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Tropheus and Bloat
By Tom Herman - V.P. CRLCA
Why Tropheus
I have kept Tropheus off and on for some years now and
they are not as hard to keep as many of you think. Tropheus
will eat most anything and are capable of digesting
anything that you feed them.
Many of us have bought Tropheus sometime or another,
and after a few weeks one after another will refuse
to eat and sit or swim around gasping for oxygen and
shortly thereafter die.
For that reason Cichlid hobbyists have given up on trying
to keep this beautiful fish, only to hear or see that
other hobbyist fish keepers have no problems, "Why?"
Most fish, wild caught or not; carry different types
of bacteria, viruses or internal/external parasites.
External conditions are easy to treat because they are
diagnosed easier and are usually visible.
Treating Bloat
The main culprit for African Cichlid fish losses is
the internal (gastrointestinal parasites) termed "bloat".
Overfeeding new arrivals in their new environment is
a big problem; bringing on constipation. Constipation
brings on stress that lowers their Immune system response.
You are cautioned not to overfeed any wild caught fish,
especially Tropheus. The following advice is recommended
if you acquire wild fish from CRLCA , or any fish that
you do not know their origin.
By diagnosing the symptoms of impending "bloat" (i.e.
spitting out the food they were eating before with gusto).
Flagellate infections in the intestine and organs early,
you will have licked half the problem Treat with Metronidazole
(Flagyl) by using only one tablet or capsule of 250mg.
Do NOT use more because you will likely overdose and
burn out their liver and spleen.
Metronidazole is a potent medicine used to combat intestine
parasites in domestic and farm animals. Metronidazole
does not help against worms. It will treat Hexamita,
Spironucleus, Trichomonas, and Protoopalina. You can
get this from your local veterinarian, and may also
be purchased as Farm Cooperative Stores.
It is probable that some of the fish we acquire will
have one or more of the above conditions. Many times
we push our luck and add new fish to our tanks and all
is well.
How to start a Tropheus tank
Start by setting up a fairly large tank, the more water
volume the better. Adjust the PH to above 8.2 (the harder
the better) Install a good filtration system i.e. Magnum
canister, or filters with Bio-Wheels. Make sure you
have a good flow rate, otherwise add a power head with
a sponge filter on it with the air tube connected to
the venturi letting a good amount of air volume into
the tank.
If you like to keep and breed Tropheus, purchase at
least min 10 to 20 or more. Make sure the species you
acquire are very active and full of life. Obtain a supply
of Metronidazole about 20 tabs or capsules each 250
mg. Crush one tab into a small container (dish) add
some warm water and mix.
Select a good Spirulina flake and place in the pre-mixed
solution letting the flake soaking up the medicine.
Make just enough for one feeding. Do not over-soak the
flake and keep the flake as large as possible (do not
blend or grind, the coarser flake is easier to handle).
Have just enough solution mix so that the flake will
soak all the medicated water up . Feed this medicated
food once in the morning and once at night (just a little)
for six days. After the six-day treatment observe your
fish over the next couple of weeks to make sure their
feces are solid, not stringy, clear, white or thin.
Otherwise repeat treatment again for six days, but one
treatment is usually sufficient. You should treat all
fish in same tank, and treat all fish, if you are on
central system for the same duration even if they look
OK.
Any time when you obtain new fish, isolate (Quarantine)
them and use this treatment. Avoid costly mistakes.
Be always on high alert for any cross-contamination.
Always sanitize your nets, so you keep not spreading
any disease. There is a Jungle product called "Net Soak"
which works very well.
I have heard that some Tropheus breeders feed with no
ill effects: Earthworms, Bugs, frozen Brine shrimp,
Bloodworm, krill, Plankton, etc. I wonder if Tropheus
only eat algae in the Lake, I'll bet they gobble up
anything that pass or swims by and are more omnivorous
than we suspect.
Hope this helps. You can reach me by email at riftlakecichlids@rogers.com.
I will be glad to help you with any further questions.
Best kept
secrets for the hobbyist
About the African Cichlid Aquarium!
By
Dr. Glenn
Marshall
President
– Canadian Rift Lake Cichlid Association Inc.
