Keeping Cichlids Happy - It's Not Hard

By Carey Malloy

Keeping Cichlids is a hobby that more and more people are learning to enjoy every day. But if you are just beginning to learn how to keep these amazing and beautiful tropical fish, you have lots of questions. These are a few tips to get you started in your quest to keeping healthy but most importantly happy cichlids.

The first and most important thing that you should do is to think about the size that your cichlid fish will be when they reach full maturity. If Oscar fish are your favorite cichlids, you are simply going to need a large tank. Oscars are some of the largest and most intelligent of cichlids and they need their room.

Oscars need at least a 55 gallon tank, and that's just for a pair of these big guys. And guess what, if your cichlids are smaller, then a smaller tank will do. Couldn't be any simpler than thay.

Secondly, water salinity and ph levels, among other variables, can be very different between the different species of these fish. Specifically, they can be very different between the different American Cichlids and African Cichlids. Salinity and ph levels can even be diverse between the different lakes in Africa that particular African Cichlids are native to.

If you are going to have happy and healthy fish, Africans or Americans, temperature and water chemistry must be monitored on a daily basis.

Keeping cichlids with aquatic plants can sometimes be a challenge. I love a lush aquarium full of vibrant vegetation, but this can sometimes be impossible with certain types of cichlids.

African varieties of cichlids simply don't do very well with plants. South American cichlids seem to have a better tolerance for plant life. But if you have Oscars, don't bother. They love to dig plants up. Angels, however love plants and will thrive in a fully planted aquarium.

Angel fish are some of the most beautiful cichlids in my opinion. They can make a great addition to almost any docile cichlid tank. - 32185

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