The Daily Cichlid
Subtitle
African Cichlid Care
Basic Rift Lake or African Ciclid Care Guide
To care for any type of fish and to start a new tank we must all have a basic understanding of the nitrogen cycle.
Initially every tank starts out devoid of life or sterile.
New set ups typically start with new and clean decorations, substrate, light, heater, filtration with chemical, and mechanical media along with filter media that has the potential to filter biologically. How do we begin the biological process? We initially Create life by eliminating Chlorine, Chloramines and other bacteria inhibiting chemicals by using water conditioner which in turn opens the door to allow the bacteria we need to filter biological elements and at the same time create water conditions that are safe for a fish. Although the tank is still sterile bacteria have the potential to grow, the only thing they need is a food source which can be either artificial, with the introduction of ammonia or NH3 via direct chemical addition or naturally introduced ammonia with the addition of a few hardy fish.
The easiest and fastest way of starting the nitrogen cycle is by introducing a few hardy fish once your tank has stabilized. stabilization occurs when your tanks water is chemically safe for fish (by using water conditioners to eliminate harmful and lethal chemicals) and when the temperature, ph, and hardness remain the same for a long period of time. Usually fish keepers recommend waiting a week before adding fish.
As soon as one fish is introduced to the aquarium the nitrogen cycle begins. Fish are an efficient source of ammonia because they expel it constantly to keep water from entering their cells and destroying them and in turn the ammonia becomes a food source for nitrifying bacteria.
Refer to the diagram above.
It is good practice to keep track of the nitrogen cycle by using a good quality (liquid - either api or better) water test kit because if you run into problems down the line it will probably be due to water conditions out of whack and your only defense is a decent test kit that can tell you what parameters need fixing and which ones are safe.
The first thing you will notice when the nitrogen cycle starts is an increase of ammonia. Soon afterwards you will notice that your once pristine looking tank has an ugly cloudy appearance, this cloudiness is bacteria colonies beginning to form and replicate, usually with the introduction of food for this bacteria aka ammonia, the bacteria population explodes causing cloudy water. The first wave of bacteria that take over the tank are Nitrosomonas which eat ammonia and in turn produce waste called Nitrites. Once Nitrites begin to rise another form of nitrfying bacteria called Nitrobacter begin to populate the tank and they begin eating the nitrites and expelling them as waste called Nitrates which is a fertilizer for plants and a non toxic bi-product (in low amounts, 10-40 ppm is considered safe for most fish) which can be eliminated by live plants, water changes and chemically neutralized by nitrate scrubbing media. In the wild Nitrates are removed via plants and substrate.
Food + fish = ammonia, ammonia + Nitrosomonas= nitrites, nitrites + nitrobactor= nitrates is the basic formula for the nitrogen cycle. What is the purpose of testing the water? It is to keep track of the cycle and to know when it is safe to add more fish so that your aquarium can eventually become a fully stocked habitat while maintaining some sort of balance during a very chaotic time in the life cycle.
If you threw in all the fish you aquarium can hold based on its size and future bio-load capacity you would end up with a bunch of dead fish and very toxic/ cloudy water.
Think of our planet at the very first stage of life. It was baron and sterile much like an aquarium with decorations and dirt but somehow the first bacterium in the primordial ooze found a way to thrive and eventually evolve into the many creatures and plants we see today. If all those creatures came to live on our planet all at once before it was an established ecosystem everything would die because their would be no natural balance.
If you test 2-3 times a week you will see first ammonia, then nitrites, and then nitrates. The ammonia and nitrites will clime back up week after week and continue until the aquarium becomes established. When we refer to an aquarium as being established we mean that the ammonia and nitrites are being eliminated as fast as they are produced leaving you with a consistent reading of 0ppm ammonia and nitrites. During the cycle you will notice a steady clime of nitrates which you will have to keep on top of and eliminate manually by performing water changes, naturally by adding plants, and chemically with the addition of nitrate scrubbing filter media. Depending on several factors which include tank size, bio load and other contributing factors, the nitrogen cycle usually takes 4-6 weeks to complete for your aquarium to become established. Things like size, temperature, substrate and surface area of filter media and decorations can contribute to the time it takes as well. For example: a 100 gallon aquarium with 3 guppies will literally take months to become established because there isn't a significant food source for the bacteria. to start things off right it is good practice to follow the 1 fish per 20 gallons rule to begin the nitrogen cycle. Once you read a consistent 0ppm ammonia and nitrite reading with a slight nitrate reading of 5-10ppm it is safe to add more fish. Keep adding fish like this until your stocking levels are complete. Worry about over stocking and over filtrating after you have established your tank with the proper stocking levels.
