One of the beautiful Haplochromines; Lethrinops cf. albus
Haplochromine Tanks are very popular, second only to Mbuna Tanks, as the most widespread among cichlid-enthusiasts today. These Tanks are easy to maintain, the Fish fairly hardy and with looks that really stand out! This attracts a lot of Newcomers to the hobby, but unfortunately there really is not much detailed information, about how to set up and run the Tank, which often leads to many, otherwise easily avoided, basic mistakes. This article is an attempt to rectify this, by laying some guidelines, and hopefully help getting off on the right foot, with these almost unbelievably beautiful cichlids.
We will start by defining what constitutes a Haplochromine Tank; It is an aquarium optimized for, and containing cichlids, catogorized in following groups: Free-swimmers, Sand dwellers and Aulonocare (a single genus, probably closer related to Mbuna than to the other Haplochromines), which are all native to Lake Malawi.
The division into these groups are somewhat artificial, mainly serving the purpose of splitting the cichlids into smaller and more managable groups. As it makes no real difference regarding Tank setup and maintenance, They will henceforth be referred to as Haplochromines, or Haps. (For a very long time, most of these cichlids, were in fact included in the genus Haplochromis, which explains the popular name).
There are several hundreds of species, some wirh numerous variants, but apart from a few adjustmens (general space, area of sand, hideouts etc.) based on size/type/aggression, They require the same basic setup, which makes it reasonably simple to set up a Tank that fits them all.
Aulonocare sp. "lwanda".
The genus Aulonocare does, strictly speaking, not belong to the Haplo-chromines, since they are more closely related to the Mbuna group, but since they fit much better in Haplochromine tanks, they are included here
Lethrinops sp. "yellow collar"
The sanddwelling cichlids warrants a little special consideration, requiring a larger area of free sand bottom than the rest of the cichlids included here, but other than that, they fit in very well.
Off course a suitable aquarium is needed, and "suitable" in this context, means "large"! No Haplochromine tank should be shorter than 120-130cm, which for standard dimensioned Tanks, means 300-350 liter. This postulate contradicts a lot of the minimum sizes found in various books and articles, where many species have been allocated considerably smaller aquariums, but the purpose of this article, is not to describe how poorly the fish can be kept without actually killing them, but how to get a satisfactory tank setup for both the Keeper and the cichlids!
Adversely, not many Haps will not fit in at tank like a standard 530L (160x60x55 cm), and Tanks larger than 900L (200x60x60) are large enough for any species.
Haplochromine tanks are often heavily stocked with large fish with equally high requirement for food, so effective filtering is important.
This can be achieved in various ways, with various price tags attached, and a thorough description of the possbilities would constitute a whole article of its own, so I would just suggest a suitably large external cannister-filter, which is easily installed in the setup, following the instructions provided by the manufacturer, or the use a HMF (Hamburger matten filter (German)) Which basically is a large mat of foam, where water is forced through. An explanatory diagram can be found HERE but the accompanying article is unfortunately in German. A picture of such a well ingrown mat, is shown further down on this page.
The reason for singling out the cannister filter, in spite of the fact, that it probably is the most expensive filtering method, is that it is also one of the most effective, does not demand much knowledge about filter technigues, and in contrast to the mentioned HMF filter, is pretty independent of the decoration setup. Besides, it is very easy to control and, if need be, clean up, without disturbing the whole tank, and it is possible to get reliable guidance from the supplier, who does not need detailed information about the aquarium in question, to be able to guide with the right size filter and the best filter medium. The best filter medium, is usually the one made specifically for a particular filter. It is invariably depressingly expensive, but according to My experience markedly better, and is able to stand for longer periods between cleanings, than e.g. filtervatte or common gravel. The popular Bioballs, are not effective enough for the relatively small volume of the cannister, and is thus best avoided.
Any filter needs maturing, as described in the "Startup" section later in this article.
Eheim 2080 Professional III. The shown filter is very large, and will be able to run a tank of up to 1000L, but there are filters for any size of tank. Typically a correct dimensioned filter will need cleaning 2-4 times a year. This is best done in used aquarium water, and under no circumstances in very hot or cold water, which is highly detrimental to the bacteria culture inside!
Haplochromines are used to heavy water movement, so this should be mimicked in the tank, both for the sake of the necessary oxygen adsoption, and the general wellbeeing of the cichlids.
