African Rift Lake Cichlids; Maintenance and Propagation

Raising Cichlids from the African Rift Lakes has been quite an enjoyable and rewarding hobby, and has become a business for me. I am specializing in the great variety of Cichlid species from Lake Tanganyika and Lake Malawi. There are many beautiful species that have evolved from common ancestors in each lake, and I regret that I cannot possibly raise all of them in my lifetime. These fishes are of great interest to science. Since the lakes are in a tropical environment, the high water temperature is conducive to spawning year round, greatly accelerating the process of evolution in this environment.

I attempt to do the best I am able with species I have selected to breed, and I offer the fishes I have raised to other hobbyists; that they might find as much enjoyment, and peace of mind from them as I have.

Species Selection: The Bully Theory

Most of the Cichlids from these lakes like alkaline water and a rocky environment. Males of most Cichlid species are instinctually “territorial”; selecting spawning territories among the rocky substrate in the lakes, and luring available females for spawning. I would advise you to attempt to use every effort in order to duplicate the natural environment in your aquarium. Check sources of photos of the lakes underwater environment whenever possible, to assist your efforts.

You may have heard the words “mean” or “aggressive” from people in aquarium stores, or hobbyists that do not know how to properly handle them. If you speak with a person that uses these two latter terms, I would seriously doubt their ability to adequately advise you on their maintenance and habits. Cichlids are territorial. Only people are “mean’ or “aggressive”; Cichlids are territorial, by instinct. Cichlids can exhibit these qualities if the aquarist keeps them incorrectly, and will attempt to do so anyway. It is an instinctual behavior; there is nothing you can or should do to attempt to alter it, other than methods I will describe that have worked for me.

If you make the error of purchasing just a few fish of the same species, and both fish happen to be males, the larger fish will attack and probably kill the smaller fish. Remember, they are territorial; the larger fish just wants the whole tank to himself. This can also occur in the case of one of them being a female, but it is due now to the males instinct to spawn, and not to the territorial instinct to drive off competing males.

I have had success in keeping and breeding most mouthbrooding species in colonies, and I also do this with pairing substrate spawners, during the pairing process. Pairs are then isolated, or fishes that are territorial “losers” are remove.

Decide on the fish first; then set up the tank they need

It is much wiser to decide which species you want in your aquarium before setting up the tank. I always attempt to acquire at least a dozen or so of the same species, and I introduce them to the largest tank available, in order to allow the males to exercise the territoriality. However, when you have a dozen or more fishes in the tank, the territoriality or “aggressive” behavior is spread around, with the goal that no one fish suffers any damage.

When looking for breeding stock, I always purchase fishes as juveniles, and raise them up together in the same tank. In a seller’s tank of two dozen fishes, I would prefer to take the smallest dozen, to insure that I get more females, their being usually smaller than males. If you buy the largest dozen, you would logically get more males, which is not desirable for breeding. The dominant males will “color up”, assuming breeding coloration, while sub-dominants will not color up as well, if at all. Depending on the species, it is very possible for these sub-dominant males to retain the juvenile/female coloration. This set up allows for the dominant males to select the best females for spawning. Hopefully you have several females, since you purchased the dozen. Do you understand why I do this now?

Aquarium Set Up / Filtration for a Gravel Substrate

I have used undergravel filters (I like Perfecto UG’s the best) for many years, using Marineland Penguin 550 Powerheads instead of air pumps, in order to increase the filter’s efficiency, as well as increase aeration. You may also wish to select a good power or canister filter to use on the tank, also. Select these based on the size of your aquarium, the bioload, as well as the desired amount of water movement. Both types of filter supplement each other; one type performs functions that the other does not, so if you can use both types, it’s a very good idea to do so.