Edited &
additions made by Deborah Bridges, CRLCA Member Winnipeg
About the
author
Glenn Marshall has been keeping Cichlids as a hobbyist
for over 30 years. He is President of the Canadian Rift
Lake Cichlid Association, the foremost buyers’ group in
North America with over 500 active members. Glenn
raises both Malawi and Tanganyika cichlids in his 1100
gallons of water. This article has been written at the
urging of the many hobbyist members who want to know the
‘tricks of the trade’. This of course is no substitute
for Cichlid books. Contact http:://cichlidpress.com is
the best source for Cichlid publications. Please feel
free to distribute this article for use in your Aquarium
club newsletter (appropriate credit is expected). Your
comments are appreciated.
crlca@rogers.com or visit our site at
http://www.crlca.com
Why African Rift Lake
Cichlids?
The beauty
and
behaviour
of the African Rift Lake Cichlid has been a fascination
of mine. This has been reinforced by my recent CRLCA
safaris to both lakes with the world renowned Ad Konings
over the past four years. These recent safaris combined
with my extensive travels in Africa during the past 15
years have made me a true African Cichlid devotee. The
diversity, beautiful colors and ease of keeping are the
three main reasons that these fish have been my favorite
type of aquarium fish for so many years. So why is
there so much mythology and misinformation spread about
these fish? Hopefully this article will help you
determine that with a little effort and understanding of
Cichlid
behaviour,
these fish will give you years of satisfaction as a
hobbyist.
Rumor #1: All African Cichlids are aggressive and
killers!
The Cichlid
is a different aquarium fish and much more highly
evolved species. Cichlids are territorial, and not
particularly aggressive. So what do you believe? Often
people who have no clue as to the behavior of the
Cichlid species usually spread these opinions through
the power of the Internet. While attempting to be
helpful, these folks unintentionally publish this
misinformation. Junior hobbyists and others, tend to
believe these questionable sources, simply because the
information comes up through a search engine enquiry on
the Internet. These questionable sources (chat lines,
published documents, websites, and fish club
newsletters) are a prevalent hotbed of Cichlid
misinformation. Unfortunately of these internet experts
do not keep the African cichlids themselves (though this
if likely fortunate for the Cichlids). Now please do not
misunderstand me, there are many excellent sites which
support African Cichlid Research and offer great
information. This article is to make the reader aware
that all you read in the printed media or the Internet
is not always factual or correct.
Solution:
First, select a reliable source of written information.
Cichlid Press books are our recommended choice. Ad
Konings is the worlds noted expert on the husbandry and
ecology of these fish. See our website for a list of
books written and published by Ad Konings and available
at
http://www.crlca.com or visit Cichlid
Press site at
http://www.cichlidpress.com
With
reference to aggression in Cichlids it has been our
experience that the secret to keeping Cichlids is to
CROWD them and supply great filtration. The standard
rule of thumb for fish in a typical community tank does
NOT apply at all to African Cichlids. Most people do
not put enough cichlids in the tank. Sometimes this is a
financial consideration, but most of the time it is fish
quantities involved in a tank. Rocks are a must if you
want to maintain a natural environment but are not
essential to raising the fish. Rocks create territory,
and territory leads to aggression. Having a fish
collection in bare tanks is not usually pleasing to most
hobbyists. Breeders do not seem to have a problem with
bare tanks for ease of separating, sexing and netting
the fish. When you choose rocks use large boulders
instead of small ones and avoid small cave-like
structures whenever possible. By creating caves, while
important to some species, you also create territory,
which will cause more skirmishes. Use tank sizes that
replicate the lake conditions (see Cichlid tank sizes)
increase aeration and water flow to accommodate the
increased biological load. (See water parameters and
filtration comments)
Group of 30+ Tropheus
moorii Mibitae (sub-adults)
With no aggression in
bare 20-gallon sales tank
Rule of thumb:
1 sub-adult fish per 1/2 gallon. 1 adult cichlid per 1
gallon.
Rumor #2 African Cichlids are fussy about water
parameters!