A rule of thumbs says, that if the collective capacity of the pumps, are 5 times the tank volume per hour, the water movement is sufficient (i.e. a 250L tank needs a collective pump capacity of app. 1250 LPH) This is usually more than the filter pump manages, and the additional flow is best provided with an internal pump without any filter, often called a Powerhead, or just PH. The PH is ideally installed hidden in the decoration, preferably directed, to send the exhaust beam up to move the surface, which is very beneficial to the oxygen adsorption, and also helps breaking any surface film.
Tunze Turbelle® powerhead 3000/2 and Aquabee UP3000. These powerheads are essentially identical, each with an output of 3000 LPH, but the Tunze manages this with a power consumption of 25W, whereas the Aquabee uses 48W!
Also note the protected intake on one of the powerheads. Without one of these grids mounted (it is always included in the box), the PH is very dangerous to the fish!
HQI lamps, which are very popular with marine aquarists, gives a very realistic and beautiful effect, especially since the light is emitted from a single point, and thereby has a distinct "sunshine effect" over the decor, if there is a little rippling in the surface from the PH. Unfortunately there are also some significant drawbacks, which explains why very few cichlid aquarists have them; If the lamp is required to look reasonably good, it will also be rather expensive, and the lamp must be mounted no closer than 20 cm. from the surface. That usually requires the lamp to be hung from the ceiling, or mounted in a very voluminous cabinet. The first option lets quite a lot of light out in the room, possibly ruining the ambience, and the second solution may make the tank look unreasonably large.
Far more common, are fluorescent tube lamps, either prefabricated or homemade, and with good reason. They allow for a wide variation of light intensity and colour variations, and takes up very little space. There are two basic systems: T8 and T5. The primary difference between them, is that the T5, which is a relatively new system, yields more light per Watt than the older T8, and is able to use more Watts at any given length of the tube. This allows the lamp to "burn more fuel" but also to give out a lot more light.
All this, is fairly inconsequential to a Haplochromine tank, where plant growth rarely is a high priority. Selection of light colour is also purely aesthetic, and the choice is mainly between natural or enhanced colours.
The first is best achieved by Biolux from Osram, the latter could be a combination of Gro-lux and Aquastar, both from Sylvania.
720L Haplochromine tank. The Decorationen is a combo of BTN modules, granite rocks and a group of Cryptocoryne sp. The lush growth of hair algae on the rocks are not common, and for now, not repeatable on purpose. The precense of juveniles in the tank are also somewhat unusual, but highly recommendable. It does however, require that the fry are reared in a separate tank, until they are past "swallow size". A number of the Mbuna species Labidochromis caeruleus, are present in this tank. This is not really recommendable, but if You MUST mix the two types of fish, this species is one of the least unfortunate to try.
A fair resemblance to the natural biotope should be attempted, if You wish to experience the natural behavior of the cichlids. That means that the tank must be decorated with a lot of hideouts consisting of rocks (or mimicks of these) in various sizes. A beautiful, and at the same time space saving solution, is the use of modules, or slightly less creatively, whole backgrounds made form artificial material by e.g. Back-to-Nature or Pangaea, which is glued to the back- or sideglass, and supplemented with natural rocks, preferrably in approximately same colour and structure. This is, however, fairly expensive, and it is entirely possible to make some very beautiful decorations exclusively with natural rock.
Most important, aesthetically, is it to avoid using very different materials, so as not to make the impression of a heap of leftovers from a construction site.
In nature, it will typically be the same type of rock that dominates any given locality, especially in a lake that`s been unchanged in millions of years. For practical purposes, there are several considerations, some of them unfortunately contradicting, so it is necessary to give some careful thought to the various unavoidable compromises.
The first compromise, is between hiding places and free space, which off course affect small tanks most.
The second, which is a lot like the first, is the practical problem, that a lot of hiding places makes it very difficult to remove any fish from the tank, if this should prove desirable or even necessary.
This makes it worthwhile to assess the need for hideouts very careful, and only make the necessary amount. Also it`s a good idea to make sure that those hideouts can be opened without too much disturbance. This can be achieved by not stacking too many rocks on top of each other, making it possible to uncover the hideout without having to dismantle the whole decoration.
