The Cichlids Cichlids are by far the most interesting tropical fish that you can keep in an aquarium! The goal for this website is to become the #1 resource for information related to cichlid keeping and breeding. Anyone with a fish tank can get involved. Most Cichlids come from Africa and South and Central America, with a few species found in Asia and North America. Cichlids inhabit the most varied of waters, ranging from roaring rivers to the smallest of ponds. Their colorful appearance, the many different species available, their behavior and their breeding are just some of the reasons the Cichlids are one of the most popular aquarium fish.

Cichlid

Cichlid, any of about 85 genera of freshwater and brackish-water fishes that make up the cichlid family in the perch order. In Africa cichlids are the dominant fishes in Lakes Nyasa (Malawi), Victoria, and Tanganyika, where hundreds of cichlid species are found. They also occur in India, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, the West Indies, and South and Central America; the range of one species extends into Texas. Several are popular aquarium fish, and many are extremely important as food fish.

Cichlids show considerable variety in shape but generally have a laterally flattened body, with spines in the dorsal and anal fins. They may be up to about 80 cm (about 30 in) long. The pike cichlids have an elongate body, and some other genera have high, sail-like fins. Many cichlids are active predators; others eat insects or plants.

Highly successful evolutionarily, the cichlid family is of interest to behavioral scientists because of the wide range of behavioral patterns it exhibits, particularly in breeding. Many species are territorial, clearing out a nesting space and guarding the eggs. Some are mouth brooders. The male digs a breeding pit in which the female lays her eggs and then picks up the fertilized eggs—or perhaps the unfertilized eggs and the male's sperm—in her mouth, keeping them there until they hatch. Males of some species are also mouth brooders. The young remain close to the mother and flee for safety back into her mouth, until eventually she rejects them.

One group of cichlids, the tilapias, are some of the most commonly cultured food fishes in the world, and both fresh and smoked tilapia are increasing in popularity. Some members of this group have been used as a biological control for aquatic vegetation.

Scientific classification: Cichlids make up the family Cichlidae in the order Perciformes. Pike cichlids make up the genus Crenicichla, tilapias the genus Tilapia.

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Setting up

a Simple Central American Cichlid Aquarium

Keeping cichlids need not be complicated. In fact, keeping certain cichlids can be pretty easy. Other cichlids demand more care, and some species demand a lot of care. For the purposes of this page, I assume that you are interested in setting up a simple, but interesting and enjoyable cichlid aquarium.

The Worlds Largest and most popular Hobby, and growing every day.

THE DISCUS...Difficult to care for, not a fish for all beginners. Because of their unique shape, temperament, and wide variety of beautiful colors, Discus Fish are considered to be the most desirable aquarium fish by many aquarists. Discus will often grow to be over 5" in diameter in an aquarium. Some scientists believe all Discus are the same species, other scientists believe there are three species, and still other scientists believe there may be many species and subspecies The King of Tropical Fish The Discus: the dream of any aquarium lover. Discus have long been know as the "King of the Aquarium." The discus is native to the Amazon and its tributaries. The discus is currently recognized as having two species and five subspecies.  THE BEGINNERS DISCUS PAGE M In this section you can find several articles written by Cichlid experts. These articles relate many aspects of Cichlid fishes. They have been classified by the geographic area where the species involved inhabit and by topic. The articles have been chosen by their quality, they offer valuable information and many times very nice pictures. Andre's Aquarium Club Ask your aquarium related questions M CLICK HERE Setting up an Aquarium? Aquarium Plants? Sick Fish? Invertebrate Problem? Water Problems? Breeding? Propagating ? M

