Lake Malawi

Setting Up An African Cichlid Aquarium

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An African Cichlid aquarium must be set up to best accommodate the fish. If a tank is set up improperly, it can not only cause stress to the fish, the error could result in death for the fish. The best way to make an African cichlid happy is to design its aquarium with their natural habitat in mind.

The following paragraphs will briefly discuss the best environment for an African Cichlid.

Aquarium Size

An aquarium being set up for an African Cichlid should be at least 35 gallons, but ideally 55 gallons. The bigger the aquarium size, the more the fish will enjoy his new home. An African Cichlid likes to have a spacious aquarium, with plenty of aquarium decorations and swimming space. Having a smaller tank can ultimately cause a fish to become aggressive, since he will unlikely be able to stake claim on any territory.

Water pH Levels

Water in an African cichlid aquarium should be monitored and kept at pH levels of 7.0 to 9.0. The reason the range can be so wide is because the water chemistry in African Rift Lakes constantly fluctuate. They never stay the same. The only time problems may arise for the fish is if there is a rapid change in pH levels. The African cichlids are able to easily adapt to many water conditions. They can even survive in sub-optimal conditions, but they will be stressed and aggressive.

Water Hardness

African Cichlids prefer hard water over water treated with softeners. If no hard water is available, calcium and phosphate should be added. Water conditioner and salt are also necessary. The African Rift Lakes contain hard water and that is water want to replicate in this aquarium.

Replicating an African Cichlid’s Natural Environment

This can be tricky to do. African cichlids are found in all of the three African Rift Lakes: Lake Tanganyika, Lake Victoria and Lake Malawi. The environments in these three lakes are slightly different from each other. So the first step will be to find out which lake your cichlid is native to. The second step is to research that lake’s water chemistry, substrate and plants. The final step is try replicating the major components in your own aquarium.

African cichlids are beautiful fish and make a wonderful addition to any home. However, great care must be given when setting up an African cichlids aquarium. It is important to know about the natural habitat of the fish, and replicate it as closely as possible.

Basics Of Malawi Cichlid Aquarium Setup

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The Malawi Cichlid aquarium needs water that is medium hard and alkaline. Crushed coral sand/gravel, crushed oyster shells, and limestone can all be used to bring down the pH in the tank. There are also products you can buy to amend the pH level such as Proper pH. It is important not to let the alkalinity of the water fluctuate too much, lest it have a bad effect on your cichlids. Cichlids are able to live in environments that are outside of their optimal range, but only if they are slowly introduced to those conditions. Even though they are hardy, any sudden changes in water chemistry can adversely affect them.

Water temperatures should be kept between 76F and 79F. Malawi Cichlids do not tolerate hot water well at all, so be careful not to place their tank in close proximity to windows or heaters that can raise the temperature of the water. A digital water heater can help to regulate the water temperature automatically.

The Malawi Cichlid aquarium must also have proper filtration and lighting. Filters that hang on the back of the tank are recommended over the under gravel filters since Cichlids do like to dig. This fish produces a lot of waste and will fall ill if the water is not regularly cleaned. As for lighting, a fluorescent light is ideal since it does not produce heat, promotes fish growth, and helps to bring out the natural colors of the fish.

Malawi Cichlids do not need plants in their aquarium. In fact, they would be much happier with plenty of sand and rocks. The species out of Lake Malawi will prefer more sand while the Mbuna variety prefers more rocks. For this reason, among others, these two cichlid species should not be kept in the same tank. If you really want to add plants, it is recommend that you add hardy plants that are found in Lake Malawi. Unless of course you enjoy replacing plants every month after your cichlids terrorize them.

This article is only meant to introduce you to Malawi cichlid aquarium setup and there is a lot to learn outside of what I wrote here. The best thing to do to is research the conditions in Lake Malawi and try to find ways to mimic those conditions in your aquarium. When you have mastered that aspect of your aquarium, the fish pretty much take care of themselves.