# Need info on African Cichlids.



## llamas (Jun 29, 2009)

I have gained a sudden interest in African Cichlids. Does anyone have any links or web-sites with information for the beginner and even the more experienced. I need all the information I can get.

Thanks to all who post 

:fish:


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

http://cichlid-forum.com/
http://www.atlantaaquarium.com/


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## Osiris (Jan 18, 2005)

Yup like EMC posted. Once find couple species and have any questions feel free to ask, we have quite a few members that are knowledgable on the topic of African Cichlids. 

My personal favorite are from Lake Tanga. Not so much for their color but their personality is unmatched of that from Lake Malawi.


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## llamas (Jun 29, 2009)

Thanks you very much. I also need to start learning about these african lakes, rivers, etc. I can barely even pronounce them. Haha. I will definately post any questions that I may have. I love to learn and once I am knowledgable, I can help others


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## SouthernBelle23 (Mar 24, 2009)

More websites: 

http://malawicichlids.com/index.htm
http://www.malawimayhem.com/
http://fish.mongabay.com/lake_tanganyika_cichlids.htm

http://www.cichlidforum.com has great profiles, but not so great cookie cutter setups (tank stocking suggestions).

Like Osiris said, quite a few members here have or have had African Cichlids and would be happy to help you out.

Are you thinking of starting a new tank for some?  Definitely a good reason for another tank!


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## llamas (Jun 29, 2009)

SouthernBelle23 said:


> Like Osiris said, quite a few members here have or have had African Cichlids and would be happy to help you out.
> 
> Are you thinking of starting a new tank for some?  Definitely a good reason for another tank!


Yes!  I think I am started to get some MTS here. So far only two tanks, but I can easily go for 2-3 more!

:fish:
:fish:
:fish:


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## Osiris (Jan 18, 2005)

If you want to start out easy, Lake Malawi Peacocks/haps would be the way to go. Lake Tanga. Cichlids are a little more particular, as in needing specific aquascaping setups, and diets and ratios need to be more consistant. 

What size aquarium do you have? How much we got to work with here? LOL


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## llamas (Jun 29, 2009)

Don't have a tank yet. I want to stabilize and finish up my 55 gallon tank first. It's a community/planted tank. I thought African would be cool as their environment is a whole new world. I would like to try to get another 55. Not sure if this is really going to happen. I just want to plan ahead if I do decide to get one. If I don't, I still learned a lot!


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## ron v (Feb 24, 2005)

llamas have you done any tests on your tap water? PH, hardness?


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## llamas (Jun 29, 2009)

My tap water is pretty mcuh neutral at 7.0 I have not tested hardness. I knew that Africans needed hard water with higher ph. I planned on trying to use argonite based sand, limestone rocks, etc. I have been doing a lot of research now. I think I know how to set up the tank. Now I just have to look at fish/compatibility. Again, I may not end up doing this. Just something fun for me to research and then possibly put together!


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## ron v (Feb 24, 2005)

llamas, you seem to going about this correctly. A 55 would be great for a community of mbuna. Plants won't last long tho.


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## llamas (Jun 29, 2009)

I am perfectly fine with that. I plan on planting my 55 gallon community tank quite a bit. I like how the two tanks would be the same size yet 100% different.

Community
plants 
gravel 
small fish
peaceful
low ph
soft water

Africans
rocks
sand
big fish
aggresive
high ph
hard water


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

here a site I first saw today. http://www.dwarfcichlid.com/index.php


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## rrcoolj (Jun 29, 2009)

Mbunas are the best! they are pretty easy to take care of and very entertaining to watch, colorful to. The only thing I would make sure you do right is pick your species carefully, do alot of research and choose wisely! Second, watch thier diet! They are herbivores so little to no protien. I use sprinula falkes and pellets along with dried seaweed.


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## llamas (Jun 29, 2009)

I've read about how you need to be very careful with species. I read that you want to mix fish of same size and aggresion. I also heard that it is very important that you don't mix different species of the same family because cross-breeding may occur. Which Lake would you suggest I go with? Victoria, Tanga(something), Malawi?


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

All are great. Victorian 'haps' are colorful, aggressive, and many are reasonably small compared to similar fish from Malawi. Malawi Mbuna in an a tank full of rocks make for a lively, energetic and colorful tank. Here choose smaller genus and keep only 1 fish per genus to avoid crossbreeding. Tanganyika fish are more subtly colored, but often have different behaviors and a wide-variety of size. Cyps spawn in big, open water groups. http://www.atlantaaquarium.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=750 Shelldwellers live in shells, often with little females dwelling in them and a large male guarding his harem and Neolamprolpgus brichardi will babysit its siblings as a large, extended family group takes over the tank. Where in Ga are you? The AAAA fall auction is a great place to get nice cichlids cheap.