If You`re not interested in removing brooding females, and is careful to only acquire fish that You are sure You want to keep, You can forget about all this, and concentrate on a Beautiful and optimal setup for the cichlids.
When placing the rocks at the bottom, try to arrange these, so as to achieve a fairly even balance between areas with hideouts and free sandy bottom. If a lot of sanddwellers are projected, the areas with rocks must be reduced, are the other types dominant, the rock area is enlarged.
It is always a good idea to place at thin polystyrene sheet on a glass bottom, before the rocks are placed in the tank, to avoid any excessive point-pressure from pebbles, with a resulting crack in the glass!
The substrate is very important, especialli if sanddwelling species are included, but also for the rest. Sand is what is called for! It must be small grained enough to pass freely through the gills of the fish and without any sharp edges to damage their moths. When laying it out, bear in mind that it will be moved around a lot! A layer of 2-3 inches will do fine.
The main choice is between the several types of full backgrounds, which can be acquired for different sizes af tanks, or a number of modules, which, if necessary, can be cut to fit, and combined to individual taste/need.
What to choose, depends off course, of how much work You are willing to do, what You are prepared to pay, and how important it is, to be able to express some individuality in the final result. In any case, the decoration must be glued to the glass with Silicone, preferrably in black. It is best to regard this as a permanent solution! Even though the Background/Modules CAN be taken out and recycled, it`s very hard to remove all traces of the glue form the glass.
A good and economical way to use Modules, is to put them on the back and side glass, with ample spacing, so that it`s possible to see all the way to the back glass. This makes for a lot of crevices for the cichlids , where they can feel safe, but not be totally impossible to reach if needed.
Placing modules on the bottom can not really be recommended, simply because it is a waste of money, since it is very easy just to put a natural rock here, and the bottom is probably the place that is most likely to be rearranged at some point!
The back glass can be painted black on the outside, so that it gives the impression of looking into deep crevices and caves, illuding a better depth than there actually is. The modules are available in several different finishes, but it`s best to stay with one in each setup, to keep a natural look.
An example of newly placed BTN modules
Plants are a natural part of both the sandy coast and the Intermediate habitat, but the Cichlids will not miss Them if They are opted out. On the contrary, if They are present, they are often uprooted and torn to pieces! A lot of people likes plants though, and it is in fact possible to find Some, that will be able to thrive in the Tank. Best suited are Microsorium pteropus (Java fern) and the Anubias species, which both have the advantage of being able to grow, without having the roots in any substrate, but also many Cryptocoryne species do well, especially if They are guarded from digging, by placing pieces of Rock around Them. None of these Plants are indigenous to Lake Malawi though, where the dominant Plants are local species of Ceratophyllum and Vallisnereia, which unfortunately are very rarely available, and poses high demands to the Lighting.
Algae are both natural and desirable, as decoration as well as a dietal supplements. They help motivate the cichlids to use Their natural feeding habits, and provides a healthy supplement of vegetable foods. Both Algae and Plants benefit from good lighting, so if they are not growing fast enough, more light is one of the ways, to help them along, but usually this is not a problem with the mentioned plants.
A good example of a very suitable plant: Cryptocoryne willisii, here placed between two modules, and further secured with small pieces of Rock. Notice the "patina" to the modules after ½ year, in contrast to the brand new
Almost any kind of Rocks are usable, provided They do not contain anything toxic (some rocks contain e.g. metals, that dissolves into the water), or has very sharp or ragged edges, which can harm the cichlids in case of collisions (Mbuna are used to a rocky environment, so They are pretty good at avoiding damages, but still...).
The Rock surfaces should not be too rough either, as it could lead to abraitions on the cichlids lips, when They try to scrape algae from it. Some of the (in Scandinavia) most commonly used Rocks are: Granite, Faxekalk (calcerous Rocks that essentially are fossilised corals, compressed to massive chalky pieces), Kenyarocks and Lava. Lava Rocks are in My opinion a bit problematic, since they often are both very ragged and sharp, always with very rough surfaces, whereas the other types are very fine, but in case of the Faxekalk and Kenyarocks, not very natural looking. Granite comes in various colours and structures, all suitable for the Aquarium, but for a natural look, it is best to select a certain colour/structure, and use only that in the Tank.
Most Rocks are ready for use after a thorough rinsing in cold water, but if They are found i.e. on a construction site or in a muddy field, it could be a good idea to douse Them with boiling water. Rocks found at the beach, are usually ready for use without any preparation.