There is some
truth to this assertion, but usually the misinformation
you get is directly related to the source of this
information. South and Central American cichlids are
usually soft water cichlids. These cichlids are more
popular in North America (especially in the USA) than
the African species (even though they can be more
aggressive than their African counterparts). The
popularity comes from the fact they are more easily
imported to North America. The aggression rumor comes
from the fact that they are cichlids and African or not
they become a catalyst to the aggression rumor. African
cichlids are hard water cichlids. Some other glaring
differences are that differentiate the species are that
most of the African Rift Lakes are some of the most
alkaline lakes in the world. While many of the rivers
and lakes in Central and South America contain much
softer water. While African Cichlids will tolerate
softer water, their colors and breeding performance will
be minimal. African Cichlids are some of the hardiest
and well suited to the home aquarium when the water
conditions are right.
Solution:
Most fish
require clean well-filtered water. African Cichlids are
no exception, in fact the more flow and aeration, the
better. Water chemistry is crucial. Most Malawi
Cichlids will tolerate PH in the 7.3 ranges, but 8.4 is
ideal. Tanganyika Cichlids like the PH even higher,
beyond 9.0 PH can be stabilized by the addition of
baking soda to the water. Other buffers for Cichlids are
widely available, and work well in low PH water
conditions. Coral sands, limestone and crushed coral in
the sump of the system will also improve hardness and to
some extent PH. A water hardness of 300-600 parts per
million is best for African Cichlids. You can raise
hardness levels and to some extent, by the addition of
rock salt to the water at the rate of 1 tsp per 5
gallons. Most hobbyists in Southern Ontario, New York
State, Ohio, Michigan and Quebec can use the water right
out of the tap. A massive aquifer, called the
“Algonquin Aquifer” supplies ground water at Lake Malawi
quality and hardness to these locales where the water is
pumped out of the aquifer (municipal or private well
supply). The abundance of sedimentary rock, limestone in
particular increases the hardness of the water. This is
one of the reasons why there are so many Cichlid
Associations in these areas. The other reason is market
driven close to good sources of supply. In the north of
Canada, and in areas where granite or igneous rock is
prevalent, the PH of the water must be chemically
adjusted. PH, however, is suspected to be as crucial as
hardness and conductivity to the husbandry of these
fish. There are many great products on the market with
Seachem Products
http://www.seachem.com being favored by many
hobbyists. There are however many commercial products
on the market which are reliable and have a great track
record with local hobbyists The price of these products
can be a factor in their use. It is not a cheap
proposition to continually having to buffer and adjust
low PH water if you have a number of tanks to maintain.
On the next pages are some other ideas to save money.
Many of these
products can be obtained at wholesale bakery goods
supply companies or food supply outlets. Many of the
grocery stores have jumbo sizes in these products that
can keep costs down as well.
Some reasonable
“grocery store” products -
Household Baking Soda:
use this to
raise and stabilize PH:
1 tsp per
5 gallons at start-up. Epsom salts may also be used
similar proportion. Cost $.79 CAD a pound for baking
soda (sodium bi-carbonate)
Water softener Salt - Solar salt (brand) is an excellent
choice, as is crystal type water softener salt.
Solar salt, the most
expensive, sells for less than $7.00 CAD a 22 Kg. bag
Solution:
Both types of salt are
reasonable alternatives that will work to increase
conductivity and improve hardness marginally. Salt also
adds electrolytes and protects the fish slime coat as
well as being the first line of defense against many
diseases and parasites. In addition, salt also helps
the egg holding ability of many of the mouth-brooding
species. When purchasing salt, it is best to use the
crystal rock variety with impurities. This is better
than processed salt pellets for water conditioning
system use but again your fish will not suffer if you
must temporarily use processed salt pellets.
MYTH:
Don’t use Iodized salt
UNTRUE:
You may use iodized salt without any harm to your
African Cichlids. The iodine levels are minimal and
actually work against fish goiter in some of the species
prone to this condition, i.e. Labidochromis caeruleus.
This is a story based on the marine fish hobby where use
of iodine in salt is a different story and can cause
problems in water chemistry in the keeping of in those
fish. Cost .89 CAD
Rumor #3 Only use aquarium salt or marine salt!
$$$ Salt
15 oz $1.39 CAD
Solution:
Actually any
salt will do, including the iodized table salt type.
The recommended amount is 1 tsp per 5 gallons at
start-up, and some equivalent replacement at water
change time. Marine salt contains a few additional
trace elements that really do not justify the higher
price. Marine salt costs as much as $5.00 a pound and
has few, if any, benefits to African Cichlids.
