0-60 in 24 ...HOURS

I was beat by the end of the day yesterday. I got everything done.

- Cleaned the old dirty tank 

- Painted the back of it a nice flat black 

- Set my decor

- Added my substrate

- Tossed in some rocks I picked up along the road 

- Stuck few plants in for colour 

- Set up my filter and got it going

- Installed the heater and fired it up

- Ran my bubbler across the back of the tank

- Stuck my scrubbie brush to the glass 

- Dropped my floating thermometer in

And presto! All ready for fish... Just have to wait for the temperature to rise. That was what I got done yesterday from about 8am until 8pm. It was time to get into jammies, sit and relax and watch TWD!

Here's a video of my progress..

I let the tank to acclimate over night. This morning I ran all my water tests and was very happy with everything. I moved the fish in by noon and now I'm working on moving my American Cichlids into my now empty 55 gallon tank.

AFRICAN CICHLIDS TANK SET UP

I'm so excited for tomorrow. I'm making some tank changes and that excites me. I'm setting up my 60 gallon tank. First I have much to do before I can even think of the fun part of designing my seascape etc.

Yesterday I picked up the sand I ordered from the Hardware Store. It's pool filter silica sand. Silica sand is probably the most common variety of sand found in the entire world. It has many uses but for me it's wonderful substrate for my aquariums

It's inexpensive, a wee bit coarser so my filters don't suck it up and it looks good as well. It reminds me of Creme of Wheat cereal - that's what it looks like. I bought 2-50 lb. bags at $19.99 each. Very good deal compared to buying Cichlid sand at an aquarium store. I do have some in my smaller aquariums and yes it's lovely but I like this price better and it's just as nice. The only thing is it takes a while to wash it. After a good hour of work the sand is washed and ready.

Next I have to move my pond fish out into another aquarium for the time being. I have oodles of pails and water jugs so I can save the water which I will need to use as I'm putting the pond fish in my 55 gallon tank until they can go back out to their pond. Then my hubby will help me bring the 60gl tank upstairs where I'll wash it really good getting it ready for painting. I'll be painting the back of my aquarium a nice flat black. I find the fish, sand and decor always stand out and look so clean and bright against the black background. I just purchased simple tremclad paint, a couple sponge rollers, a sponge brush for the edges and a little tray. If I get all this done tomorrow I'll be happy.

While I'm doing this, my hubby will be working on the stand. It just needs a few fine touches, new doors, and I'm hoping he'll build me a canopy but I haven't asked him about that yet. He's handy and enjoys tinkering so I'm sure he'll be up for it. Not to mention he has trouble saying no to me. *wink*

GROWING MY FRY

Watching my fry eating and darting about brings a smile to my face. These fry are about 5 weeks old now. There are a variety of sizes among them. The biggest are noticeably darker in colour (not sure why) most are about a 1/2" but there are a few twice that size. I can already see aggression in these bitty guys. They are getting more bold each day. Now they are going up to the top to get their food instead of waiting for it to sink down to them. The funny thing is, it's the smaller ones that seem to be going up for food.

In this video you will also see my floating nursery for my latest brood of 17 M.Auratus - Golden Cichlids. They are growing quickly as well. So far they are all doing well and seem to be consistent in size.

DAILY OBSERVATIONS

This morning I was so shocked to find a dead Oscar in my 40 gallon tank. I've had this Oscar for quite a while and have never noticed any malady, injuries or anything that would lead me to believe he was anything but healthy. Well, this morning I found him upside down and stiff. He didn't look very good at all. I've never had a "no-warning" death like that. Usually there's some indication by either bite marks, missing scales or something that warns me but not this time. Really sad morning for me.

I feel like I jinxed myself. Just the other day I was watching my South American Cichlids and thinking how lovely the tank was and how peaceful the Cichlids were. I made a video of my lovely peaceful tank showing off how they get along and look so happy. Now this has happened. Yup Jinxed!!

TESTING YOUR AQUARIUM WATER

I love this video in it's simplicity. 

RAISING FRY

I have a grow-out tank of 67 - month old fry. It's amazing how fast they are growing. I feed them 3-4 times a day. Sometimes more and sometimes less depending on my where-a-bouts. From the day I separated them from mom I have been feeding them brine shrimp, blood worms and crushed flakes. Even at such a young age they are fun to watch. They dart around more than swim in my mind. I tap the glass and they dart back but within seconds come back to explore what startled them. There are quite a few sizes within this brood. I would say there's at least a dozen that are much darker and much larger, then there are the majority that are lighter in colour and midsize - finally there are a dozen or so that are pretty tiny can almost translucent. No matter the size they are all doing amazingly well. From her initial spit of 69 I have only lost 2 fry.

