Cichlids Daily

Cichlid's have been a favorite aquarium fish for nearly a century.
There is always ongoing arguments amongst purists who believe species types should be maintained to stop the problem with mixed genetics in the mixed-cichlids' world.

Myself I am pleased when my fish have fry but truly have been disappointed when finding out they are a mixed gene variety. Lackluster colors, usually a 50/50 split of genetics. My recommendation is if you want to keep the bloodlines pure, you need to keep your tanks down to a specific genus or down to a couple species that you know will not mate with one another. Mbuna's are notoriously bad for breeding with other species. If you leave them alone long enough, they will mix breed. I did have some nice peach-colored Mbuna's occur when an Albino mixed with a Red Cichlid. They were pretty and very docile tank mates. It boils down to are you a purist? Awesome if you are. If you just don't care either way what happens, that's fine as well, Please just don't sell or give mixed fry to someone who thinks they are getting F1 species types. (first generation)

Cichlid keeping experienced a huge increase in popularity soon after the first species were exported from Africa These fish, with their amazing colors, were so very different from those kept previously by fish keepers, that the cichlids soon  stole the hearts of aquarium enthusiasts all over the world. This was also a huge boon for enthusiasts who...Well,  I don't know about you, but I adore salt water aquariums, but the expense is so far out of my reach and skill level. Cichlids fill the bill, with their friendly persona's and multicolored beauty. They also acclimate to most water in USA. Well Water being the best but city water is fine as well, just de-chlorinate properly and acclimate your fish slowly to its new tank environment. Not to worry, Cichlid's Daily will be reporting on all the things you need to know from start to finish in setting up your aquarium.
 Following the advent of the rift lake cichlids their S.American cousins also received greatly increased attention from enthusiasts. Aquarium clubs specializing in cichlids have been forming all around the planet. Information about these fabulous fish is readily available in numerous magazines, books, internet forums and online video hubs such as YouTube. Every year cichlids fascinate more and more aquarium owners with their splendid coloration and interesting behavior.
During these past decades scientists have studied cichlids in their native waters, uncovering a wealth of scholarly scientific data about their natural environments and behaviors. This knowledge, together with that derived from many years of keeping and breeding these fishes, has proved to be of vital importance to successful husbandry. This is an amalgamation of wisdom that I have developed and learnedon my own as well as riding on the shoulders of others who have came before me. We wish you many years of enjoyment in your hobby. Whether you are a complete newbie, intermediate level, or skilled keeper.

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Almost Free Books

Paperback – March, 1991

Cichlids: A complete Pet Owners Manual 
Purchase, Care, Feeding, Diseases 
Behavior, and Breeding

by Georg Zurlo (Author)

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So you are ready to get into the amazing hobby of raising Cichlid's. Where do you start? Start with a tank 1st. My opinion is to go big, or go home. There really is no sense in starting a cichlid tank that is undersize. Several factors are at play here. Lets talk about size. It does matter. The inch of fish per gallon ratio, to me is not skewed in the favor of your fish. I feel its more an equation to to push the limits of your aquariums bio-load capabilities. We humans are always testing the limits. 

Ok I'll agree a tank full of multi-colored, behaviorally unique fish is quite awe inspiring. Let's consider the fish. Imagine if you were surrounded by 30 different people constantly, wherever you went there would always be five or six people there. You'd be a nervous wreck. Fish have the same quirks as we do. Space is a big one. It is said that humans need at least 18 inches of space between objects in areas of the home to be comfortable. Fish need space. Cichlids require personal "hides" ie. caves, rock formations, Use your imagination. I also want to throw in this bit of advice. Please for the sake of all things sacred, please don't use rainbow or artificially colored gravel in your aquarium. C'mon...Do you really think there's a rainbow stream somewhere? Keep it natural.

