What Are the Finer Choices in Taking Care of the Cichlids African

There are so much so that we can already purchase specific quality rations for Cichlids African. In case we keep herbivores, we can use the Soft Line Africa Herbivore, produced in the form of chips, it is a soft diet rich in algae. There are also diets with Spirulina that regulate the digestive process, such as Spirulina Flakes and Spirulina Granulat . In cases of more demanding fish, we provide the Super Spirulina Forte Chips ration, with 36% Spirulina platensis , both in the form of chips and in mini sticks and flakes.

The Food: From the Experts

For Carnivores, we use the Soft Line Africa Carnivore ration, also in the form of chips, but rich in crustaceans and other important nutrients. Remembering that in case we keep Africans omnivorous, we must consortiate the rations we offer to herbivores and carnivores.

Filtering

A good filter is indispensable for this assembly, as we need to keep the water free of toxic elements such as ammonia, for example. We use Canister filtration in the RS Aqua line and filter media such as activated carbon, in this case Premium Carbon from Ocean Tech or ZeoCarbon, which is an activated carbon with Zeolite, expanding its scope, allowing also to filter ammonia, or the product Ammonia Remover, which the name itself says is an ammonia remover, in addition to nitrites and nitrates.

A great and necessary option is the Bio Glass Ring biological media to house biological filtration, a product 30 times more efficient than ordinary ceramics. To improve your filtering results, include other Ocean Tech products, such as Overnite and Ocean Blend. A good movement of water by the filter is interesting, as it helps to lift the dirt that accumulates in the sand, taking it to the filtration system.

The illumination

We can use medium to strong lighting, with a combination of lamps to highlight the colors of the fish. Also lamps with a focused focus to create more illuminated and dark areas. A little algae appears in the place with the highest incidence of light, which is appreciated by the fish as food.

The water

We must offer African cichlids alkaline water with medium hardness Oxygen rich and pollutant free. To easily maintain some parameters, we can use Cichlid Lake Salt which provides adequate amounts of calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium to adjust the hardness. As for pH control, we use Malawi / Victoria Buffer to maintain the pH between 7.8 and 8.4 or Tanganyika Buffer to keep it between 9.0 and 9.4.

As fish need trace elements in the water, we were able to meet this need using the Cichlid Trace , as these elements end up unavailable through precipitation, oxidation and consumption. All products are from the Seachem brand.

Hybridity

Hybridism can occur among African cichlids, especially in aquariums that contain species with similar colors, as males may confuse females of other species with those of theirs. The result is uncharacterized fish, with colors not always appreciated, unpredictable behavior and even some deformity. We must avoid this as much as possible.