While I did my Monday morning water change this week I stripped two holding female M.Auratus - Golden Cichlids. I had intended on letting them spit naturally but, in the tank I had another female holding that I wanted to separate so I decided I'd strip the two and then remove the other female. n doing that I had to remove all the rocks and decor in order to catch them. The reason I changed my mind about stripping the younger females is because I have ordered new substrate that I intend on changing in the next week or so and I wouldn't be able to do that with the fry in the tank. 

That brings me to the subject of this post. I stripped both young females of fry amounting to 17. They are healthy, free swimming and doing well. I placed them in a floating fry cage in my grow-out tank. The size between them and my month old fry is crazy and it would be suicide to put them together. 

Stella bred again on February 22nd and should spit around March 16. I'm hoping I can put her fry with the newly stripped fry as I figure they will be closer in size. I will make that decision when the time comes. By then I'll be moving my older fry to my 30 gallon grow-out tank and the new fry can go into the 20 they occupy now. 

After I change my substrate I will be allowing my brooding females to naturally spit and raise their fry in the community tank. I just to have room to keep them all.

So as of right now. I have my 55 gallon African Malawi Cichlid tank, a 40 gallon South American Cichlid tank, 2-10 gallon brooding tanks and a 20 gallon grow-out tank. I also have a 30 gallon grow-out tank not set up until my fry are bigger and another 55 gallon tank that will be home to my South American Cichlids because they will be outgrowing their 40 in a few months. 

PEACEFUL 40

WEEKLY WATER CHANGE

10 gallong brooding tank

Yesterday, as every Monday I anticipated my water changes. I had some decisions to make concerning my community tank. In my African Cichlid Communtiy I have 3 holding females. Stella a Kenyi Cichlid is holding again and is a great mom with huge broods so I removed her and put her into a brooding tank. The other two females are M. Auratus females holding for the first time. I was going to just leave them to have their brood in the community tank but since I have some plans next week in replacing the substrate I thought I better get them out before they spit or strip them and return them. Being their first brood I didn't expect either of these Cichlids to produce many fry.

I got to work draining about 30% of the water. Once the water was down to where I wanted it I began removing the rocks and decor leaving only the substrate and fish. Next I got my net can caught all three females. My brooding tank or Stella's second home, was all ready for her. I checked the other two females. One, I could clearly see she had a mouth full of little black wigglers. I decided to strip her of them and return her to the community. She had only been holding for about 16 days and during that time I have watched her eat. Fearing she would swallow her fry I thought I may as well save what I can by stripping her. She actually had a pretty good first brood of 15 fry. The second Auratus or Golden Cichlid only had 3. I honestly didn't expect her to have any more than that because she was always eating and her pouch kept shrinking. Both of the Golden females went back into the community tank.

Newly stripped M. Auratus - Golden Cichlids in floating fry cage.

The new little fry are so dang cute. They look like mini-Golden. I have them in a floating nursery cage in my grow-out tank with Stella's first brood. They are tiny but look healthy and are eating. I'm happy I saved them as I do want a few more in my tank eventually.

Once that was taken care of I went about vacuuming the substrate and preparing water to replace what was removed. While my pails were filling I began to design my new seascape. I use flag stone as they provide lots of hiding places and stack well not to mention they are free. I created an "L" shaped scape leaving an area where I would put my Pineapple houses. The tank looks great and all the work is done. I'm finding I can do a complete water change, with rescaping in under 2 hours. Of course that's not including my 4 tanks upstairs! Ha!

FEEDING YOUR CICHLIDS

First let me remind you I am a beginner and am only sharing what I've learned through trial and error, have read or gleaned through the many amazing forums full of people with vast knowledge and years of experience. YouTube is also a fantastic medium to get information from.

SeaWeed and Clip

What I've learned about feeding my African and American Cichlids is that they are forever hungry! I feed them morning and night even though they look like they are ready jump out of the tank every time I walk by. I feed them mostly a diet of Cichlid flakes and pellets. These foods are professionally designed to meet a Cichlids dietary needs. Besides their regular diet I do give them treats. Not everyday mind you - but at least 3 times a week. Brine shrimp and blood worms I purchase. I also feed them fresh veggies like zucchini and cucumber. I found seaweed clips work well to anchor them. I buy seaweed on occasion for them as well. They rip it apart within seconds. It's a favourite of theirs. I also fast all my tanks 1 day a week. It's good to give them a day off and let them purge their digestive systems. Be mindful of this as being hungry increases aggression. We don't want to starve them.

Cichlids have a tendency to over-eat not unlike we do. Of course over-eating leads to health problems that can be avoided by a monitored diet. Bloating is one side effect. Over feeding can also cause your tank nitrates to rise creating an unsafe environment for your fish. If your filter system can't support the demand placed on it, you can either lower your fish count or feed them less. Feeding too much can also cause your water to get cloudy. If my tanks are cloudy, time it ends up being my over-feeding.

SeaWeed Clip holding a chunk of cucumber.