Sand and natural colored gravel is available. Plastic plants are on my not so favorite list of things as well. 
First things first. You're going to need a proper tank. I myself will always say a minimum of 55 gallon. For many reasons you will and should want to go with a larger tank. Your water quality will stay better longer. An abundance of water filtered properly will keep algae down and cleaner, clearer water. Another reason your fish will not stress as much with plenty of room to relax, swim at lengths to get exercise. Swimming is what fish live for. You will be able to add many caves, rocks and plants for them to stake out a territory. Your fish will act strange at first when introduced to new surroundings or tankmates. We will touch on this later as well placing your tank items safely and securely. Certain cichlids love to scoop up rocks and sand to make spawning beds. Placing slate or flag stone on either end of the tank will provide two awesome choices for clearing a spawning site.I have come home to a missing fish before. Yup Securely lodged under a toppled over piece of Texas Holey Rock. Devastating. We will cover securing your tank. The key here is do not rush things. You definately do not to start buying fish on the same day. You will need to set your tank up and run it for several days to cycle. So hold off on fish for several days. Next you will need a substrate. Now this is where you will have to do some thinking. You have 3 choices. Sand, Gravel, or Soil. Yes Soil. These is an arduous process that can take as much time and equal patience to pull off. Pea gravel is excellent for cichlid tanks. It is easy to clean and the natural colors are what fish prefer. You will want a good three inches covering the entirety of the aquarium. Cichlids will clean the gravel to a point. Bottom Feeders are excellent for keeping tanks clean. Cory Cats and Loaches are great lively bottom feeders. We want to stay away from Plecostomus as their wildly blue eyes are very attractive and apparently delicious to cichlids. You really dont want a blind Pleco. Sand is readily available in quantity at your local pool supply store. A magor store here is called Leslie's Pool Supply. They sell really large 50 pound bags of pool sand for around $10. This sand is used in large pool filters but it is great for cichlid tanks as well. You should always ask the pool people if they have any busted bags of sand as you can usually get them for half price.

Pool Sand is cheap and readily available at a Pool Supply Co.  You must rinse this sand thoroughly or you'll have cloudy water and will take days to clear up. The fine particulate must be removed. I use a bucket and agitate and run the skim off the bucket and rinse some more. You aren't ready to add anything to your tank yet but its no problem to be ahead of the game a little and wash your sand. You will need 3 bags for a 55 gallon aquarium. You will want to use a heavy stick or rubber dish gloves. do not bare hand the sand it will tear your skin up very quickly. Always a good idea to ask if the supplier has any damaged open bags. They always do, and will usually sell at a discount to get the messy thing out of their store. $5 beats $10 all day where I come from.
Pool Filter Sand #20 Grade Silica Sand - 50 lbs.

Pea gravel is a good choice to keep your aquarium bottom looking natural. You may think its dull, but that bright pink rock is not available in nature. You dont want your fish to be fashion rejects. Im just saying. You will want to rinse your pea gravel with water as well. It has a lot of dust and dirt on it. The cleaner you can get it the better. You will need around (3) 5 gal buckets full. You can find this in most pet stores, yet I believe if you have a local landscaping co. in your area, you'll save yourself quite a bit buying in bulk.
Exotic PMS0510 Polished Gravel, Mixed, 5 Pounds, 3/8-Inch

Aquarium Soil, Is a good choice as well. It's very clean. It's more like porous gravel. Along with fertilizer sticks you can grow plants in a soil-like material without the soil mess. You can also top this soil with sand or other gravel. The pores in the soil rocks hold nutrients that the plants will root out and find. Soil itself is not enough for live plants, you will need adequate lighting to keep plants   alive. Placing your tank near a window is a bad idea. A great idea if you like algae. I have never had algae in any of my tanks, except once, when i placed tank in front of a big bay window with direct morning sun. Never Again. We Will touch more on lighting in upcoming post.

CaribSea Eco-Complete 20-Pound Planted Aquarium, Black

Miracle Grow Organic Soil is great for planted dirt tanks and is not recommended for cichlids. A lot can go wrong fast and get expensive especially if plants and fish are involved. For now though if this is your first tank, We will cover how to get a dirt tank rolling in upcoming pages. We discuss Glacier Mineral salt, fertilizer methods and how not to muddy up your water and look like a total pro. We are here to help. Im a cheapskate. I cant spend the money on man made soil. $32 a bag when Miracle grow is $8, it's a no-brainer.

Miracle-Gro 72983510 Organic Choice Potting Mix, 32-Quart (currently ships to select Northeastern & Midwestern states)

Step One: Cycling Your Fish Tank

The first thing you should do is find a location that your going to like before filling the tank with water. They are fairly hard to move once full of water. Actually don't try to move one that's full ever. Its far too heavy to do. You can find charts on how much your tank weighs online at this 'LINK' You place heavy tanks across floor joists for maximum support for anything over a 55 gallon tank.