Rumor #4 African Cichlids require huge tanks!
This is
partially true, but the usual pet shop size (30 gallons
long) will adequately house most of the species. When
selecting a tank for cichlids, the longer the better
however. African Cichlids tend to congregate in the
bottom 2/3 of the tank; so tall tanks are wasted space.
Solution:
Choose a tank
no taller than 24” and, purchase tanks for the length
and surface area. The ideal cichlid aquarium is the 100
long (72 x18x18 inches) or the 125 long (72 x 18 x 24
inches). The larger sizes allow you to keep some of the
bigger species in larger groupings.
Pet stores in
Canada i.e. (Wal-Mart, Pet Paradise, Super Pet, Aquarium
Services, and Petland) have the best prices on standard
sized tanks. For specialty sizes or quantity purchases
Star Aquarium, a wholesaler in Toronto Canada is
reasonable and a quality choice. Avoid purchasing the
corner or odd-sized tank types, especially tall ones.
African Cichlid keeping works best, in long low tanks
with a minimum size of 30 gallons and a maximum height
of 24”. Of course the smaller sized tanks can always be
used for the rearing of fry.
Rumor #5 African
Cichlids require special filtration and daily water
changes!
The only type
of filtration that does not work well with African
Cichlids (or with any fish in reality) is the
under-gravel type of filtration. African Cichlids like
to dig in the sand; hence, they disturb the under-gravel
biological action of the filter. Most cichlid
hobbyists are in two camps. Central System adherents
(more prevalent in Canada), and fluid cartridge / air
and sponge filter enthusiasts (mainly in the USA).
Solution:
Central
systems, while more expensive, have the advantage of
ease of cleaning and quiet operation.
One of the
best additions to any cichlid tank is a fluidized bed.
This addition eliminates frequent water changes. The
fluidized bed does not filter, but removes all ammonia
from the system though nitrifying bacteria action. The
need for water changes is reduced significantly. The
action of a fluidized bed also reduces the spread of
disease in the tanks through the action of nitrifying
bacteria. However if an outbreak occurs, the usual
practice is to isolate the affected fish, and treat it
off system.
The
benefits of a fluidized bed far outweigh any concern
about spread of disease. Often hobbyists add a UV
sterilizer in the line when using a central sump type
system. We do this when a wild shipment is received.
We do however keep Tropheus on their own centralized
system, as these fish are more sensitive to pathogens
especially from Malawi counterparts.
Fluidized BED Typical
24” under cabinet model, built by Tom Herman
1 (519) 822.6130 at
CRLCA. This unit will service 800- 1000 gallons. The
surface area covered by the 20 lbs of sand is 2000
square feet.
Rumor #6 Maintenance
and water changes are really a time consuming task with
African Cichlids!
A routine of water
changes every two weeks is necessary for removal of
ammonia from the system. Ammonia is the silent killer
of all fish, but Tanganyika varieties are especially
susceptible.
Solution:
Water changes reduce
the ammonia levels, as does the fluidized bed system.
Products such as ammonia chips will help in temporary
situations until the tank is cycled. It is always a
good idea to keep a stock of this product available as
well as seasoned water for such an emergency. These
problems are usually created by overfeeding situations
and improper frequency of water changes. Many central
systems are fitted with an automatic water change system
and overflow eliminating the need for water changes
altogether.
Ammonia chips: A
temporary measure only. A few chips in your shipping
bags will work wonders for long distance transport of
fish.
Solution:
This is a suggested
Maintenance Schedule for systems with or without
fluidized beds
Without
a fluidized bed. Airline systems, Sponge filter or
canister single systems, bio-wheels and power filters
Weekly
Maintenance
with agitated
bottom siphoning
Malawi Tank
30% of volume
Tanganyika
Tank
10% of
volume
Tip #1:
An easy way to conduct water change is to use a few
5-gallon water jugs (two for water removal and two for
fresh water addition) Simply siphon off the required
water, and add the additional seasoned water. Dispose
of the tank water (remember it contains salt so avoid
using in household plants or gardens) and refill with
fresh tap water. If possible, let the water stand
overnight to remove the chlorine or add a
de-chlorinator. Do not fill with “softened water”. Be
sure to use the tap in the house where you bypass your
water softener.