DAILY OBSERVATIONS

I'm happy to see my Cichlids using the pineapple houses I made. I see many going in and out. One of my holding moms keeps hanging close to the small one. From time to time she's in there poking her head out. I'm not sure if she will spit her fry in there as they need to eat and it would be easier for them to find food out among the rocks hiding. She will be spitting soon. I can see how dark her under-jaw is and it's moving - wiggling with babies. Today I watched her for a while and saw her eating. I have a feeling she's taking the food in for her young not herself. I can't imagine how she would be able to swallow with her mouth so full. I'm excited to she how she does as a mom because this is her first brood. It would be nice for a few to survive but I'm not holding my breath. Leaving her in the community tank is what I decided I would do with all my first time brooders.


Stella another of my girls last bred on January 20th, spit on February 8th. I removed her then for a week of recuperation before returning her to the community tank. She bred again yesterday. Bubba was continually dancing for her so I didn't think it would be long before she was holding again. She looks good and healthy so I'm sure she'll do fine. Her last brood of 69 fry are down to 67 but doing really well. Growing like weeds. I don't imagine she will produce that many being so close to her last spawn but we'll see. I will move her into one of my brooding tanks an another week or so. Then again I will let her recuperate for a week following spitting.

In the video below is Stella's brood. This video was taken a few days ago. I can not believe how quickly they are growing. They are eating crushed cichlid flakes and sometimes some brine shrimp. I've been feeding them 3-5 times a day. Pretty much anytime I'm up stairs I'll stop and watch them and of course feed them.

AFRICAN MALAWI CICHLID MATING DANCE

Stella has been back in the community tank less than a week since her last brood. She seems happy to be in with her group but Bubba is smitten again. I just hope she plays hard to get a little longer before she gives in.

This video is a perfect display of the Shiver-shake the males do to impress their ladies. Stella is showing interest but not laying eggs yet. Stella gets some rest as Bubba has is eyes on a couple other females as well.

AFRICAN CICHLIDS - ANIMAL BREEDS ON YOUTUBE

This is a great channel on Youtube - AMNIMAL BREEDS
The African Cichlids are clearly recognizable in these shots.
Thanks for the great vid AB!

ANIMAL BREEDS

DAILY OBSERVATIONS

After feeding and checking on my tanks I planned to add the two little homes I built yesterday. They were set aside for about 12 hours to cure, then they sat immersed in water for another few hours to remove anything I don't want in my tank.

Before I could add them I had to re-arrange my rocks to make room for them. That's a time consuming job just making sure they are solid and won't tumble down. Meanwhile the Cichlids are all over the place like curious little children.

I sat having my coffee watching to see which Cichlid would be the first to check out the new dwellings. They were all over them in an instant - curiosity in high gear. Of course my sweet Stella would be the first. She's never let me down yet. I actually thought she was a little too big for the opening but she wiggled her way in. She puttered around in there, every so often poking her head out. I think she really likes it. Once Stella had shown everyone the door many more inspected the new home.

The smaller one has drawn attention too but as yet I haven't seen anyone enter. It's a smaller pot but the opening is the same size. Because is't smaller I set it on a rock foundation and they pushed substrate up against the base. They do look pretty cute which gives me all kinds of ideas.

BUILDING PINEAPPLES

This morning while watching my holding females in the African Cichlid community tank I felt they needed a place to protect their fry. I have plenty of hiding spots but I do want to give them the best chance at surviving that I can. Building them a couple little homes may be just the thing.

In the basement I found a couple clay flower pots. I grabbed hubby's drill, a hole cutter, bit attachments and went to work. I soaked the pots in water before I started drilling. I did the drilling underwater just to keep the dust down and keep it cool. It's quite a long process. You have to go slow and steady without pressing too hard or you risk breaking the pot. Once the holes were drilled it was decorating time.

I used aquarium silicone to attach small river stones all over the outside, sticking some fake plant leaves in between as well. They turned out pretty good. I affectionately call them Pineapples because of their look.

Now I just hope the holding females get to use them before some other Cichlid claims them for themselves. The entrance holes are pretty small so I don't think the bigger fish will go for them. I leave the bottom bare and wiggle them into the substrate up to the river stones. It's fun using your imagination to create sea-scapes in my tanks. I like them all to be a little different. 

MY CICHLID PHOTOS II

DAILY OBSERVATIONS

It's a busy day in my 55 gallon tank today. As I fed my Cichlids I watched closely and both holding Chipokae are eating. Tiny bits but definitely eating. One female should be spitting her fry out in the next couple days. The other one is not quite as far along. I'm hoping that at least a couple of their fry survive but being first timers they will have small broods and probably not be as diligent as a mature mom would be. I'm hoping they learn fast.

Stella is back in my AC community tank as well. She's once again caught the eye of Bubba her broods poppa. He's shivering and shaking to beat the band. I love watching their interaction. It's like she's playing hard to get and making him work for her affections. There are other pairs going at it as well. It's amazing how well they move the gravel when excavating their homes. 