Roots are, contrary to common belief, very usable in Mbuna Tanks, as long as They are thoroughly water drenched, so They do not decompose in the Tank ( Read: If You are not completely sure about what to look for, You buy Them in a reputable Store!) The superstition about how Roots does not belong in Mbuna Tanks because They are not natural to the Biotope and lowers the Ph value is quite widespread, but let`s just make it totally clear here, that it is utter rubbish on both accounts! Off course Trees fall, or are blown into Lake Malawi, just like any other lake, and regarding the Ph-drop, it is next to impossible to affect this value noticeably in water with the hardness required for this type of Tank. That said, Roots will often cause some yellow/brownish colouration to the water, which is not exactly flattering to the cichlids, but this will be kept to a minimum by the recommended watershifts. Roots are ready for use, after a quick rinse in cold water, when bought from a store.
The Sand/Gravel is best cleaned in portions in a bucket, and should be rinsed until there is no more dirt floating in the water.
We will start with the basics; When the Tank has safely arrived, it has to be cleaned with water, and all glass surfaces skould be polished. This is done to make sure, that there are no chemicals or other residue from manifacturing/previous use left in the Tank, and it provides a good opportunity to inspect for scratches to the glass or frame. If the Tank in question is a used one, there is not much to do, but to use the least damaged glass as front, but if It is a new one, it should be returned at once, for a replacement!
When this is done, it is time to glue the Background/Modules, if those are planned, to the glass and the back glass may be painted on the outside. If there are plans for an external background, it is probably also easiest to execute those now! Next step is to place the Tank where it is supposed to stand making sure that It is absolutely level!!!, and put in the polystyrene plate on the bottom.
Now it is time to install all the technical gear, according to the guidelines given in Their corresponding Manuals. Generally speaking, They should be placed as hidden as possible, without impairing their function. Powerheads and In/outlets from external filters, are best left loosely placed, untill the decoration is completely in place, and then be adjusted so that everything fits.
Some Aquarists prefer to decorate the Tank completely, without any water in it, but personally, I like to fill the Tank about 3/4 after placing a few heavy Rocks on the polystyrene, to keep it down.
Anyway, now is the time, for the most exciting and important step! The reason for My preferrance for having water int the Tank during decoration, is that water changes the visual perspective, making the Tank seem narrower than It actually is, and I like to take that into account right away, when placing the decorations.
Either way, the decorating is finished off, by spreading the chosen substrate evenly over the bottom, and the tecnical equipment is plugged in. There You have it, a working Mbuna Tank, ready for maturing!
Now the filter must be activated, which can be done in a couple of ways. The aim is to add a culture of beneficial bacteria to maintain the biological reduction, that is the main purpose of the filter. The simplest way, is to do nothing, other than a couple of small feedings in the Tank, but it takes some patience, as it typically takes 3-4 weeks to get the filter going this way. A quicker way, which requires acces to a matured filter, is to take a good portion of said filter, and put in the the New, so the bacteria can quickly spread from there. The last, and fastest way, is to simply buy the bacteria in pill/powder form, and add them to the filter by letting them in via the filter inlet. The manufacturers claim that the filter can be up and running in 24 hours, but it is probably best to wait about a week or so... If You`re so inclined, it is possible to get various test sets, which can measure the content of the various waste substances in the water, and this way see when the filter is starting to work.
It will be too laborious to go deeper into the degradin processes here, but in short, what happens is, that waste from the fish/uneaten food is reduced to Ammonia, which is extremely toxic but quickly reduced to Nitrite. Nitrite, which is also very toxic, is then reduced to the relatively harmless Nitrate. It is mainly the Nitrite level that is measured during the Maturing period. Under no circumstances, may fish be added to a Tank with any measurable level of Nitrite! When Nitrite has been found, and has dissapeared again, the filter is working properly.
If You don`t want the inconvenience/cost of measuring, You have to wait until You are reasonably certain that the filter is matured, which can be anything from 1 to 4 weeks. In this period, it is best to add a little food (Dry flake food is fine) to the Tank from time to time (You are feeding the bacteria).
