Keeping African Cichlids Happy and Healthy

African cichlids are a species of fish that many people all over the world keep in aquariums in their homes. Many people find their vibrant colors are more attractive than any other freshwater fish worldwide. The following article will briefly discuss the basics about African cichlids.

African cichlids are native to Africa and can be found in the three African Rift Lakes. These lakes are:

- Lake Tanginika - Lake Malawi - Lake Victoria -

Over one thousand different species of cichlid call Lake Malawi their home. There are over 1,500 cichlids species worldwide.

Besides their vibrant colors, many hobby aquarists are drawn to African cichlids because of their social behavior and intelligence levels. They often become visibly excited when someone walks by their tank. When they are hungry, they are known to swim in a swarm in hopes of being fed. They are not picky eaters.

Some of the hunting techniques used by African cichlids only further prove their intelligence levels are high. For example, the Livingstonii species will play dead and wait for available prey to come near. Once prey is near enough, the Livingstonii will pounce.

Certain breeds of African cichlids are used as a food source. The Tilapia breed has been consumed by many people around the world for thousands of years. Hieroglyphic evidence has been found to prove that the Tilapia species was farmed by Egyptians as far back as 2,500 BC. The Tilapia breed is not as colorful as some of the other breeds, which is probably one of the reasons it has been the mainstream diet of many.

Breeding African Cichlids

These cichlids are mouth brooders. This means that after the male fertilizes the eggs the female laid, the female will take the eggs into her mouth. She will carry the eggs around in her mouth until they hatch, which can take up to 30 days.

Even after the eggs hatch, the female may take the fry into her mouth to protect them from other fishes in the aquarium. However, you might want to allow this. After not eating for a whole month of mouth-brooding, the female is nearly starved and they sometimes eat their fry. May aquarists put the female in a separate aquarium until she is well-nourished again. Others put the fry into a separate aquarium because other fish, besides the hungry female may eat the fry. Once the fry are a few months old it should be safe to put them back into the aquarium with their parents and other fishes.

African cichlids are hardy, so even a beginner can keep them successfully. However, if you want to get started on the right foot check out this page on African cichlids. You can also learn a lot about cichlid care on that website.