My Fry look great and I swear I can see them growing in front of my eyes. They are less skittish everyday as well. At first when I fed them I'd wiggle my fingers in the water to send bits of food down to them as they hang mostly mid to low tank. This morning I decided they can come up, or wait until it starts to sink.

SA Cichlids look great. I have plans to move them into my 55 gallon tank that's not setup yet. A friend gave it to me but it needs a cabinet built. I have ideas for that. Presently it is home to my pond fish which will be going back outside as soon as the weather permits it.

Finally the isolated Cichlid and Cat Fish are doing good. Hopefully in the next few days I'll start to see a weight gain and be able to return him to the community.

FREE SWIMMER ON YOUTUBE

This is a great video showing an intense setup that I dream about. I'll never be able to have a set up like this but I sure can appreciate the work and love involved. Please check this video out and enjoy it.

FREE SWIMMER

DAILY OBSERVATIONS

This morning I was checking my Cichlids and feeding them. The fry are doing great in their new tank. They are becoming less skittish as I near the tank. I have been feeding them 3-4 times a day. They have been eating a combination of Blood worms, crushed Cichlid flakes and freeze dried shrimp. The way they dart about it's pretty cool to watch. As small as they are I can see their stripes.

South American 40 gallon tank is doing good as well. Although the water is still not crystal clear the fish look good. I'll give it another day and if the water doesn't clear I'll treat it.

This little guy looks too thin so he's in isolation to fatten up.

In my 55 gallon I noticed a Pleco half eaten. I was really surprised I think I've been over-feeding this tank. I removed the Pleco "shell" which is pretty much all that was left. As I continued to watch I noticed my Bristle Nose Cat Fish has been nibbled on as well. He doesn't look as frisky as he did so I removed him along with another Cichlid that looks too thin. I've been watching this little guy for a few days. He's not getting much food because he's shy and hangs around the bottom. They other Cichlids eat the food before it even makes it to the substrate. He was very easy to catch which also indicates he's not doing so good. I moved him into my isolation tank with the Cat Fish so they can regain their strength, gain weight and get better.

10 Gallon isolation tank - 1 Cichlid bottom left corner and 1 Bristle Nose Cat Fish - somewhere?

WEEKLY WATER CHANGE TIME

55 Gallon African Malawi Cichlid Tank
27 Cichlids 

It's water change day. I have a couple mom's holding in my 55 gallon tank. I was going to move them into my brooding tanks but have decided I will leave them to release and care for their fry naturally. There are two reasons I have decided to do this. The first is - both of the holding females in my community tank are having their first brood which is usually small to begin with. The second is that I feel it's best to let them have their first brood in the most natural setting to put them at ease. I have noticed that one of these two females has been trying hard to eat and I think she's swallowed a few of her babies in the process because her mouth just doesn't look as full as it did.

Fry Grow-out 20 gallon tank
67 Fry

With my water change I will also be returning my recuperating mom to the community she's from. I'm anxious to see how she acts because she is still displaying aggression towards me when I touch her tank glass. When she's moved back, I will be moving her fry into the vacated tank so they will have more room to grow. I also want to count them. I'll shut both my brooding tanks down for now as I won't be needing them.

I'll also do a 30% water change on my South American cichlid tank. I've had an issue with water clarity this week and the only thing I can attribute this to is over feeding. It's hard to walk by when they all go into a frezy when they see me. Also my fry are in the same room and I feed them 4-5 times a day. By the end of the day I'll be down to 5 running tanks.

40 Gallon American Cichlids tank
11 Cichlids

END OF THE DAY

Water Changes finished and tanks looking good. The fry have been moved and wow - what a large brood. I counted them as I netted them in groups. Final count was 67 but I lost two so 65 healthy fry. When I was cleaning up and packing stuff away I cleaned the filter from the fry tank and found two more in the filter. I put them in back in the tank as they seemed fine. Total tally of fry once all were moved was 67 healthy fry. 

OVERSTOCKING MY 55 GALLON CICHLIDS TANK

In my 55 gallon African Cichlid tank I have 25 Cichlids. A collection of Blue and Red Zebras, Yellow Labs, Peacocks, Chipokae, Electric Blues and Bumble Bees, 1 Bristle Nose Cat Fish and two Plecos pretty much round out this tank. It's a peaceful community with virtually no displays of aggression. They are breeding well and all  the fish are looking healthy and happy.

I do not consider this tank over-stocked. I do however plan on doubling my Cichlid population. My filtration system is a Marineland 350 which handles up to 75 gallons. As long as your filter can handle the waste you should be fine. Along with that you must do weekly 20-30% water changes and water tests as well. When I increase the population I will also increase the filtration. I will add more fish in groups of 10 each week - at least that's my plan. It's better to introduce a group to a new community rather then just a couple at a time as they will meld in rather than be targeted as a newbie and risk injury.