Now it`s finally time to add some fish (but do read the rest of this article first!), and "some fish" is NOT an entire Tank stock! It is best to start with 3-5 smaller fish, ideally the most peaceful of the planned stock, and leave them alone in the tank for about a month or so, to make sure that the filter is absolutely matured, and ready to deal with the waste load of a full stock.
As mentioned above, a lot is happening in the tank, during the startup phase, and this continues even after the Tank is stocked. One of the things that may be cause for some worrying is the Algae growth. Typically there will in the first 1-2 months grow a layer of brown algae all over the decoration/substrate, but not to worry (unless these Algae is kind of greasy/slimy to the touch), as this will almost certainly subcede, and give way to the green algae that most of Us like to have.
Aulonocare maylandi.
A small and fairly peaceful cichlid. Very good Startup-fish!
This is where most mistakes are made, and even small mistakes can mean the difference between a succesfull Tank and a fiasco, so listen up!
At first glance, a well assorted cichlid store, seems to be the source of endless possibilities for the new Haplochromine keeper with an empty Tank waiting at home, but unfortunately the task of choosing, is not simple at all, as considerations, other than just colour coordination are necessary. Before We have a closer look at this, there are some universal advice, worth mentioning;
2: Purchase only fish with a positive identification! Unfortunately there is a lot of cichlids without This in circulation, especially from private vendors. The deficiencies range from lacking information regarding exactly where They are caught, over dubious species information to passing Hybrids as "genuine" species. It is totally unacceptable, but unfortunately not uncommon, that more or less clueless Aquarists (by accident or not) sell off the hybrids which, by simple bad luck, or because They haven`t got the proper information, has been raised in Their Tank. Positive ID is mostly a question about faith in the Vendor, and the chain of delivery the fish has been through. Generally speaking, a reputable dealer is the best place to get a reasonable assurance of "genuine" fish.
3: It is a good Idea, to buy a little too many of each species You want, in order to have some slip, if anything should go wrong! Often it turns out, that not all specimens are up to the required standard, or if they are unsexed specimens (e.g. juveniles), the male/female ratio can turn out unsatisfactorily. Fatalities can also occur, even in well-running Tanks, and You can not always count on replacing eventual losses with new specimens of suitable quality or size.
The trick is (in My opinion) to achieve a balance between too few cichlids, which will lead to insecure/easily scared fish, with a tendency from dominant specimens, to bully smaller Tankmates till death, and too many, which will cause the cichlids to give uo Their natural behavior, and just tumble randomly around the Tank (The socalled "Chaos-complex", commonly used by Aquarists with only an interest in a colourful display, rather than natural behavior from the fish).
Copadichromis trewavasae (Makonde)
A "true" freeswimmer, that spends most of its life pelagic, and only frequent the coast du-ring the mating season. This group of cichlids are known to the local populace as "Utaka".
Back to the selection of the cichlids, that should be put together, preferrably to a relatively harmonic and troublefree stock. There is, as indicated above, a couple of things to avoid;
Do NOT EVER put together, Fish that has a tendency to Hybridize!!! This cannot be stressed enough!
Random Hybridizing is one of the main scourges of the cichlid hobby, and the Malawi cichlids are, by far the worst in this regard. The fact that They all have more or less the same breeding technique and breed so willingly, unfortunately makes Them top candidates for accidental (or planned!) Hybridization. Actually there are no 100% guarantee (barring a Species-tank) against hybridization in a Haplochromine Tank, but it is possible to minimize the risk to an acceptable level if these guidelines are followed;
A) Do not mix cichlids, that look alike, no matter Their genetic relations, and NEVER variants of the same species. This rule is the worst to break since, apart from the danger of hybridization, there is a high risk, that it may be impossible to recognize the offspring as hybrids! Remember that the problem here is the Females, since a lot of Haps with easily recognizable males, have females that are almost identical.
B) As a general rule, avoid mixing cichlids from the same Genus. There are however, some exceptions from this rule; Some of the large Genii, e.g. Placidochromis, contains species, which are not likely to interbreed, providing the guidelines in C and D are followed, but They should be as different looking as possible. It is always a good idea to consult a seasoned Aquarist, if possible, and always err on the side of caution.
C) Always have as many as possible from each species. It is better to have populations of 8-10 from a few species, than a lot of pairs and Trios from many species, as it lessens The likelihood of interspecific breeding, if a reasonable number of conspecific choices are present.