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General Tips for Discus Keeping Some appropriate water conditions: 78-88º F (26-31º C). Most people keep their discus at about 85º F (29º C). Due to these high temperature, care should be taken when choosing tankmates for discus. pH and general hardness should be low for general discus keeping. The water should be very soft and acidic, with a pH of 6.0-6.8 Pollution WILL NOT BE TOLERATED. In terms of tank conditions, this is really the big 'secret' to keeping discus healthy. B Ammonia and Nitrites should be kept at 0ppm at all times. Nitrates should also be kept as low as possible. Weekly water changes are important, except in the case of a very heavily planted tank with high nitrogen compound grounding capacity and a very small biological load. Water changes DAILY are highly recommended. For the Expert or the Beginner Setting Up the Discus Aquarium and Induce the Fish to Spawn Water temperature is 82-84 degrees. pH is 6.0 - 6.5. 180ppm is water hardness. Before ordering our discus, make sure your aquarium is properly cycled and that your tank's water ph is between 6.0 - 6.5. Do not put discus in alkaline water(any pH above 7.0). Which ever Cichlid you choose, you will have a wonderful experience. Discus fish are some of the more fascinating to look at aquarium fish that one can place into an aquarium. They come in various colors, royal blue, brown and red turquoise, which are generally bright if provided with the proper diet. Discus fish will grow to be about twenty or twenty-five centimeters in length. This is a shy species of fish. Discus fish are a pretty peaceful fish to have around, making them ideal for most aquarium owner's collections. They are susceptible to stress though, Discus fish will hide with the slightest noise or disturbance. Because of this it is suggested they be placed in a largely undisturbed area or a place that doesn't receive much foot traffic in order to avoid this problem. Don't place them with more aggressive fish either, as they're to docile to fight for their own food and may end up starving over time. The living conditions of these fish are pretty strict and must be closely monitored. The water temperature should be between twenty-six and thirty-one Celsius with a pH level between 5.5 and 6.5. There are no special lighting requirements needed for discus fish but to best view them low lighting is suggested. Discus fish are very, very susceptible to disease and are soft fishes in general. They are so much so that, a discus fish owner will need to be willing to change out the tank water one to three times a week. A high quality water filter is suggested as well. Cheap filters won't get the job done and the owner may have to change the water almost everyday in this case. Also, be careful when feeding them with live food such as bloodworms, brine shrimp, and mosquito larva. These types of foods can have live bacteria living on them which could cause a discus fish to become sick or possibly die. Discus fish will eat a large variety of foods but an owner must be cautious what they're fed as suggested before. Beef heart, and even pork heart, is highly suggested as they provide protein nutrition and can strengthen the fish's coloring. Flake, granular, and freeze dried foods are also perfectly acceptable to give to this fish and provides a well balanced diet.

Wayne's World - Cichlids in the Aquarium by Jay Exner Cichlids at some point, more frequently with some than others, require shelter - hiding places where an aggressive fish cannot follow. Some cichlids require, even demand, aquatic plants as an integral part of the environment. A really good plant choice is Java fern, a true submerged fern which thrives under a variety of water conditions and is hard to kill - and generally not very tasty to most fish. Java moss, water sprite, duckweed and salvinia rounded out his best bets. Wood makes an important natural addition to the New World cichlid aquarium. It provides shelter, and for some loricariid catfish is a dietary requirement. Other popular materials used to provide shelter in these aquariums include rocks, clay pots and the crude-but-effective PVC tubing. Shelter allows you to manage fish aggression. This is important, because few hobbyists can afford an aquarium so huge that a fish on the run can outrun a determined pursuer for long. Water quality is an important cichlid aquarium consideration. Wayne's slides of a flooded South American forest told an important ecological tale. Many of the New World fish don't live in mountain rapids but inhabit the generally slow-moving rivers that seasonally flood adjacent rainforests. The fish literally swim out into the woods to breed amidst brush, branches and fallen leaves, and then they get back to the rivers with or without their young to complete their life cycles. Overfiltering is not necessary and neither is strong water movement. Wayne prefers box and sponge filters. Both provide mechanical and biological filtration and at the same time are good oxygenators through surface movement of water. Aquaclear brand power filters work best for him. He prefers the fillable compartments compared to some of the other popular filter designs. Interestingly, he distrusts the use of activated carbon in the aquarium, and simply does not use it, because some studies have shown that water quality can be degraded substantially when carbon is used improperly or when low quality carbon is used. "Aequidens" rivulatus - Green Terror Maylandia crabro - The Hornet Cichlid Steatocranus casuarius - Lionhead  Thorichthys meeki - Firemouth Parapetenia managuense - Jaguar Cichlid Neolamprologus multifasciatus - Multis Heros severus - Severum Petenia splendida - Bay Snook Tilapia buttikoferi - Buttikoferi Cyrtocara moori - Malawi Dolphin Apistogramma agassizi Aulonocara jacobfreibergi "Geophagus" braziliensis Geophagus steindachneri - The Red Hump Geophagus surinamensis Guianacara sp. geayi- The Bandit Cichlid Gymnogeophagus balzani Satanoperca jurupari- The Jurupari South American Cichlids Central American Cichlids West African Cichlids African Rift Lake cichlids Non-cichlid species Aggression in Cichlids Aggression in Cichlids is caused by a number of things. In nature, Cichlids live in relative density, and are under constant pressures to find food. They establish territories to help ensure their survival in these crowded conditions. The first thing which drives aggressiveness is food. By establishing a sizable territory in nature, each Cichlid creates its own little "backyard garden" to harvest, ensuring a good supply of food. Fish which consume the same foods are obviously competitors, and are driven away. Secondly, fish need territory to breed. Females are only allowed into a males territory if she is willing to breed, if not, she is chased off. Males of the same species are also driven off, because they are competition for the females of the species. There are a few things you can do to "control and manipulate" Cichlid's aggressive tendencies in order to reduce the risk of "murder."

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Brackish Water Aquarium