Cichlids

Posted February 24, 2009

Cichlids are popular and fascinating aquarium fish. Most cichlids originate from South- and Central America or from Africa, but there are some species that live in Asia or in North America too. Cichlids from the Americas are commonly referred to as New World cichlids while African cichlids are known as Old World cichlids.

You find some very popular aquarium fish within the cichlid family such as Angelfish, Oscar, Discus and German Blue ram. Cichlids are the favourite fish of a lot of aquarium keepers and it might very well be the most popular group in the hobby today. It is however not the group of fish that sells most in pet stores, especially not to beginners, as they tend to be territorial rather than schooling and can become even more aggressive and territorial during the breeding period.

All cichlids show some kind parental care, but the exact habits vary. Some species lay their eggs on a flat surface or a leaf and guard the eggs and fry. Other species lay their eggs in a cave and guard their young there. Yet other species are mouth brooders which means that one of the parents care the eggs and fry in their mouth to protect them. In some species the fry will return to their parents’ mouth at any sign of danger even after being released. The perhaps most extreme adaptation to care for their young can be found in Discus fish. Discus parents secret a mucus from their body that the fry eat until they are large enough to eat other types of food – a parental behaviour very similar to that displayed by mammals. This mucus gives the fry a good start in life since it is highly nutritious and easy to eat.

Cichlids have adapted to a long row of different habitats and vary considerably from each other when it comes to factors such as size, flexibility and behaviour. It is therefore impossible to give any general care advice in regards to cichlids. Some species are for instance relatively friendly and do well in community aquariums while other species are very, very aggressive and predatory and only can be kept with other equally aggressive fish or on their own. Some cichlids want soft acidic water while others require hard alkaline conditions. Some species needs plants while others can not be kept in planted aquariums as they destroy all plants by eating or uprooting them. Some species are very hardy and perfect beginner fish while other species are highly sensitive and only recommended for expert fish keepers. These are just a few examples of how large the disparity can be between different species of cichlids even though they belong to the same family.

As you can see, it is very important to research the species you want to keep in advance and setup a tank accordingly before you go out and buy any cichlids. Unfortunately, quite a few species recommended by to beginners by pet shops aren’t really a good choice for the average novice aquarists so you need to do your own research to avoid such pit falls. An example of this is the adorable little Oscar fish that you can find in most pet shops. These cute guys grow fast and can often reach a length of about 30 cm (1 ft); something which only makes them suitable for very large aquariums. Since most aquarists start out with a fairly small aquarium and wish to keep many different fish in it, the big Oscar is not really a suitable choice.

Cichlids are wonderful fish that gives you a lot of pleasure if you take the time to read up on them before you bring them home. An added bonus is the fact that most species will breed in home aquariums and exhibit interesting fry raising behaviours. If you are a beginner and want to enter the wonderful world of cichlids there are many suitable species to choose from, such as Angelfish, Kribensis and Convict cichlids. The first two species are suitable for community tanks while the last is best kept alone or with other Central American cichlids. However, the Convict cichlid does have the benefit of being a very keen spawner; you are practically guaranteed to get fry if you buy a pair of these. Kribensis cichlids are also easy to breed and will often spawn in the community aquarium if it isn’t overstocked.

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