If you have
access to a laundry sink, try using Python’s “No Spill
Clean’ N Fill”. It’s a water change system that elimates
the “bucket brigade”. Simply, a long hose with switch,
faucet pump, adapters, etc. Well worth the price
($70/50ft hose) to make water changes less work
especially when you cannot have an automatic water
change system due to space & separate tank set-up. BUT
be sure to add a de-chlorinator as you re-fill the tank!
De-chlorinators:
Jungle Products, Hagen products and others all
make acceptable water chlorine and ammonia removal
products
Special Note
for Ontario Aquarists:
Since the E-coli tragedy at Walkerton, Ontario, the
Ontario Ministry of the environment has legislated
chlorine levels in municipal water supplies at four
times the pre-Walkerton level in all Ontario
Municipalities. This additional use of chlorine and
chloramines by your Municipality now are at levels that
can be toxic for your fish. De-chlorinated or seasoned
water only should be added to your tanks! Water can be
easily seasoned by rough agitation, exposure to bright
sunlight or 24 hour settling if additives are
unavailable.
Water changes
with
a fluidized
bed.
Twice month
maintenance
with “quick” bottom siphoning.
Malawi Tank
20% of volume
Tanganyika
Tank
15-10% of volume
Tip # 2:
Due to the more stable (less inflow or outflow) water
conditions in Lake Tanganyika, the fish are less
resilient to frequent water changes. The PH in Lake
Tanganyika is nearly 100 times higher than that of Lake
Malawi. Hence fewer changes with less volume water
changes for a Tanganyika set-up are suggested.
Tip # 3:
It is important not to clean the tank to
sterile conditions with a fluidized bed system. Some
anaerobic bacteria are necessary for the optimum running
of the fluidized bed system. In short, the tanks do not
require as frequent maintenance, beyond the usual
checking of heaters, and glass cleaning. The sump area
should have a layer of detritus and should not be
pristine and clean.
Tip #4:
Seeding the fluidized bed and cycling the tank is
important for the proper maintenance of this closed
system such as a freshwater tank.
Septo Bac
is a powdered pre-measured bacterium in 1 oz
packages. One dry ounce will cycle a 150-gallon tank in
a few days. Cost $3.49 CAD for 12 packages versus
considerably more for a bottle of tank cycling products
or other pet store products. The product contains the
same aerobic bacteria but Septo Bac is more concentrated
and can cycle 10 x 150 gallon tanks. In a pinch
human urine will also help cycle a tank. Only a few
ounces will do the job.
Rumor #7 African
Cichlids Eat Aquarium Plants!
This is a
fact! Most African Cichlids are herbivores and love
this expensive lunch.
Solution:
If you
must have plants in your tank, then opt for the plastic
type. If you have African Cichlids in a planted tank,
you likely have more plants in your tank than in their
natural habitat. Cichlids are rock-congregating fish.
While some aquarists require the beauty of plants, they
are not endemic to the African Cichlid habitat. Our
suggestion is to forget about plants and get a
plant-like background for your tank, if you must confuse
Mother Nature.
Rumor #8 You
require a Ph.D. in chemistry to raise African Cichlids!
Really
nothing could be further from the truth. Might be true
for marine cold water and tropical fish setups but not
Cichlids.
Solution:
The
simple parameters given earlier in the article, if
followed, will help you successfully keep these
wonderful fish easily even the more difficult species.
PH is the key to raising healthy cichlids!
Simply
stated, the three keys ingredients are good wild caught
cichlids, hard water with strong flow and rock salt.
That is it. All the rest is really window dressing!
Rumor #9 African Cichlids (especially wild and
pond-raised are disease ridden) requiring special
medication and handling!
Almost the
reverse is true! When wild fish are shipped from Africa
they undergo some transportation stress but are normally
disease free.
Solution:
At the
CRLCA we are experts at conditioning the newly arrived
fish. Under conditions of stress, the arriving fish
are more susceptible to the diseases carried by your
resident fish. A proper conditioning time is
necessary, as well as careful adjustment of the PH to
reduce a condition called PH shock. PH shock is the
change in PH in the bags during the export process.
Technically,
all fish in a closed aquarium system are disease
carriers and to label wild, pond bred, tank raised or
line bred, as the culprit or as being healthier is
contrary to the principles of successful aquaculture.