I'm looking forward to making my "wanted" list and decide on species as well. Of course my greatest desire is to add lots of colour. When purchasing new fish I like to buy juveniles so they have time to adjust to their new home and do a little growing before they start breeding. The problem with that is, you really can't see their vibrant colours until they are older, so you are basically going by pictures they post on the tanks. It's also difficult to purchase by gender as they are difficult to sex when they are smaller.

When they do breed I allow the females 7-10 days in the community tank before I move them to a brooding tank. At present I have 2 females brooding; one has spit out her fry and is recuperating for a few days before rejoining her community. She will be going back this weekend when I do my next water change. I also have a newly holding female that will be moved to a brooding tank this weekend once Stella vacates the tank she's in.  It may have to wait until Monday as this weekend seems to be pretty busy for us.

EATING AND BROODING

I have been watching my female brooders to see if they eat. I have read that most do not eat as they may swallow their eggs/fry by mistake. I have also read some breeders believe the females will take food in their mouth for their fry to eat. Whether they eat or not it takes a toll on them and they will need a little time to gain their strength back before returning to their communities.

Watching Stella closely there was never a time I saw her eat or even show any interest in food. I would give her a flake or two just in case but she never ate. She's had a few broods now so she knows the drill.

This morning I was watching another M.Auratus holding female in my community tank. When I fed the group she was up there eating with them. I could tell she was struggling with it. It's her first brood so I'm a little concerned she will swallow them while trying to eat. It's not a crisis as they will breed again if that happens and she will learn quickly. I have another M.Auratus brooding female in a brooding tank but she does not eat and it's also her first brood. I'm sure these young girls won't have many this first time around anyway.

STELLA'S BROOD

These are Stella's fry. Today they are 24 days old. They are eating well and are very active. They are in a 10 gallon brooding tank right now. I intend to move them into larger grow-out tank as I need this brooding tank for another holding female.

STELLA - MBUNA AFRICAN CICHLID

This is Stella in my 20 gallon recuperation tank. She's been separated from her fry now for about 5 days. She's doing great, eating well and I think getting lonely. This weekend when I do my scheduled water changes she will be returning to her community tank. She was a fantastic mom giving me 35+ fry.

DAILY OBSERVATIONS

I can't believe how quickly my fry are growing. They are eating really well and have at least doubled in size. They continue to hide upon anyone entering the room so I watch the from the door. The eggs were laid on January 20th. Today is 22 days and I've removed Stella into a recuperation tank.

I have two other holding females. Both are Chipokae Cichlids. One was bred on January 28th and has been moved to a brooding tank. She seems happy hiding in a sunken airplane I have in there for her. The second Chipokae is still in the communtiy tank. I'll be moving her this weekend while I do my scheduled water change. By then I plan on moving Stella back to the community tank. 

DAILY OBSERVATIONS

I planned on moving Stella to a recuperation tank for a week or so before she goes back into my community tank. She's very aggressive when she seems me watching her. She lunges at the glass even if I'm standing 3 feel away. I needed to fix the air-stone in the tank and she bit me a few times. She has sharp little teeth! It didn't hurt but I could feel the bites. I was quick about it to cause he the least amount of stress. The fry are so smart. As soon as they detect movement or commotion they *Poof* disappear.

Once the recuperation tank was ready for her, I moved Stella. It was clearly apparent that she was not happy. She dashed around the tank in a frenzy. I'm sure she was searching for her fry. I turned the light off and left her to settle in.

The fry tank looks empty as the wee ones are in hiding. When I leave the room
they all come out. I've been watching them and they are eating fine. They come out when I'm not in the room. As soon as they see me they dash for cover.

After a few hours of Stella being in the new location I checked on her. Wow she was ticked off. She had plants dug up, the substrate cast all over and my moss ball was annihilated. Her colour is dark and she really looks grumpy. I don't think she will need to stay in that tank more than a few days. She's eating ok but I think she needs her community to cheer her up.

STELLA - WEEK 4

Stella is displaying some aggression when I touch the tank with my finger. She lunges at the glass. Her coloring is more pronounced as well. I believe she's doing just fine. Her home is perfect, cozy and private. I'm looking forward to her letting the little ones out to eat soon.

Stella is doing great and so are her fry. She does release them for periods of time and is actually leaving them out for a bit while I watch. She still sucks them back into her mouth off and on during the day. They are growing quickly so it won't be much longer that they will fit into her mouth. As it is her face looks like it's going to explode.

Today I will separate her from her fry. She bred on January 16 and in the brooding tank for 24 days. It's time to let her recuperate. I figure after a week she should be ready to return to the community tank. I'm sure Bubba is looking forward to her return.

