Questions going on for african chichlids?
my dad and i both want a nice fish tank i think were buyin a 30 gallon or more cistern
i just wanted to know are african chichlids hard to clutch care of
how many can i have what are in that needs
(i am fimilar with fish i have a 10 g next to guppies and other fish for a year and half)
My husband and I bought our first container in March. Since then, we have upgraded and added. We in a minute have a 180 gallon, a 90 gallon, a 75 gallon, 3-20 gallons, a ten gallon and a 6 gallon. We have African Cichlids. They are a very healthy fish and can live 10-15 years. I was never a fish person but I love these guys. Please do not believe what everyone says. Go to http://www.cichlid-forum.com and read up on adjectives the types. They are slightly more work (not really hard, just a little more) afterwards "normal" tropical fish, but I say they are well worth it. If you would like any information or whether I can be of any help, please let me know. We currently have 15 species and 5 different species of fry. Also, the lone fish we have ever lost were three we ordered and they died during shipping due to a malfunctioning heat pod. I would also like to add that we have nearly no fish experience at all before this. All you need is the readiness to learn and good people to oblige guide you! Good luck and I hope you find what you are looking for!
African cichlids are a much harder fish to whip care of then guppies, they aren't even in equal category. You need to do much more tank maintenance, and they are especially finicky and not a hearty fish. If I were you, I would start off beside maybe gouramis until you get use to the maintenance and how the sea changes, tank cycling, testing for chemicals...etc.
First thing is first. 30 gallons is a minimum for a happy container of cichlids. It was the same size I stepped into when I got my first ones. I would propose perhaps a 55.
You can mix both Central American and African cichlids in the same cistern for a better variety of fish. I have a 200 gallon tank beside a full mixture of them
One thing to note that there are 3 types of cichlids. The Dwarf cichlids approaching the German blue rams, and the Bolivian Rams that are much smaller and are peaceful fish. Better off within a community tank with Angles, guppies, tetras, and so on.
Then you have the other two type’s semi aggressive and aggressive. This covers most of what you will find cichlid sage in stores. Green terrors and such. The less aggressive cichlids you are competent to have more than 1 of that species in the tank. As they will arts school and often defend in groups. The more aggressive fish approaching Jack Dempsey’s, Flower horns, Green terrors and such is not a great idea to put in the reservoir with more than 1 per species as it could cause 2 problems 1) they can end up both males and try massacre each other or 2) They can pair up and become very aggressive and hurt or annihilate other fish even ones much larger than they are.
I try to keep a balance in my tank. 4 semi aggressive for every 1 aggressive. And at least 3 aggressive fish to keep the others in check. If you simply have 1 aggressive fish with no one to put it rear legs in its place it can become a major stress factor on the other fish.
For most tanks it’s a right rule of thumb that you can go 1 inch for 1 gallon of water in your reservoir. Be sure to do your homework as some cichlids can get up to 10+".
As for their needs. They are approaching any other fish. Plenty of hiding places from rocks and plants. A good diet. I feed feeder fish once every couple weeks. Cichlid gold staple food to oblige coloring and bloodworms and frozen shrimp. All that food is not needed but it’s good to keep a flawless diet for them and they will come out to the front of the tank when your around if they know you feed them resourcefully. They will need a higher PH in the cistern, around 7.6 is where I keep my tanks and the fish are pleased. And the usual tank water changes and checking the reservoir weekly.
i personally don't believe that african child's r hard at all.
however, ur ganna necessitate more than a 20gallon tank.
i bought about 5 child's my first year keeping them and about 6 months subsequently i saw little specks all over the tank. i took one out and it was a little one! so in the end i had over 26 fish! for this type of fish, ur ganna entail a ton of hiding places and a good filter system. they can become more than 5in and they eat alot. what i like going on for this type of fish is that they seem to know their owners! no joke. when u come to the tank they appear to know ur ganna feed them. its really cool.
Answers: actually, africans are hardier then gouramis
here are some options for you
but do lift in consideration, that whatever you chose, you can't keep more after 1 species, consisting of 1 male to 2-3 females in a 30 gallon tank
whether you would go for a 55 gallon tank, you could keep 2-3 species consisting of 1 mannish to 2-3 females
as example for a 30 gallon tank, i would recommend
either
1 male and 2 feminine yellow labs
or
1 male and 2 female peacocks
or
1 manly and 1 female kribensis (a beautiful cichlid)
with any one of those species, however
you can keep a group of dither fish like, in a group of 6, schooling fish
giant danios
or
short finned serpae tetras
or
silver tipped tetras
I don't think Africans are all that hard to support for personally, but I also have very hulking tanks and that's a good thing. The biggest piece you really need to worry about beside Africans is your males to females really. It's not every single species this is an aspect, but enough species to say, that if you kept your focus on this, you should do moderately well. Males, much like Betta's don't tolerate other males around too much. MOST types are harem groups where you want to hang on to 1 male to 3-4 females, though again, not all species are like this. You still aren't hurting yourself though whether you follow this.
With a 30 gallon tank, this becomes very prominent to do that. It's not a large space by far and if you attempt to keep more after one male in that footprint, one problem you are going to have are males seeing respectively other too much, and that will cause stress and fights. Maybe you'll be ok if you pocket young junveniles, but at some point in time, probably less afterwards 1 year, you'll have a fight between those 2 males for dominance in that reservoir.
I highly advise against even thinking of trying to keep Central Americans near Africans in a tank that size. Water chemistry is usually a great game, but the size most CA's get alone make that not feasable to try to keep even 1 surrounded by a 30 gallon tank. The sizes of most CA's are close to those of the South Americans and 30 gallons is by far too small. Don't even think of this until you have at tiniest a 55 gallon tank or larger.
Africans, when kept in the sex ratios I mentioned, tend to breed alot. If you want fry to outlive and grow, you are going to need additional smaller tanks at some point within time. You cannot leave a holding female in beside the male and allow her to spit her brood out with him there. If you do, the fry are going to slowly be eat off by the male, not the females though. If you do not wish to hurdle into breeding, then just allow this to happen, it's moderately natural and nothing wrong with that, or you simply hang on to a group of only females.
Learning how to sex a species is of importance for you keeping Africans as well. This will give a hand you when selecting your fish and learn what types of water they tend to thrive within. PLEASE read over the species of Africans, and the waters they come from long before you buy them and cycle your tank out first.
