How do you care for cichlids?

Check the temperature your African cichlids will need before you bring them home. Tropical fish need warm water that’s between 78 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit (23-28 Celsius). Choose an aquarium heater with 5 watts of power for each gallon of water in the aquarium. A large aquarium may need a heater at each end.

What size tank does a cichlid need?

Since African cichlids are an active and aggressive species, they should have plenty of space. Fish that are at least six inches long should be considered larger, and require a minimum of 30 gallons of aquarium space. Smaller fish need at least a 20-gallon tank.

Can you mix Lake Malawi and Lake Victoria cichlids?

Jay said: Most Lake Victoria Cichlids can be mixed with African Cichlids from both their area and the other Lakes. There are a few exceptions, however. One issue with Lake Victoria Cichlids is that a number of their females look similar and if you mix both males and females you will likely get cross breeding.

What pH do cichlids need?

between 8.0 and 8.2
Q. From books, fish magazines articles and word of mouth, I’ve learned that it is best to keep the pH of the water in an African cichlid fish aquarium between 8.0 and 8.2.

How big do Lake Malawi cichlids get?

between 5 to 20cm
The size range of this group is reasonably large, however depending upon the aquarium into which they are to be housed, there is generally a Malawi which would be appropriate. They can grow to between 5 to 20cm. Many of these fish show colour differences between the sexes.

How big do Lake Victoria cichlids get?

Males can grow to 5”, while females are more petite at 3” fully grown. Much like mbuna, these fish do best in tanks with plenty of rocks and caves, particularly if keeping a group with multiple males. In terms of diet, in the wild these fish are micro predators, primarily eating insect larvae.

Do cichlids need salt?

Since PH is so important to cichlid health, using salts clearly has an advantage, and the lakes cichlids come from do contain relatively hard water, as compared to what comes out of your faucet. While it’s not absolutely necessary to use salts for your cichlid tank, it is usually optimal.

Do cichlids like hard water?

Famous for their love of hard, alkaline water, cichlids from Lakes Malawi and Tanganyika in East Africa love water with a pH of 8 or over, and actually need hard water to be healthy long term.

Is blue light good for cichlids?

NICREW ClassicLED Aquarium Light One of the best aquarium LED lighting for African cichlids features is two-mode lighting: the white daytime mode and the blue nighttime mode.