Things that will make the cycle complete faster are heat 86 degrees F or 26-27 degrees C is the optimal temp for bacteria colonies to grow. The addition of more fish (though not advisable because the chance of a deadly spike is quite high). Heat seems to make nitrifying bacteria reproduce faster and therefore cuts down the length of time it takes to establish the aquarium.
Both Nitrites and Ammonia are toxic to fish which is why having a test kit during the start up phase is important. Ammonia that reaches .25 - .50 ppm is toxic, 1 ppm or higher is deadly the same goes for nitrites. When nitrites and ammonia reach the .25 -.50 ppm mark it is time to perform your first water change of 25% if it reaches 1.0 ppm or higher you will have to perform a 50% water change. If the ammonia or nitrite levels achieve higher levels such as 2-4 ppm it is considered an emergency and if you are using a water conditioner like prime by Seachem you should over dose the tank with it to neutralize the ammonia and nitrites. the effects of a prime over dose last 24 hours. The over dose is only a temporary solution, keeping on top of the nitrogen cycle by performing water changes is a more stable and natural way of keeping deadly spikes in check.
Ammonia and Nitrite readings of .25 - .50 ppm should not be taken lightly because although their toxicity is low and only considered stressful to the fish, toxicity of these chemicals is accumulative. The longer the exposure the more sensitive the fish will become to lower amounts which will still result in premature death, stunted growth or sickness. Fish that have been exposed to small amounts of ammonia and nitrites over time have weak immune systems, stunted growth, chronic fin rot and ammonia burn which all eventually lead to larger incurable health problems and unhappy fish. Water conditions are in direct relation with your fishes ability to fend off infections caused by opportunistic bacteria and diseases that are always present in the aquarium. Think of your fishes immune system as a suit of armor, when one part of your water parameters is off, if they are not being fed the proper foods, they are stressed due to over crowded conditions or bullying, some of that armor gets taken away and your fish is wide open for a nasty bug to work its way in.
African Rift Lake Species - Lake, Victoria, Malawi, and Tanganyika Cichlids
Rift lake Cichlids are very similar in nature and requirements, most species need many rocks and hiding places to feel at home.
Pictured above is a Tanganyikan cichlid called Transcriptus julie.
African Cichlids water conditions need to be pristine and before adding most Cichlids from the Rift Lake habitats your tank must be cycled fully and completely. If you cannot perform a fish-less cycle because you don't have access to liquid ammonia I suggest using a batch of 5-10 small feeder fish to get the ball rolling. Water Testing is a must with most tank setups but it is very important to keep and maintain stable water conditions especially with African Cichlids. I would Suggest using a liquid Test Kit like the API Master Kit which can be purchased at just about every aquarium store or online. Once your tests confirm that your water is stable you can start researching the type of fish that will be compatible with your current tank size and environment. You may choose to sell the feeder fish or welcome your new Cichlids to a healthy home by letting them have at the poor unsuspecting little buggers. Feeder fish like most fish purchased at pet stores can harbor disease. Keep a close eye on them and if they show signs of disease take this opportunity as a learning experience and cure them yourself. metro+ powder, tetracycline, kaynamyacin, seachem's paragaurd, and aquarium salt are five medications that every hobbiest should have on hand at all times.
Water conditions that best suit Rift Lake Species:
Ammonia 0 ppm
Nitrites 0 ppm
Nitrates 0-10-ppm (10 ppm being maximum but 0-5ppm is recommended)
Stable Ph of 8.0-8.6 (use of aragonite or crushed coral substrate may be neccesary to buffer or raise ph to desired levels)
Over filtration is recommended for example: 100 gallon tank at maximum bio capacity should have a 150-200 gallon Canister filter, two 100 gallon canister filters running in tandom or equivalent. With African Cichlids it may be necessary to over crowd your tank a little to cut down aggression levels. Water temperature should be stable and between 25-27C or 79-85F
Maintenance:
Cichlids do not tolerate high nitrates so the easiest way to avoid disease and stress is to do frequent water changes, at least once per week or 5-7 days at 25-50%. I have heard stories about Cichlids not liking water changes and people having fish deaths because of too many water changes. My answer to that is just... No... that is not why your fish are dying. I have re-arranged my tank many times to cut down on aggression when adding new fish and I do a 25% water change every 7 days and have yet to have one fish death from stress. I am sure everyone at some point has heard another fish keeper say "your tank is too clean" in regards to people cleaning their filters and vacuuming the substrate during water changes...NO... cleaning your filters (in tank water) and vacuuming the substrate during water changes keeps nitrates down and can help prevent disease.