Suggestions when you feel your fish are stressed or
diseased-
Aquarium fish
have a limited life span. Most Cichlids will live 4-5
years. Wild Cichlids are never exposed to the chemicals
we tend to use in our tanks often have a shorter life
span but their offspring are often have more longevity.
Solution:
You are
advised to use all medicines with care. Listed
following are some of the treatments available from your
veterinarian or farm supply retailer. ALL antibiotics
should be used with care. We do not endorse any of
these products, but we use them when necessary in the
situations listed below. But honestly you are much
better off using “rock salt” for most of the conditions
you will encounter with your Cichlids. Just like
humans, fish develop resistance to antibiotics overuse.
Here
are some typical remedies we use at the CRLCA depot:
Tip #1 Rock
SALT-
90%
of the time this is all that is required.
Tip #2 For
the
other 10% of the time:
Use of
Antibiotics:
It is
important if you must use antibiotics or other
medicines, to use water-soluble antibiotics for
treatment. You are best to use these under veterinary
care and only when pathologists have identified the
disease symptoms correctly.
ESPECIALLY in
the Summer Months, WATCH for Fungus and Fin rot!
Tip #3:
When water temperature rises above 85 degrees, as it can
do in the summer months, fungus can be a problem.
Solution:
The best
treatment is rock SALT as well as some commercial
products on the market. Consult your veterinarian or
local pet shop.
Fungus Eliminator:
Works well in
the early stages initially but;
Tip:
Salt dip- bath treatment will work equally as well.
Other frequently used
chemicals and additives:
What about
shipping adult fish to other hobbyists?
Solution:
For shipping and
packing of Cichlids we have had success with HYPNO fish
calmer. This works well for the shipping of larger
cichlids, or if you must transport Cichlids long
distances. The fish calmer slows respiration and oxygen
use during prolonged periods in the fish bags. The rule
of thumb is use the fish calmer and ammonia chips for
these longer journeys.
Tip #6:
When filling the fish bags for shipping or auctions use only, 1/5th
water 4/5th oxygen/air.
Jungle Products’ Hypno fish calmer:
Is the
industry standard in fish calmer products?
Tip #7:
Never use Hypno or other fish calmer with catfish.
It is lethal!
If you cannot
get Hypno, you can safely use Jungle Lab’s “Bag
Buddies”. It’s the first water conditioner with fish
calmer that comes in easy-to-use, mess free tablets. It
protects fish by reducing stress, promoting slime coat,
removing chlorine and chloramines, neutralizing harmful
metals and adding beneficial electrolytes. Also contains
fish calmer to further reduce fish stress and adds
oxygen as well. Use 1 tablet in fish bag water (fresh or
saltwater) per 1 gallon of water added AFTER fish have
been placed in bag.
Rumor #10 Cichlids are fussy eaters and require
special foods!
Cichlids are
opportunistic feeders. They will do much better on
higher quality food. They eat almost anything. When we
import wild cichlids people are often amazed at the
smaller sizes and condition of these fish. This is due
to the lack of food available in both Lakes the
competition for food and space.
Solution:
Most Cichlids
are omnivores; they eat both vegetable and animal
matter. As a rule of thumb, a flake with a higher
proportion of vegetable matter works best. A mixed
flake from a reliable manufacturer is your best choice.
Live foods
such as brine shrimp, glass worms and earthworms will be
eaten readily. For the herbivores, zucchini and romaine
leaf lettuce tied to a rock with an elastic band will be
eaten with gusto. The lettuce and zucchini should be
used raw. Try Organic Spinach as well. Members of the
Zebra family love it as does Bushy, Bristle & Royal
Pleco’s. Members have literally “saved” Royals by
feeding organic spinach to them when they arrive in poor
condition. Zucchini can be cut up and frozen and later
thawed for use in the Cichlid tank. Cichlids do very
well on Spirulina foods, but this is not a whole diet
and should not be used exclusively.
You should
feed with a variety of high quality foods. At the CRLCA
we provide foods from manufacturers such as Omega Sea
and Exotic Tropicals to our members in bulk. This saves
our members considerably over the smaller package size.
We have general African cichlid flake, Veggie flake,
high protein Fry flake, Spirulina and Krill. We also
use a Vegetation pellet for the larger fish. We also
regularly feed our insectivores and omnivores popcorn
shrimp and earthworms. All Cichlids will also feed on
fry and even herbivores will eat fry.