AFRICAN CICHLID RELEASING FRY

 I made this little video right after feeding this momma. She is releasing her fry so she can eat. She's doing well and doesn't look too thin. Today I will be moving her to another tank to recuperate before sending her back to my AC community tank. On pictures I have counted up to 30 fry but until I move her I can't be sure. She's had a nice size brood.

HOW MANY IS TOO MANY IN A 40 GALLON TANK

I have a 40 gallon tank that is home to my South American Cichlids. I have not been able to find much information on them. I've been told they are more aggressive than their African counter parts. That is definitely not the case in my experience.

In my 40 gallon tank I have:

                                             - 3 Parrot Fish

                                             - 2 Black Convicts

                                             - 2 Angels

                                             - 2 Fire Mouths

                                             - 1 Tiger Oscar

                                             - 1 Albino Oscar

                                             - 1 Pleco

                                             - 1 Bristle Nose CatFish

From what I have found online, my tank is over-stocked as they will fight for territories and be very aggressive. As I said, in my tank that is not the case at all. My South American Cichlids are doing awesome. They are not aggressive towards each other at all. If anything my big Black Convict sometimes lunges at the smaller one but doesn't even bother giving chase. They are more interested in me when I watch them and eating. 

I watch them closely so in the event that they become aggressive I have empty tanks I can move them to. Eventually they will be relocated into my 60 gallon tank but as yet it's not set up. I had it given to me so now my hubby just has to build me a cabinet to house it in. Hopefully they will be moved in the near future.

                    

55 GALLON

This is my 55 gallon community tank of African Malawi Cichlids I have 27 Cichlids.There are 3 females in brooding tanks right now and I also have 2 Plecos and 1 Bristle Nose Cat Fish. This is a harmonious community with little to no aggression. 

DEALING WITH AGGRESSION

Within African Cichlids tanks there is always a hierarchy established. There will be one dominant male, a sub-dominant male and then the underlings. When your dominant male gets overly aggressive to the point of injuring or even killing a tank mate it's time to deal with him. I like to call it a "Time Out". Remove him from the community tank to an isolation tank. This will settle him down. Leave him alone for a few days, 3-4 days should make all the difference. When returning him to his community tank leave the lights off and slip him in. In the few days he was gone the sub-dominant male will more than likely have assumed his position in the tank displacing him. Losing his position he will have dropped in the pecking order. He should settle in and show far less aggression. This is a good way to keep peace in your tanks. Watch them closely and get a feel for the hierarchy. Some settle in and accept life as it is without a problem but as in our own lives sometimes we butt heads.

Mating males can also be too aggressive toward females. Some males are so intent on breeding, they won't leave the females alone. Even when they are already holding some males torment the poor girls. The best way to give everyone some peace is add a few more females to his harem to pick up the slack giving the other females a break.

Another way to deal with aggression as a whole is by simply overstocking their tank. Some people don't like this idea as it does create a little more work in needing more frequent water changes and a stronger filter system that will be able the handle the increase in waste.

You may think your tank will be more peaceful with fewer fish but with African Cichlids, if you do not overstock your tank you will experience more aggression. The dominant male will have an easier time of tormenting the quieter fish but with more fish in the tank, the quieter fish can lose themselves in the crowd making the aggressive male less likely to find them.

When adding fish it is best to add them in groups at a time. If you add 1 at a time that fish will be targeted and will not last long. For the first few hours or even day, it's helpful to the new comers to leave the tank lights off so they can easily explore their new home without too much pestering. Cichlids are very curious and will inspect anything that is new to their community.

If possible try to choose fish that don't look the same as the ones you have as they will see each other as a threat and more than likely cause injury to each other. In a group of 10 fish you should try to keep your male female ratio down to 2 males - 8 females.

You will have the most success with your African Cichlids if you monitor their tank, keeping a close eye on aggression. Females can also be aggressive but not as likely. Overstock, increase your filtration system to accommodate the increase in fish and isolate or put your overly aggressive male in a "Time Out" and you will have a healthy happy community of Cichlids.

AFRICAN MALAWI CICHLID ( MOM & FRY)

This is Stella in a 10 gallon brooding tank. She is on her 19th day and has already been releasing her fry daily for short periods. They are a wonderful size and she's doing a great job. She still attempts to gobble them up but she's struggling as there are 37+ fry at last count.

In this video you will see as she swims by her fry, they school up looking to her for protection. They try to swim around her mouth seeking safety. As I put my finger up to the glass you will see her display aggression towards me. I don't want to stress her out but it's amazing to see her protective instincts kick in.

I'll be moving her into another tank to recuperate after her 20ish days of not eating. After a week or so she will be stronger and ready to return to her community. I have another brooding female that will need to be moved into a maternity tank as soon as Stella vacates hers.

DAILY OBSERVATIONS

First thing I do every morning is enter my fish room and turn on all the aquarium lights. The next thing I do is I feed and then I observe. In my fish/sewing room I have 2-10 gallon brooding tanks, 2 fry grow out tanks, a 20 and a 30 gallon - and my 40 gallon South American Cichlid tank.