Cichlids are sensitive to poor water conditions but tough in every other respect. They can be quite intelligent and interactive which is why most people like them and their intelligence makes water changes easy because they know better than to hang around the siphon tube like a common guppy. When the tube is in the tank they run and hide,looking at you with paranoid, darting and beady eyes you will see them watching you with extreme prejudice and they make sure they do not come out of hiding until the tube of death is gone. Al Bundy "the suction...the horrible suction!"
To avoid fish death during water changes you need to follow three simple rules.
1) always condition your water before putting it in the tank with a high quality water conditioner that removes both chloramines and clorine like Prime water conditioner by Seachem. Prime also neutralizes Ammonia that also can be found in tap water.
FOR ALL YOU LAZY PYTHON WATER CHANGER USING BASTARDS OUT THERE! FILL A BUCKET AND CONDITION THE WATER GOING INTO THE TANK BEFORE PUTTING IT IN AND THEN CONDITIONING IT.
IF YOUR FISH DON'T DIE IMMEDIATELY AFTER ADDING CLORINATED WATER TO YOUR TANK THEY WILL EVENTUALLY. YOU WILL END UP WITH A MASSIVE FISH KILL ONE DAY AND BE LIKE "WHY? I DID EVERYTHING RIGHT?" NO...YOU DIDN'T. CHLORINE MAY NOT KILL THEM RIGHT AWAY BUT JUST LIKE CHEMICAL EXPOSURE IN HUMANS, THE MORE EXPOSURE THEY GET THE MORE SENSITIVE THEY WILL BE TO EACH EXPOSURE. YOUR TANK IS ALSO A LARGE SOURCE OF BENEFICIAL BACTERIA SO EVERY TIME YOU ADD CLORINE WATER TO IT YOU KILL A LARGE PORTION OF BENEFICIAL BACTERIA WHICH CAUSES AMMONIA, NITRITES AND NITRATES TO RISE BRIEFLY CAUSING YOUR FISH TO GET AMMONIA, AND NITRITE BURN ALONG WITH EVENTUAL NITRATE POISONING.
You may tell me that you dose the tank with conditioner at the same time you add the clorinated water and I will tell you...NO... you cannot neutralize all the clorine before exposing some to your fish and unless you give your tank a full dose you are leaving some clorine in the tank to simply evaporate which slowly kills your bacteria until the clorine is gone. DON'T BE LAZY! At least the python water changer is able to save you from walking back and forth to your laundry tub with a 60lb bucket of water.
2) Always make sure that the temperature of the new water going back into your tank is the same or within 1-2 degrees F. Putting 10 gallons of cold tap water that is 15-20 C or 65-70 F into a tank that is 26 C or 82 F can cause temperature shock. This is why I only use the easy to read, cheap glass thermometers. They cost $2 less than the stick on ones and you can match your new water's temp to your tank's water temperature very effectively.
3) Check the condition of your filter at least every 2 weeks to make sure that there isn't any build up of harmful waste. Always clean your filter media and filter in used tank water or conditioned tap water. For canister filters I would clean them every month if your running a dual system or every two weeks if running a single system on a slightly over stocked tank. DON'T FORGET TO REPLACE THE CARBON!
Fish love clean water and the only reason why fish wouldn't like new water is if you didn't follow the proper steps when providing it. Fish are sensitive to chemicals found in tap water, temperature changes, and poor maintenance practices. Active carbon needs replacing every month at the very least otherwise it disintegrates and becomes toxic so it is a good practice to clean your filter every month and replace your carbon while doing so. Filters are not cheap especially canister filters and if well maintained, filters can last as long as your tank and fish. Another rare reason why your fish die from stress related to water changes is because they are not used to regular water changes. Believe it or not some people don't change the water for up to 6 months which is scary and neglectful.
Setup:
Rift Lake Species Consist of open swimmers, Rock dwellers and shell dwellers. All fish however feel secure in an environment with many rocks and hiding spots. Plants are not neccessary but are useful in preventing Nitrates from becoming an issue. Fake plants are useful at creating line of sight cut off points if you have aggression problems. High quality silk plants are best because when fish are trying to escape each other they often swim before they look and end up crashing into things, less cuts and abrasions the better.
Typical setups include rock structures with many caves and crevices, sand, hardy low light plants such as anubias which can be tied to rocks. Dark coloured background or 3D realistic looking foam rock backgrounds highlight or allow people to focus on your fish's colours.
There are many pictures and video's online that will help you design the perfect Cichlid environment. Click on the slide show below to see several examples of rift lake setups.
African Rift Lake Species Come From Some Of The Largest Freshwater Lakes In The World And Do Not Do Well In Unstable Water Conditions. They Are Considered Advanced Freshwater Fish And Doing Your Research on Sites Like This One Is the First Step In The Right Direction To Keeping Healthy Fish!
Examples of Rift Lake Tank Setups