In an undergravel filter, the gravel is actually the filter medium, housing nitrifying bacteria that break down the fishes waste products. I have always found a medium sized gravel to work best. I use a mixture of three types of gravel, pre-washed before adding it to the tank: 1/3 crushed coral, 1/3 Dark Brown Natural River Gravel, and 1/3 Light Brown Natural River Gravel. The crushed coral helps to keep the alkalinity up in the tank. Other possible additives to this mixture are gravels such as dolomite or crushed oyster shell. I do not used crushed coral alone, as it tends to cause the fishes colors to fade out, as they attempt to color to match their surroundings; darker is better.

Aquarium Set Up / Filtration for a Sand Substrate

You may prefer to use sand as your substrate, in order to more accurately duplicate the fishes’ natural environment. In an aquarium with sand, it will be impossible to use an Undergravel filter. Your filtration must be accomplished with power of canister filters. I have found it very helpful to also install the powerheads, same as I would on a gravel aquarium, using a foam pre-filter instead of the UG filter. If you use a sand suitable for a marine aquarium, you will find that it will assist with pH buffering, helping to keep your water alkaline. I prefer Caribsea Aragamax for sand tanks.

Supplemental Filtration

I supplement this with Vortex Innerspace Products’ diatom filter, which is easily movable from tank to tank, as needed. The diatom filter does not need to run at all times on any one tank. One day every two weeks is about the maximum you should need, unless you are polluting your aquarium. These have the ability to remove any particle larger than one micron (1/1,000,000 meter), form your water, and in effect “polishes” your water. These filters also remove parasites from the water, including ‘Ich”.

Rock Substrates

In the Malawi tank, I use washed natural stones, preferably granite “river slicks”. I prefer to use Caribsea Coral (Reef) Rock in a Tanganyikan tank. These are arranged to provide niches and caves between each stone, to allow for the aforementioned territories. I allow algae to grow on the stones, as many species will eat it, and it also helps to eliminate the nitrates, which are the final product of nitrification.

Water

I use SeaChem Cichlid Lake Salt and Tanganyika Buffer or Malawi/Victoria Buffer, depending on the natural habitat of the fishes, to increase to alkalinity of my water. I maintain the Malawi species at a pH around 8.2; and Tanganyikans are kept at close to 9.0. Check the pH of your tapwater, and make adjustments as needed. I never mix Tanganyikan species with Malawis, for this reason. The salts should be pre-dissolved in water prior to introduction into your tank. The Cichlid Lake Salt is difficult to dissolve; I use a large bucket and add hot water first, then cold, balancing the temperature, to accomplish this. The dissolved salts are added to the aquarium with the new water during water changes, to completely dissolve it.

Weekly Water Changes are Critical

I do a 50% water change on each aquarium, weekly, unless a particular tank has very new fry in it. This is the single most important maintenance you must accomplish to maintain a successful aquarium. I accomplish this by draining out ½ of the tank water first and then replace it; and I do not use any of these easy water changers that will not fulfill this requirement. I made my own water change tool. I have found a simple garden hose, with faucet adapter, to work the best. If a “U” tube is forced over the end of the hose that I use to go into the aquarium, It’s now made to be adjustable, and I can control how much water is removed. The strainer provides the barrier to stop fishes from going into the drain hose. The faucet adapter (they are available with a quick disconnect), on the other end of the hose, allows a quick refill. I use NovAqua for a water conditioner.

The Carbon Dioxide and Nitrogen Cycle

Fishes naturally excrete carbon dioxide and ammonia. The carbon dioxide will be utilized as a plant food, when light is applied to the aquarium, or given off through the surface of the water. It is not possible to eliminate all carbon dioxide, as it is in everything around us in the natural world. Remember photosynthesis? Plants absorb carbon dioxide in the presence of light, giving off oxygen. What they didn’t tell you is that this process is reversed without light; plants absorb oxygen, giving off carbon dioxide. So it is wise to have a good natural daylight bulb (flourescent). I allow my lights to stay on for the natural daylight cycle.