This morning Stella had released all her fry. There are too many to count but I'd say between 25-30 fry. They are very active and a good size for the 22 day mark. While they were out I fed her a little but she didn't eat. She was pretty quick in sucking her fry back into her mouth. It's so fascinating to see her with her young. She's very protective.

In the living room I have my 55 gallon African Cichlid tank. I have to say they are truly the most interesting to watch. The personalities, hierarchy and interactions are all what make African Cichlids so fun to watch. Watching this morning I witnessed a mating ritual and spawning between two Chipokae. 

The breeding process is quite a dance. She lays the eggs, then spins around so he can fertilize them while she's picking them up. They repeat this process over and over. I bet they were at it for an hour or so. This being day 1 I will leave her in the community tank for 7-10 days, allowing her to bond with her brood before moving her into the brooding tank. By then Stella will be moved into a recuperation tank for a week or so before I return her to the community tank - just to make sure she has gained her strength back after fasting for 20 days. Right now I have 3 holding females. At this rate I will be running out of tanks soon. When your Cichlids are breeding that's a great sign that they like their home. I have happy fish!!

STELLA AND HER FRY

This morning was my first glimpse of Stella's brood. She only let a few out the first time. I counted six but she was very quick to gather them back up when she saw me.

HOLDING FEMALE M. AURATUS

TWO HOLDING FEMALES IN ONE TANK

The last few days there has been an abundance of chasing and shivering going on in my 55 gallon tank. I have 3 very large pits dug out of the substrate. I know which males are doing the renovating so I've been watching hoping to catch them during the breeding process.

Latest holding female 

It seems my Cichlids are doing most of their spawning right after breakfast as that's the time I've managed to catch them, allowing me to watch this wonderful event. However, this morning after feeding them I sat to watch them and noticed a new holding female. Luckily I take lots of  photos because I looked back and can see the date of my photos and can then tell approximately when they bred. This photo was taken January 28th so I know she's been holding for at least 9 days. Looking at her today I can see her young have hatched as her jaw is bigger now and darker as the fry are darker than the eggs.

Proud Poppa

I was googling "holding females brooding in the same tank" but came up with very little information. It seems there is no hard and fast rule to go by. By watching Stella, and her displays of aggression I have a feeling she wouldn't want to share her space with anyone. I decided to do a little test. I moved a Pleco into her tank and just watched her reaction. At first I thought she was ok with the new room-mate but, within a few minutes, every time she spotted him she would lunge at him. He's quick and hides well so I'm not worried about him surviving but I can definitely see Stella is not going to accept a room-mate.

With Stella being on day 16, I will wait until she spits her babies out on her own before moving her into a recuperation tank. Once she has spit and I have her moved then I'll move the other holding female into the brooding tank with Stella's fry. Since she's already been holding for 9 days I need to move her today. The perfect time to move holding females is between 7-10 days in. Any sooner and you risk them spitting out the eggs and later the fry could be injured or swallowed.

Time for me to set up a second brooding tank.

DAILY OBSERVATIONS

African Cichlids have endless characteristics that make they so unique and the most entertaining of all aquarium fish. Not many fish have recognizable personalities but these do.

They are fascinating in that their colours change according to their gender, moods, stress level even the hierarchy within the tank affects what colours they display. Just knowing that they are capable of these changes is mind boggling.

Because of their ability to change their pigmentation it's difficult to discern which species they are. There are many that look so similar it's really best to send pictures to someone who has a history in Cichlids and knows how to identify this cool fish. Their colouration also makes it difficult to sex them. I am learning daily as I go along but it's crazy how much there is to know.

LIGHTS AND CICHLIDS

How long to leave your Cichlids tank light on is something everyone seems to have an opinion about. I have heard some set timers, on for four hours, off for four hours, then on again. Other people keep their lights off except for feeding times and viewing times. To me that's just ludicrous. Like me there are also those who set their lights according to their life style and schedule.

It's personal preference. There is no right or wrong way. Cichlids live in the shallows of three main lakes in Africa. You can imagine they are used to bright sunshine. In my tank there are many dark caves and nooks they can hide in if they want darkness even during the day. Keeping your lights on is in no way harmful to your fish.

LED Night Lights 

The only element that may concern you when keeping your lights on long periods of time, is the algae growth will increase. My African Cichlids love grazing on algae between feedings so I let it grow. I also have a couple types of Pleco's and other algae eaters in my tanks which do a great job keeping the algae under control. I do weekly water changes and scrape excess algae off the front and side glass but I never touch the back wall or any of the rocks and decor in the tank. I also have magnetic brushes in each of my tanks that I frequently use even just as I'm watching the fish. The magnet brushes are a must have in my book.

