:


African Cichlid Tank Requirements - Cichlid species are a little more complicated then your common tropical fish species and so it is necessary to know how to set up the best possible aquarium environment for them. If you do this right, your cichlids will thrive and bring you many years of happiness. This article helps you to be able to do that.

Cichlid Aggression Prevention - Possessing an aquarium full of aggressive cichlids can present problems. However, with these suggestions you can maintain a relatively "peaceful" atmosphere. Practically nothing can guarantee that your cichlids will not fight but it's worth a try and confronting the challenge can be enjoyable. If you do the proper research you can find relatively peaceful cichlids that can cut down tremendously on the aggression in the tank.

Cichlids and Other Fish - There are some other tank mates that you may want to add to your cichlid aquarium. But since cichlids can be very aggressive fish, it is not recommended that you just add other species in the aquarium without knowing if they are compatible or not. If you don't want your other fish to be ate you might want to consider this article.

Lake Malawi Cichlids Natural Habitat - My cichlid blog only deals with the Malawi Mbuna Cichlids and it is good to know what their natural habitats are like so your can sort of recreate this environment in your tank, if this turns out to be your choice as well. You can decorate your aquarium to closely match what they are used to. These decorations can range from having a sandy bottom, rocks, deep grass, or a combination of the three. Read more about the African cichlids natural habitat so you can setup a great environment for your fish to thrive by learning how to create a lake affect similar to what they are used to.

Choosing African Cichlids - Here are some guidelines on how to buy the best quality and healthiest fish. You will also receive some suggestions on how to spot cichlid diseases or illnesses, thus avoiding getting unhealthy fish.

Mbuna Cichlid Diet - Here you will find recommendations on how to feed your cichlids. I give a thorough feeding plan which will help you to maintain the health, color, and growth of your Mbuna cichlids.

Lake Malawi Cichlid Beginners - This article is for those who are new to having cichlids. It lists some things to keep in mind to be successful.

African Cichlids - Mbuna - These are a very common cichlid species for a home aquarium. They are widely available in pet stores and are very popular among hobbyists. This article provides some common names and their given scientific names.

Hopefully the listed links will help beginners learn the proper care of cichlids.
(An excellent must-read is the book entitled: Lake Malawi Cichlids (Complete Pet Owner's Manual)

Lake Malawi Cichlid Beginners

This is some simple but important advice for Lake Malawi cichlid beginners. If this is your first freshwater tropical fish tank setup and you have had a chance to study up on the information I have provided through this blog and you have reached the point of wanting to start an African Mbuna cichlid aquarium then here is a tip that you will want to know to be successful. Cichlids are an awesome tropical fish species to have but it is very important to know how to properly take care of them.

What are some of the African cichlid tank requirements? Well, your new tank needs to be cycled before live fish are added. What does that mean? It means that you allow enough time for your tank water to properly build up a sufficient amount of natural bacteria that aids in reducing or breaking down organic material. Fish waste, plant matter, rotting fish, uneaten food are all broken down by certain bacteria. This bacteria produces ammonia and this is very dangerous for fish. So you can understand that if you were to put your cichlids in the tank right away, there would be no bacteria present to breakdown the waste and there would end up being a spike of ammonia (called 'new tank syndrome') once the bacteria show up. This would prove to be toxic and detrimental to the fish. Many would probably die. So you need time for this bacteria to appear and then you need time for additional bacteria to appear that will consume the ammonia. This bacteria then produces nitrite and then another bacteria appears to consume that, creating nitrate. When nitrate is detected in the tank water, and nitrite is no longer detectable, then your tank is

African Cichlid Tank Requirements

Mbuna Tank Size

Since I have chosen to do a blog about the tropical fish species called Mbuna Malawian cichlids I will be giving tips, guidelines, and requirements for this freshwater fish only. These are the smaller of the cichlid species and so they can thrive in a smaller aquarium of approximately 20 to 30 gallons. You most certainly can go bigger if you want, but it's nice to know that you can have these beautiful colorful creatures in a normal sized tank as well, especially if you have limited space.

Malawi Cichlids Natural Habitat

How to create a lake Malawi atomosphere: Malawian cichlids have three general living preferences: rocky, sandy, or mid-water. The Mbuna's mostly prefer rocks. Use smooth rocks and pile them up to form caves and hideaways for them to take refuge in. Use just enough sand to cover the bottom of your tank because these type of cichlids like to dig and they will make piles of sand and gravel all along the bottom of the tank. And if you have too much sand they will use it to make all kinds of unsightly heaps. And even though this would be normal in an African cichlids natural habitat in Lake Malawi, it can make your tank look terrible. So adjust accordingly.

Lake Malawi Cichlid Temperature

Cichlids are very hardy fish but all fish do not do well if there are great fluctuations in temperature. Lake Malawi has water temperatures that vary from 70 to 80 degrees so a heater is probably a good idea. Smaller tanks can go with a single heater, whereas larger tanks should use two. Metal heaters are recommended