Ammonia is another story. It is the immediate toxic waste produced by fishes, and will poison them if the levels get too high in a new aquarium. Fishes have hemoglobin in their blood to carry oxygen, just as people and all higher animals do. However ammonia will bind with hemoglobin faster than oxygen will, forming a toxic substance, and depriving the fish’s cells of the oxygen they require for respiration.

The aquarium must go through a break-in period, or "cycling" period, during which the tank's "Nitrogen Cycle" becomes estanlished. There exists everywhere in nature, in all natural bodies of water or earth, as well as in your aquarium, nitrifying bacteria that must become established to break down the ammonia. These bacteria essentially “eat” ammonia, changing it into nitrite. Nitrite is also toxic to fishes. There exists a second bacteria that “eats” nitrite, changing it into nitrate. Nitrate is not toxic to fishes, and can be utilized by plants for food (check a bag of fertilizer). The average aquarium should take approximately a month to accomplish this. Products are available to speed up this process; I have never used them. I prefer to take my time, and allow the aquarium to become established naturally.

It is very wise to purchase test kits for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, as well as pH, and test your water often. Daily is a smart idea in a new, or “cycling” aquarium. If the levels of the toxic chemicals get too high, it is necessary to do a partial water change. I do 50%. As with all water changes, use a good water conditioner/dechlorinator, and put the new water in the tank at the same temperature as the tank already is.

Substrate Spawners / Pairing Species

Some species (it varies by species, so check before you get them) are substrate spawners. These fishes form semi-permanent breeding pairs. From the dozen juveniles you purchased, the dominant male will select the best female for breeding, and will attempt to evict the rest of the fishes from the aquarium. I do not attempt to make this selection for him; he can judge a pretty fish better than I can. Do not remove a fish if it is acting like a “bully”; you will have just eliminated your dominant breeder male. Remove all the other fishes, instead. This gives the tank to the breeders, who will lay eggs that attach to a rock or in a cave (it varies by species, so check before you set up the tank). If not disturbed too much these species are usually capable of raising fry in the tanks with the parents. This is without a doubt the most beautiful sight I have ever seen in an aquarium. When the fry reach a size of ½ to 1 inch, I remove them to their own fry tank, by moving water from the parents tank to the fry tank, then moving the fry.

Substrate Spawners / Mouthbrooders

I handle mouthbrooding species differently. I keep these in a breeder colony, as they do not form “pairs”. The dominant male is capable with spawning with as many females as are receptive. I try to have as many as one to two dozen adults in the breeder tank, preferably more females than males. When a female is found to be brooding eggs (you will see a swollen chin pouch). I either isolate the females in a 10 Gal tank, pre-setup for this purpose, or remove (strip) the eggs or developing fry from the female, transferring them to an egg tumbler I have.

Again I move water from the spawning aquarium to the isolation tank. The eggs will begin to develop in the female’s mouth. I leave the females in this tank until they release the fry at the free-swimming stage. Then the female is replaced in the breeder colony tank. Mouthbrooders do not usually have as many fry as substrate spawners do, but it is a very advanced method of breeding, as it allows the fry to be protected from perdition in the wild environment, and they are larger when they are released.

Using an Egg Tumbler

In many cases, I prefer to remove eggs or developing fry from the brooding female, transferring them to an egg tumbler, I have made. In this case, also, I will use water from the breeding tank, usually moving it to the tumbler with the diatom filter, ensuring that is as clean as possible. The addition of an anti-fungal agent such as acriflavine or methylene blue retards the growth of egg fungus. When these eggs develop to free swimming size, I acclimate them to the water from one of my fry tanks (10 Gal), and move them into this tank. The tumbler is then cleaned and ready for the next batch of eggs or fry. I will often move fry and juveniles fishes to progressively larger tanks, as they grow.

If I can be of any further assistance, or if you would like some of my fishes in your aquarium, please let me know.

Good luck with your Rift Lake Cichlids !

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