9 Step Guide To Keeping African Cichlids

1.) The most vibrant Cichlid fish are African . They come from three very different lakes in Africa , Malawi , Tanganika , and Lake Victoria.

2.) African Cichlid Tank Setup - Their natural habitat is very rocky in nature so try and create this in their tank. This will make them feel much more at home and help reduce aggression. Some rocks, coral and plants can be used to create as many hinding holes as you can. You should boil anything bfore adding to tank so it sterilizes it without using chemicals.

3.) African Cichlid Info - They closely resemble western river perch consisting of the same bone structure, so if you have to handle them be very careful because the spines running along their top can give you a pretty nasty sting.

4.) African Cichlid Behavior - Their peculiar behavior makes for very interesting viewing and you will be the envy of your frinds. They will dig, prod and move stuff around the tank till they get it to their liking. This is why i recommend plastic plants that are firmly locked down.

5.) African Cichlid Diet - Feeding Africans is really easy. They will eat just about anything . The best stuff to feed them is a mixed diet of flakes and pellets combined with brine shrimp blood worms and even live fish. Be sure to not overfeed.

6.) African Cichlid Care - Caring for African cichlids is extremely easy. Change about a quater of the tanks water every week.Most cichlids can last 5 to 8 years on average. This is due to their hardy natures as they are very resiliant to disease.

7.) Male or Female? - Usually the male cichlid is the more colorful and dominant fish in the tank.

8.) Dont Mix - African cichlid fish make excellent neighborhood fish if you stick with them and them alone.

9.)African Cichlid Aggression - Africans may be very hostile, but it's actually their normal territorial behavior. There are numerous factors that come in to play in figuring out the most effective setup.

* The tank size should be a minimum of 100 litres to ensure they all get a small domain to themselves.

* Some are much more aggressive the older they get. Try and obtain your fish in similar sized groups.

* Make sure their are plenty of caves and hiding spots for any of the weaker fish.

* African cichlids are very protective of their brood. Ususally this sort of aggression will pass with the mating cycle.

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