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## rrcoolj (Jun 29, 2009)

As mentioned they are all great. I chose mbuna because of the nice full look they tend to have in a tank. It's true you, have to be carefull with species selection to avoid hybridization which is VERY BAD(mostly for malawi cichlis)! from what I know mbunas are the only ones that need alot of rock work. Tanganyikans, vitoria, and malawi haps and peacocks are for the most part open water fish. I also chose mbuna because unlike with some species the females are colorfull like the males. Size isn't really a huge deal. Ovbiously you don't want a 1 1/2 inch fish with a 6inch fish but some inches between the fish in size isn't bad as long as there is plenty of hiding places.


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## llamas (Jun 29, 2009)

I've read about the AAAA auction and I plan on going there!

I live in Woodstock, about 15 minutes from Marietta. The auction is in Duluth right? That's about one hour away form me.

Thanks for explaining about the different fish in the different lakes.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Cyps and shellies live in open water. Julies lives in rock piles. Lots of great fish in all the lakes and don't forget the rivers. I'm sorry you missed ACA (american cichlid convention) last year in Atlanta (this year in Cincinnati). Its amazing to watch video of the fish in the lakes. 

Join the AAAA forum, if you make a meeting (Decatur) and announce in advance you have an empty tank and I'm sure your will go home with fish. 

Having the same water as you, I can tell you that you will need to add buffer and salts to keep African cichlids happy here. The SeaChem products work well and you can find DIY recipes on cichlid-forum.com. 

here's links to some of my Malawian

http://home.comcast.net/~cekiscichlids/IMG_7377.jpg 
http://home.comcast.net/~cekiscichlids/IMG_7567a.jpg


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## llamas (Jun 29, 2009)

Great! Now I want 3 more tanks!


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## llamas (Jun 29, 2009)

emc7 said:


> Cyps and shellies live in open water. Julies lives in rock piles. Lots of great fish in all the lakes and don't forget the rivers. I'm sorry you missed ACA (american cichlid convention) last year in Atlanta (this year in Cincinnati). Its amazing to watch video of the fish in the lakes.


Every time I post a new one gets sent in in front of me.

Is there a way that I can be notified of any conventions, auctions, etc. in the area. I love laerning a lot and all these events sound so cool! Thanks again for all the help.


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## ron v (Feb 24, 2005)

llamas I live in Alabama, about an hour south of Atlanta and have been to many AAAA meetings and auctions. If you go to an auction with a couple of empty tanks waiting back home, you will have the time of your life!!! And you will never beat the prices!


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## llamas (Jun 29, 2009)

That is great to know. Now only if I can convince my parents of letting me get another tank. Actually, I don't even know where I would put it


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

http://cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=2508
You can keep them in a 15 and they breed like convicts. Keeping them is an AAAA initiation rite. http://www.atlantaaquarium.com/


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## llamas (Jun 29, 2009)

emc7 said:


> Join the AAAA forum, if you make a meeting (Decatur) and announce in advance you have an empty tank and I'm sure your will go home with fish.
> 
> here's links to some of my Malawian
> 
> ...


I don't quite understand what you are saying the first part. 

Your Africans are really cool. They look great



emc7 said:


> http://cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=2508
> You can keep them in a 15 and they breed like convicts. Keeping them is an AAAA initiation rite. http://www.atlantaaquarium.com/


Are those Jewel cichlids, they look like them, but I'm not sure. Also what do you mean by initiation right?

Sorry for all the questions!


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

If you post on the board that you have space for a specific category of fish (like Mbuna), most likely someone in the club will bring you some. Atlanta doesn't have much of a secondary market for fish and we all have more in our tanks than we really should have. 

Those are dwarf jewel cichlids. Smaller, prettier and less mean than their cousins, Hemichromis bimaculatus. An initiation rite is something new members have to go through. It's kind of joke in the club because just about everyone has bred these fish. Because we have give breeders award point to people who bring in fry to donate to the club, we have fry of these at just about every meeting go for $1 a bag. Take them home, add water and soon you will be bringing fry to meetings. 

Give me a PM next time you get over to John's creek and I'll send you home with some fry.