I'm usually up by 8am and bedtime by midnight. That's about 16 hours my tanks are lit up. The two that have the night lights look so beautiful at night I would love to get those lights for all my tanks but for now I'll just have to be happy with the lights I have.

I couldn't imagine having fish tanks in my home and not leaving the lights on

so I can enjoy their beauty at anytime, whether I am just walking by or sitting

and watching them. One of many reasons I have my Cichlid tanks are simply

for my own pleasure.

MY CICHLID PHOTOS

STELLA - WEEK 3

I'm sure the days are passing slowly for Stella now. It's now the over two weeks of no food. She is still maintaining a healthy appearance. She's not thin yet which makes me think "Are my Cichlids over weight?" I'm happy she's doing well. I did have a problem yesterday. Her water temperature is usually 75 degrees but when I checked it was down closer to 70! I felt her heater and it felt cold even though it was still set right. On further inspection I realized it was unplugged. It's important to adjust their water temperature slowly as they do not like radical changes. The tank temperature is not good. I'm sure Stella is happier. I just hope this has no ill effects on poor her.

I set up my second brooding tank today for my newest holding female. I didn't think she was so far along until I saw pictures dated over a week ago where she is clearly holding then already. I did a water change in my 55 gallon community tank that she was in. I removed all the decor and removed 15 gallons of water just so I could catch her. She was feisty! She is enjoying the peace in her brooding tank. The water change was a little early but it's all good.

I had a Pleco in Stella's brooding tank but removed him today. She was getting pretty nasty to the poor thing. The Pleco is now in my second brooding tank with the Chipokae female. She is doing well; other than checking the Pleco out she doesn't bother with him.

Today Stella released a few of her fry. They are doing great and are pretty big. I'm so happy she's doing such a good job. I watched her for a while staying close to her fry but not letting anymore out. After a few minutes she sucked the little ones back up. I'm sure we will be seeing them more often now. From what I have read, Stella is releasing her fry a little earlier than most. Seeing that they are a good size and active I'm not concerned.

MORE OF MY 55

Sharing a passion - My African Malawi Cichlids

DAILY OBSERVATIONS

This morning as every morning I sat and watched my African Cichlids while they ate. Even during meals times there are definite displays of respect to the dominant male and his 2nd.

Male M,Auratus

I must have sat there for a good half hour just watching, learning, being amazed and laughing as well. How can fish make you laugh right? Well mine do.

I have I male and two female M Auratus. They are on the more aggressive side of the Malawi Cichlids. They are the most fun to watch though. My male has been flirting with his ladies shivering and shaking like nobodies business. His shiver-shake is so pronounced it looks like he's having a ceisure. He chased the one female - poor thing. They began to play hide and seek. It was so funny. The female would hide in a crevice and he would swim by. As soon as he passed she quickly ducked into another nook. When he spotted her the chase was on again - until she lost him. They are an species for sure.

Female M.Auratus

DAILY OBSERVATIONS

My African Cihlids are so amazing. I can sit and watch them for hours and never get bored. I can see a hierarchy within the tank. It's very cool to watch the fish establish a pecking order within their community. For the most part they get along fairly well. There's been a little more chasing than usual but I have 3 males digging up the substrate creating brooding areas so I'm thinking there's some romance going on.

I use flag stones to created my rock caves, nooks and hiding places. When I'm across the room, as I watch the tank, it looks like there are maybe a dozen fish in there. When I walk up to the tank it's crazy. All the Cichlids come out of hiding places and it's pandemonium. I like to think they are all just so happy to see me, until I noticed they greet anyone who walks up to the tank. Ha! They want food that's all...

SWITCHING TANKS

The week before Christmas my 40 gallon tank had a tiny leak. I had to move my New World Cichlids into an empty 30 gallon tank I had, so I could fix the leak. I know it's a whole month later but I finally got it done. I spent the last few days stripping out all the old silicone, washed it out, allowed it to dry good for a day then my hubby re-applied new silicone for me. I filled the tank and let it sit a few hours making sure it sealed well. This morning I was finally moving my fish back into their original tank.

I first removed 15 gallons of their water saving it for the new setup. Once the water was down enough I removed all the decor, plants and stones. I saved a couple gallons of their water to keep fish in while I worked. It was easy catching them. I find the African Cichlids much more challenging to catch. Within a couple hours my work was done. Keeping a close eye on the water temperature I was able to put the fish back in pretty much immediately. Because I replaced quite a bit of water I didn't clean my filter leaving all that wonderful bacteria to help acclimate the water. I used Prime and added some salt. 

I love it. I used a course white sand substrate, changed the decor, added a few more plants, and changed the rocks structure giving them lots of nooks and crannies to swim through and hide in.They look happy and I'm happy it's done and looks great.

40 GALLONS - New World Cichlids, 1 Oscar, 2 Black Convicts,
3 Parrot Fish, 1 Bristle Nose Catfish and an Algae Eater.