Tip #1:
When feeding earthworms, ensure that you dig these from
an area of your lawn or garden that you do not use
pesticides or herbicides. A good source for earthworms
is your local bait supply shop.
Tip #2:
Feed wild caught cichlids sparingly during the first few
weeks of captivity. Overfeeding of any cichlid is an
open invitation to disease and bloat. At CRLCA we feed
our fish once a day an amount they can consume in 5
minutes. Excess food is removed from the tanks.
Cichlid fry are fed twice a day to ensure proper
nutrition and growth. Introduce new foodstuffs
gradually to the tank.
Rumor #11 It is complicated to set-up a Cichlid Tank!
(New or used)
Here is the
procedure to set up a Cichlid tank of any size or to
cycle a new or existing tank-
-
Acquire
the tank, and make sure it is long and not too deep.
LEVEL the tank.
-
Clean the
tank thoroughly; if currently in use make sure you
bleach the tank with household bleach. If the tank
has had other fish in it, then sterilize the entire
system. Add 1/3 cup of bleach per 100 gallons and
operate the system overnight. Drain all the water
and add new water to the system, drain and add new
water a second time and bring the tank to proper
temperature.
-
Test the
water using a pool chlorine test kit.
-
Recommended water temperatures:
Malawi tank
77-81 degrees Fahrenheit,
Tanganyika Tank
79-84 degrees Fahrenheit.
-
Add salt
and baking soda or other buffers, as per suggestions
this article.
-
Cycle the
tank using Septo Bac (or other off-the-shelf
products).
-
Ensure
filtration is adequate and strong flow. Treat the
water for chlorine contaminants.
-
Add
rocks, sand (silica sand is the best and most
reasonable) and tank decorations. Weathered
limestone is ideal for building the hardness content
of the water as well as typical of the type of rock
found in both Lakes. Avoid sharp rocks, and those
such as industrial glass and lava rock. Cichlids
often damage themselves on this rock, as they tend
to be highly active.
-
Add fish
at days 3-5 and begin water changes even though you
may have a fluidized bed on the system. It will
take about a month for the fluidized bed to get to
maximum efficiency.
-
Do not
float the fish bags in the tank. Instead drip tank
water or pour small amounts of new water into the
bags. Gently net or lift the fish into the new tank
once you have equalized the PH through dripping.
Sterilize all equipment with a light solution of
bleach and water.
-
DO NOT
use a seeded filter from another tank. Do not use
carbon filters in your Cichlid tank unless you
temporarily want to remove colors or medicines from
the water.
-
If you
are planning a Tropheus colony, a sterile
environment including a ONE NET-ONE TANK policy for
this colony is a must. Tropheus have little
resistance to many bacterial infections due to their
long intestinal tract. NEVER mix
Tropheus species with Malawi Cichlids. Tropheus
colonies do best on their own, but will tolerate
some of the open water species in their tank. Most
Tropheus hobbyists do not keep Tropheus in a
community tank setting.
-
Monitor
your new tank closely for the first few weeks or so
for signs of ammonia build up. (Lethargy, clamped
fins) Do water changes regularly for the first
month on a more frequent basis.
-
ENJOY the
fish in the natural habitat that you have now
created!
Contact CRLCA
if you have any concerns.
http://www.crlca.com or
crlca@rogers.com
Suggested Readings:
Konings, Ad
Malawi Cichlids in their natural habitat, 3rd
Edition, 2001. ISBN 0-9668255-3-5
Konings, Ad
Tanganyika Cichlids in their natural habitat, 2nd
Edition, 1998, ISBN 96668255-0-0
Konings, Ad
Enjoying Cichlids, 2nd Edition, 2003.
ISBN TBA
Jan. 10, 2003
revised
Zurlo, George
The Cichlid Aquarium, Barron Books, 2001.
Other
Resources.
Cichlid News
Aquatic Promotions, Miami, Florida Quarterly
subscription available from the CRLCA (http://www.crlca.com)
CD ROM
The Cichlids of Lake Malawi, Cichlid Press, 2002.
Available from CRLCA.
July 30,
2003, Revised |
Best
kept secrets for the hobbyist