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## ron v (Feb 24, 2005)

HA HA, EMC is correct. Everyone in Atlanta has lifalili. It is an absolutely stunning fish when in breeding dress and very easy to breed. It may be the most colorful freshwater fish I have ever seen... I had a 55 gal aquarium set up with half a dozen adults and considered it my feeder aquarium. It was a constant supply of baby fish to feed all my other fish. I somewhat disagree with EMC about the aggressiveness tho. These fish are mean!!! Don't even think about tankmates. If you had an already mated pair they might work in a 15 gal tank, but I doubt it. I once had a pair in a 200 gal tank with 10-12" oscars. At lifalili breeding time, the oscars all crowded to the other end of the tank. The lifalili were only 2 1/2" long.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Hey, they are still cichlids, less mean than Bimaculatus means they don't kill their mates or their fry, not that they won't protect the brood..


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## llamas (Jun 29, 2009)

Ok. That seems very cool about the fish. In fact, I see them at my local fish strore and i do like them very much. However, I did not have the tank for them.

Thanks EMC for the information on the whole initiation thing and for offering some of your fry. Unfortunately, I don't know how often I will actually get to go to meetings as they are about 45-60 minutes away. Being only 13, I would need my parents ot be willing to take me every month. I may manage though. What do you do when you have so many fry? I see that Ron V feeds them to his other fish. I don't know how many of my fish would actually try to get them. So far I only have tetras, loaches, hatchets and a guppy :smile: also, what do they use them for at the club?

Ron V, that is a very funny story about your 12 inch oscars vs the 2 1/2" little red devils.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

I moved one spawn into a 30L. I sell them at club meetings and auctions and trade for credit at LFSs. Unfortunately, one spawn is enough to supply the entire town for a year. The next spawn our going to have to be feeders, I guess. But they don't spawn again while the fry are in the tank, so you can let them grow to adulthood with the parents as birth control. The clubs sells them at mini-auction and keeps the money. Usually we get the newest person in the club to take some. Its not hard if you bring a picture of mom and dad.

We are discussing moving the meetings from a Thursday night to a Sunday afternoon. If we do, it will probably be easier for you to come. You should join the club board even if you can't do meetings. Its a chance to meet members who live nearer to you. 

I get your parents not wanting you to too into a hobby before you go away to college (they usually only allow a 10 at most) and stick them with the fish. The trick is to hook one or both parents on fish themselves. Baby fish are a great way to hook mothers and girls. The 'that so cute' factor, plus then you 'need' more tanks for the growing fry.


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## llamas (Jun 29, 2009)

Well I did a little better than a ten gallon as I do have a ten gallon as well as a 55 right in my room. My father supports me a lot in the hobby! He helps pay for big expenses such as new lights and for little things as well. He just likes that I have a hobby that I can work on, learn from and enjoy. He takes me many places too. The only problem I have is space. I don't have much room for another tank. It would have to go somewhere other than my room in the house and i am not sure exactly where. Its not a term of being too attached to fish, but more of a term of the time it takes to drive somewhere. (two hours of dirving and then however long the meetings are). 

Actually my dad is taking care of my tank right now as I am currently on vacation visiting my grandma. He has been taking care of it for three weeks now and is doing great. He doesn't mind and he actuially seems to like the fish. He even asked if I may move the ten gallon into his office (works from home) since I currently have it sitting on my desk.

As with the meetings, I think any day would be fine for me. io will definately join the board and check out the community. Thanks for directing me to the AAAA.

Lastly, Since you suggested thaty the fry be raised with the parents, I will obviously need a bigger tank than 15-20 gallons. What size do you thik I would need? I could always just turn to feeding the fry. Would a loach or guppy eat them? maybe even some tetras or danios? 

I kind of went backwards here =P


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Just about anything will eat the smallest fry. As they get bigger, they'd need a bigger mouth to eat them. I kept my last batch in a 20 and just kept pulling out fry by the dozen or two or so as they got larger.


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## llamas (Jun 29, 2009)

OK. Good to know. I wonder if any of my LFS's will take them...


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

lol if they do, i hope I beat you to them. The @&*! fish just spawned again.


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## llamas (Jun 29, 2009)

Haha. Babies! Could it get to the point to where you just have to flush them down the toilet or something. They seem to love to breed!


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

I moved them to a 10 (just the parents) temporarily as i rearrange the room. And this is what i get in a week. http://home.comcast.net/~cekiscichlids/IMG_9592.jpg


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## smark (Dec 2, 2008)

Those fish are bussy.


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## llamas (Jun 29, 2009)

Those fry are so cool! I find it amazing how they are so small and not even the shape of the adults. It must be fun to watch them transform into adults.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

It is. The next stage up they have a horizontal bar. I guess it helps them hide, but it goes away completely as they get bigger yet.


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## llamas (Jun 29, 2009)

Awsome! I am definately considering breeding fish now.


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