D) Make sure, that no single male has total domination of the Tank. This problem is most common in smaller Tanks. If a single Male is so dominant, that it prevents any other Males from keeping a territory, or even show breeding colours, the Females will have no choice, but to breed with the dominant male, regardless of species.
Apart from the problem mentioned under point D, it is also, out of consideration for the cichlid`s general well-being and natural behavior, important to get a stock that is mixed to make the cichlids match, regarding size and aggression. Inevitably one male will always end up as the "Boss" in the tank, but the rest should also have opportunities to unfold their behavior.
Some species find it relatively easy, to accept a secondary place in the hierachy, while Other only show the full magnificense of Their colours, if They are allowed to dominate. This is worth noting, as it off course is most rewarding to avoid keeping species of the latter group together with Tankmates that will bully Them, and thus prevent the Keeper from ever see Their best colours. To that end, it would be prudent to be able to put each species into an appropriate "group", even if the "group" can not be too clearly defined, and some species might fit in more than one, given the differences on specimen level within each species. Here is a suggestion for a division into 6 groups, with a couple of examples from each:
1) Species which can be put together with dominating species, without risk of them loosing their colours, and are not particularly aggressive themselves: Placidochromis electra and several of the smaller Copadichromis. The cichlids from this category are obvious candidates for the foundation of the stock, and could very well, also be a numerically large portion. They are also good as starter fish, as they are likely to receive newcomers relatively gently.
2) Relatively aggressive species, which accept a secondary place in the hierachy, without loosing their colours, as long as they are not decidedly bullied: Aulonocare stuartgranti, A. jacobfreibergi, and Copadichromis trewavasae are good examples.
3) Aggressive species, which will most likely dominate, but will not lose colour if this is not achieved: Placidochromis phenochilus. It is difficult to keep more than one male in the tank, unless it`s large (at least 2 meters in length), and at least have 3 or more females to each male.
4) Aggressive species, whose colouration is dependant of dominance: Most of the Protomelas species. It goes without saying, that it is only possible to have 1 species from this group, of which only 1 Male will have breeding colour if more is present in the tank, unless it is large enough for more territories. For most species, that means at least 1 meter Tank length for each territory and in many cases a lot more! If put together with species from group 3, it is important to make sure that the species from group 4 has Dominance in the hierachy.
5) Peaceful or small species, which will not show full colouration, if pressed by other species: This really applies to most of the smaller haplochromines, but especially some of the Lethrinops species stand out. These species are best kept with other form this group, or in a single-species tank.
As seen above, it`s far from simple to make a well thought-out and succesful Stock. Every time one species is selected, a whole string of other species are automatically excluded, either because of potential hybridization risks, or because of aggression problems. Added to this, the likelyhood of the Dealer having all the planned fish in stock, is very small, all making this a very large portion of the challenge facing the Malawi aquarist.
Fortunately these cichlids are very easy to satisfy, allowing for a fairly broad margin between "perfect" and "failure", so even if the ultimate goal is not achieved, lots and lots of highly entertaining hours in front of the Tank, is guaranteed!
Placidochromis phenochilus (Mdoka)
A sad example of a male Protomelas. "steveni taiwan", which for a prolonged period has suffered from malnutrition, either because of unsuitable food, or because he was kept with Tankmates which were too fast. He did however recover, after 3 months of careful treatment in a Tank of His own.
This is how a male "steveni taiwan" should look!
Something has to be done to keep the concentration to an acceptable level. Nitrate filters do exist, but they are expensive and demands a certain technical skill, so the good old-fashioned waterchange, is the best and safest solution.
The necessary level of this waterchange, varies with the load on the system, but 1/4-1/3 of the total volume per week, will usually be fine. It is best, if the old water can be replaced with tempered water from the Tab, but in some locations, the hot water contains traces of metals and/or bacteria from from the Waterheater, which is highly undesirable to get in contact with the cichlids.
Generally speaking, locations with a more or less constant throughput (e.g. apartment complexes) are safe, whereas locations with little and erratic throughput (leaving the hot water in heater for prolonged periods) are not. In these instances, it is safest to use cold water only, compensating by not changing as much water at one time, but then do it more often.
Waterchanges are rarely among even the most enthusiastic aquarists favorite passtimes, but it does not have to be so bad at all!
