Frags And Coral

African Cichlids
(sick-lids)

Natural History
African cichlids (aka old world cichlids) range from the far eastern reaches of the continent to the western shores.  African cichlids are unique in the family Cichlideae in that they posses an extra bone in the esophagus that crushes food at a cellular level.  The closest living fish that share this type of bone structure are the saltwater damselfish and wrass.  This fact helps prove the hypothesis that the Great Rift Lakes were at one time connected to the ocean.
 Cichlids from the eastern corridor of Africa live in the great Rift Lakes, huge inland lakes.  The one thing that all the rift lakes share is that water drains into them, not out of them; making the water mineral rich and slightly salty.  The main lakes in the Rift Lake chains are: Lake Tanganyika, Lake  Malawi, Lake Victoria, Lake Edward, and Lake Kivu.  With in each lake there are cichlids that will fill every niche, from the crashing waves to the deepwater abyss. 
 West African cichlids are native to the streams and rivers of the Congo Basin.  Here the water is soft and tannin rich (acid derived from wood and bark).  The cichlids of western Africa require a lower pH and low general hardness.  Many of the cichlids in west Africa have evolved to live in areas of high current, creating a sleek streamlined body.

Husbandry
As in the keeping of any live animal, African cichlids should be kept in as large an aquarium environment as possible.  The minimum aquarium should be 40 gallons, one acception are the dwarfs and shell dwelling species.  Proper filtration is an absolute necessity, biological filtration along with mechanical and chemical filter is recommended.  Under gravel filters are not suggested as a large percentage of African Cichlids dig in the aquarium substrate, rendering the filter useless.  Canister, power back filters, and wet dry filters are the best types of filters for African cichlids and all other cichlids.  Please ask a sales person to show you these filters.  As with any aquarium, regular water changes are required at least on a twice a month basis.

Rift Lake Cichlids
Rift Lake cichlids, as mentioned earlier, require an elevated level of minerals and salts in the water.  There are many different products to help the home aquarist to adjust the water to the desired chemical parameters.  The mineral content is one fact that is shared by all the lakes, pH however, is not.  Lake Tanganyika has the highest ranging pH of any of the lakes.  At a range of 6.0 in the surf zone to the abyssal plain with a pH value of close to 9.0.  Making Lake Tanganyika the most site-specific lake in the entire chain.  Lake Malawi has an overall lake pH value of 8.2, while lakes Victoria, Edward and Kivu have pH values of 7.5 to 8.0.  The lower pH value for the three lakes is due to the fact that a majority of the surrounding shoreline of the lake is swamp and marsh.A majority of the species native to the Rift Lakes are rock dwelling fish.  With this in mind the aquarist should place a copious amount of rocks in the aquarium.  A good rule of thumb is two to three rocks per fish, as these fish create territories on, in and around these rocks. Lake Tanganyika and Lake Malawi are a constant temperature of 81º F while Lake Victoria is 78º F and Lakes Edward and Kivu are 76º F.

West African Cichlids
As previously mentioned, West African cichlids require soft water.  Most municipal water is neutral to hard, therefore steps should be taken in order to reduce the hardness and pH.  Please ask a sales person to show you some of the many products available for purchase.  The hardness and pH values for west African cichlids should be in the realm of 2-8 micro siemens hardness and a pH of 5.5 – 7.0, depending on the individual fish.

Feeding
Most African cichlids are vegetarian.  Therefore a diet rich in vegetable matter would be the best recommendation.  Please ask a sales person what the correct diet is for your fish and have them show you the many different brands and varieties of foods available.  Black worms and beef heart should never be given to any African cichlids as the protein content and fats could immobilize the liver functions of many species.  One particular fish that should be pointed out is the group of Tanganyikan fish from the genus Tropheus, these fish require Iodine in the water and food in order to reach adulthood.  Iodine supplements are available in many of the liquid vitamin supplements in the dry goods section of the store.

Conclusion
As expected by reading about the different types of African Cichlids, it is recommended that your African community residents be from the same lake. As for Tanganyikan’s, they should be area specific. African Cichlids should not be housed with other types of fish, except for fish that came from the lake areas such as Synodontis Cat, etc.  In conclusion, African Cichlids are a fun and unique addition to any home aquarium.  This sheet is just an introduction to this great group of fishes.  For further information please ask a sales person or consult a book that specializes in African Cichlids.