OT: African cichlids

Conesus_Kid

Conesus_Kid

Premium Member
Hi kids!

Thought I'd share some shots of the latest addition to my classroom, a 55 gallon African mbuna biotope aquarium.

Species include:
Lotsa electric yellow labs- Labidochromis caeruleus, (courtesy of a very generous local reefkeeper)
4 Pseudotropheus acei 'Msuli'
6 Cynotilapia afra 'Likoma'

Some pics:
IMG_2143.jpg


IMG_2148.jpg


IMG_2152.jpg


FTS:
IMG_2150.jpg


Video:


Thanks for looking!
 
redrider911 said:
Is all that rock beneficial or is it decoration?
Click to expand...

It's not beneficial in the same sense that live rock is in our reef tanks. I tried to replicated the natural habitat of these species from Lake Malawi. 'Mbuna' (the general description of this group of fish) means "rock dweller". Ideally, I would have had several more rocks the size of the big one on the right-hand side, but I got these rocks when they were leveling my yard for my above ground pool this summer! :lol:
 
Feed them Nori and Frozen Daphnia.. The Daphnia keeps the intestines clean and healthy, stay away from brine shrimp and the like the it tends to sit in the gut and rot then you end up with bloat.
The Daphnia has a hard exoskeleton that cleans their intestines acts somewhat like fiber for us keeping us regular..
 
Nice tank! I have had a small colony of n. multifasciatus (small shell-dwelling cichlids from lake Tanganyika) for a couple of years and love them. I had them in a 55 where they bred constantly but they haven't resumed breeding since I moved them to a 20 long a coucple months ago. If they start breeding again, and you're interested sometime I would happily give you some. They're really interesting to watch because they each claim their own shell and build up piles of sand around them. Just putting it out there, I know you can't get too crazy with tanks in there!!

Do you still have that wall of small tanks, or was that someone else?
 
Scott......very nicely put together!!!!! The wife saw it and now wants another one.....G if you see this....I might have a new idea for that 55....Or at least the wife dose...lol
 
Love it. :) Really glad I don't have an empty tank sitting around right now... lol If those mbuna are anything like the one I had, they should do a pretty good job of keeping the rock picked clear of algae.
 
Thanks, gang! :D

It's a real distraction having it right next to my desk. These fish are very active, and very much like dogs. They follow me back and forth; always looking for a meal!
 
Great looking tank Scott. You know how much I love cichlids, especially African.

Don- Tell your wife its time for her to get a tank of her own going. These fish are nice and colorful she will love it.

Mag- I think those are just field stone, they may just be inert. However rift lake cichlids don't mind some minerals in the water. Naturally come from pretty alkaline and hard water conditions. I often keep these fish in tank set up a lot like marine fish-only, with dead reef rock and coral skeletons.
 
magdelan said:
Do you have any concern with the rocks leaching any minerals (or anything else) back into the water?
Click to expand...

Nah.

I've used rocks from the field behind my house and from my backyard in tanks for the past 6 years with no ill effect.

Like G said, these rift lake cichlids come from freshwater with alkalinity and pH similar to our reefs.
 
Do you have to dose anything in the water for alk, or have to do anything special?
Do you use rodi water?
How often do you do water changes?
 
redrider911 said:
Do you have to dose anything in the water for alk, or have to do anything special?
Do you use rodi water?
How often do you do water changes?
Click to expand...

The water out of the tap here is wicked hard, and has a pH of 8.2.

I just add dechlorinator when I do water changes.

I change about 50% weekly to keep nitrates down with this high fish load.
 
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