Are You Thinking Of Starting A Cichlid Aquarium? Some Facts; Part 2

Here is the tank set-up for an African Cichlid aquarium; most of these species are somewhat friendly and will have different behaviors that will lessen the stress between the different pairs. The species in this tank do much better and prefer a very well planted aquarium. They won`t bother them so you can use all kinds of plants. You will also need to give them spawning and hiding places. You should use rocks, roots and even flowerpots to make caves for the Kribs to spawn in.

For the Thomasi, they spawn on flat surfaces like rocks. You should leave open, free areas without plants or rocks, so you can see your fish swimming about. For the Egyptian Mouth-Brooders, you will need to use fine sand for them to spawn in. Make sure you keep the aquarium clean and feed your fish very well and they will spawn and thrive. If the tank seems a little empty, you can add some small schooling fish, like the Tetras, that live in the upper water levels.

The next tank set-up is for the Central American aquarium and the species in this tank are quite a bit more aggressive, which is why it is recommended to keep only two species in this tank. Since both species lay their eggs on rocks, the caves are not needed, but you should still make a few hiding places because of these species aggressiveness. This is heightened even more when these species are caring for their young or in the spawning process.

Although the Sajica will not usually bother the plants, the Convicts will most times, eat them, so you should plant hardy ones like Anubias, Java ferns and Sword plants. It`s virtually impossible to keep Convicts from breeding and the task of finding new homes for the fry is quite difficult so let the parents keep the young and see if they survive as some normally will.

The last set-up is the Amazon aquarium and this 50-gallon tank should be at least 20 inches high or higher to keep Angelfish. They are easy to care for, but require some effort to get them to spawn. The tank must be well planted, but have some open, free areas for the fish to swim in. Put large Sword plants or Cryptocoryne so the Angelfish will have what they need to spawn. Though caves are not needed, some species will need rocks or roots to spawn on.

You will, however,  need caves for A. Curviceps and if the tank looks bare, you can add some small schooling fish, but NEVER use Neon Tetras as Angelfish love to eat them as well as other small Tetras. Keep the tank clean and the fish fed well and chances are, with a little luck, they will spawn. For more info, you can visit: www.aquaticcommunity.

9 Steps To Successfully Breeding African Cichlids

Many people begin keeping African cichlids in their aquarium because of their pretty colors and before long, most people become interested in breeding African cichlids which is a very rewarding experience. But how do you get your african cichlids to breed?

1.With tropical fish generally you can just pair them up and the breeding process takes place but its a little different when breeding african cichlids. With African cichlids, the best method is to have a largish group with a much higher female to male ratio.If you keep only couples the female most often is bullyed by the male even sometimes to the point of death.

2. African cichlids have to be healthy for breeding as the female will go without food for weeks when in the spawning cycle. This means they need to be fed well prior on a varied diet of spirulina flakes, earthworm, brine shrimp, daphnia, and mosquito larva.

3.In order for your breeding colony to flourish, they will need a comfortable environment. Make caves, rocks, crevices and tunnels to provide protection when needed from bully fish. The ideal breeding tank setup is to use no gravel. This will focus the male on the task at hand. The males soon turn there attention to the females and the mating will soon follow.

4. If you want to use plants then i reccomend plastic only and make sure they are firmly attached to the bottom.If u use real plants they will get destroyed.

5. Ususally the mating game will start with the male showing of and dancing untill he attracts one of the females. Then they may appear to wrestle a bit to test strength, this sometimes includes the locking of the mouths. This goes on for a while then the female will lay her eggs then scoop them in to her mouth for safe keeping. It is beleived that the egg patterns around the males anal area trick the female into thinking she left egs in the open , so when she trys t scoop them the male fertilizes the brood.

6. It can take anywhere up to 2 months for the eggs to hatch and even then they will still reside in the mothers mouth. It is a good idea to try and feed her now as she will eat a little so the fry can get to it.

7. So the small fry do not get eaten it is important to separate the female to a separate tank untill shes had her young.

8. Once the small fry are swimming freely the best way to get food to them is by putting crumbled flakes into the end of a straw and the placing the end near the small fry for them to eat.

African cichlids of Lakes Malawi and Tanganyika

The Aquarium Fish Survival Manual

Freshwater and marine aquarium

Breeding aquarium fishes

Aquarium Fish Breeding