It is possible to lighten the workload considerably, by using well thought out and functional tools. The remedies illustrated below, has a price of just about 100 US$. That may sound a little expensive, but apart from the relatively cheap Hose, They lasts a lifetime, and saves a lot of toil and aggravation. With this set of tools, a complete 1/3 waterchange on 7 Tanks with a combined volume of 3300 liter, can be completed in 3 hours. This time can be used to do the various check ups and maintenance on the tanks, since the water is running by itself.
Never ever leave a Tank while filling It, unless You are on Your way to turn the the faucett off!!!
On the outside, the glass is cleaned with a soft cloth, combined with some sort of Window-cleaner. Other family members (and the Guests that has to endure the proud presentations of the aquatic wonder) will probably appreciate it, if the Tank, and Its immediate surroundings, are kept reasonably free of spilled food and the likes!
Scientific reseach suggests that this is the latest developed form of parental care in cichlids, and certainly one of the most efficient.
It is also one of the most practical for the aquarist, since it allows the breeding to take place in the community tank, provided the female is moved to a breeding tank before release of the fry.
If the female is left in the tank, no survivors, however many holes and crevices the decoration offers, should be expected. Unlike e.g. Mbuna fry, which are experts in survival from their first day, haplochromine fry are not very good at taking care of themselves, and this combined with the fact, that adult haps are very proficient hunters, really does not give the fry any chances at all.
If any offspring is desired, it is thus necessary to remove the brooding female. Now You discover whether or not the decoration is as practical as it is decorative! Removal of some Rocks might be a good idea... but before resorting to that, it might pay off to try a little trick!;
Turn off the light (it should be dark around the tank too) and leave it for atleast an hour or so. Then turn the light back on, and immediately try to catch the desired fish. Cichlids are often pretty dazed the first minutes after the sudden change, and with a little luck, it might be possible to net the female before she comes to her full senses.
Either way, she should be transferred to a separate tank, large enough to hold her comfortably for the rest of the brooding, and maybe a couple of days more, if You want to witness the full brooding period.
It is safest not to move the female too early, as the risk of accidental release of the fry is always there, when she is netted and panicking. If the fry is ready to be released, the consequence is minimal, since they can just be transferred alone, but if not, they must be artificially brooded, which is not so easy, and may cause a good deal of fatalities, along with a possible degradation in their own capability as parents (a theory that can not be confirmed). 18 days waiting after the breeding should be enough to prevent this from happening.
The fry may be fed with the same food as the adults, just in chrushed form. Of frozen food, especially cyclops are recommendable.
If the breeding tank has a sufficient size, the female may be left with the fry for a couple of days, letting the keeper see the fascinating way she tends to them and gathers them in her mouth when theatened or just for the night.
P. sp. "steveni taiwan" female, brooding and guarding the Fry
It is also possible to have fish eat them, e.g. Trematocara sp., but they will have to be factored in, when the stock is planned.
Fortunately haplochromines are very hardy, and provided the tank is running satisfactorily, they are not very prone to infections or parasites. It would be too tedious, in an article already very long, to list all the possible diseases, so I will cncentrate on one, which apparently affects african cichlids very much, compared to other known aquarium fish; It is not very well defined, and could in fact be more than a single disease, but it is commonly known as Bloat. The symptoms are refusal to feed, and as the disease gets stronger, the fish takes a position close to the substrate, slowly waggling It`s body, with all fins stretched. Often It has a visibly swollen abdomen. At this stage, there is really nothing left to do, but putting the victim down, but it is important to start treatment immediately, to save the rest of the Stock. On the Internet, a lot of homespun methods can be found, some fairly good, other utterly ridiculous and in a few instances downright dangerous to the Fish, Their Keeper and the environment. I would strongly recommend sticking to the "officially approved" treatments from reputable vendors, such as Aquamor 1, which is fairly effective, if given in time. This medicament should be given in double dosis though.
This disease is obviously not the easiest to deal with, since any fish showing clear symptoms are often beyond recovery, so it is better to focus on prevention. It is fairly certain, that the disease is caused by a flagellate, which is always present in the intestines of any cichlid, but seemingly propagates violently, destroying the intestines in case of e.g. stress. Stress is induced by quick changes in the environment (water quality, food), but can also be the result of prolonged pressure from Tankmates, or simply wrong- or over feeding, which should be avoided or at least minimized.
HOME