Cycling your fish tank is the most important step in succeeding at fish keeping.
Your fish will produce waste and release ammonia into the water. Ammonia will kill your fish. Bacteria that accumulates in your filtration system will turn this ammonia into nitrite which is even more dangerous. Yet another type of bacteria in your filter will consume the nitrites and turn them into nitrates, although not toxic in nature, yet still are not healthy to your fish. It can cause loss of color, loss of appetite and be responsible for algae blooms. All this is important as to why you need to cycle your tank. You need to produce the good bacteria in your filter that will handle the waste of your community by helping to neutralize their waste. You can add some small insignificant fish to your tank to produce ammonia that the bacteria will feed on. I usually tend to go with a couple cat varieties or loaches as they are bottom feeders and will live well with most cichlid varieties.

Its important not to overstock the tank at this point or when you decide to add your desired species to the tank. Too many fish will spike your ammonia levels and lead to killing your fish. I recommend if you have a friend who keeps fish, to pay them a visit and ask if you can get a couple cups of their tank water as you can add this to your tank and add some of the active bacteria you are looking for immediately. They do also make cycling solutions that you can add to your tank in which you purchase from your local pet store or order online here. I do try and offer links to the best offers and prices that I can find on the web for my readers. Feeding your fish too much food can add to the spike in ammonia and nitrite. As a rule, you should only feed your fish as much food as they can consume in about three minutes. I typically gave my fish a couple small feedings per day. Fish appreciate treats just as much as a dog or cat. Cichlids love ghost shrimp, and small feeder fish. I really dont like sending other creatures to their doom. I make a mix of tuna with fresh frozen peas. I grind it up till its small and feed them a bit of. Its good for them and the peas are some added vegetable protein they need. Be warned though. The fat in the tuna will inspire adult females to lay eggs especially if you raise the water temperature a few degrees.
The cycling process can take 2 to 6 weeks. You can purchase water test kits or simply get a sample of your water and take it down to your local pet store. They will be happy to test it for you and offer solutions to adjusting your waters Ph and other needs.
You can add plants during this cycling stage. Plants will help absorb excess nitrates and lead to a more healthy tank. You will want to keep any dead or decaying leaf material out of your tank as these will convert and add to the increase in ammonia present in your tank.

 Picking your fish out will be something you will research during the cycling period if you havent already. I am amazed at how many times I have said , "Yup, that's what I want and have changed my mind several times when picking out a fish species to attain. Being a devout purist when it comes to cichlid breeding, keeping the bloodlines of these cichlids is extremely important to other breeders, general fish keepers and the like. Just as in having a pure bred horse or dog. Fish are the same way. Species on this planet are already devolving little by little overtime. Interbreeding causes breakdowns in the dna making for weak fish. We all want healthy vibrant pure or freshwater species as nature intended them to be. Many will argue that the cichlids emerged from cross breeding species types, and this is true. Who's to say what will come from future breeds all we can say for now is that we strive to obtain conservation and careful breeding and selling practices. I like to keep two breeds I am certain that wont intermingle genes and you are fine. I wont go into detail on that subject too much now. All I will say at this point is that researching and learning is half the fun. Soon you'll be memorizing the Latin scientific binomial names and everyone around you will think you're a mad fish genius. (insert maniacal laughter here)
Plant species are going to be very important to do your homework on. Certain plants are not good for fish. Some taste bad which is usually
a natural deterrent to most fish but not all fish know this.
Plants can be as coveted a thing as your fish are. You will not want your prized fish dining on your prized plants. We will go over some plants that do well with ciclids. The main problem with planet tanks and cichlids is, certain cichlid breeds love to dig and root around and dig near the largest objects in the tank. Thus uprooting your plants and dining on succulent roots perhaps. Who to be certain. There are as many behaviors of cichlids as there are cichlids. The best advice always is to do your research, take notes, double check your data and keep an eye on your tank often daily to check for the obvious signs and try to rectify the problem. There are things you can do.

I would like to recommend you to a reputable cichlid breeder and plant breeder that I have used for years now.  

 Cichlid World & Aquautic Plants

cichlidworldandplants.blogspot.com