Sunday, February 28, 2010

Diet

Grubs, Bugs & All That Good Stuff!!!

Diet is VERY important. Fish need a huge variety to give them nice strong hardy immune systems. I order from Big Al’s online all the time. There very fast as well. They have a massive variety.

A list of all the different foods you can buy.

Hikari Gold
Hikari Staple
Hikari Biogold
HBH Oscar Show
Sinking Shrimp Pellets
Wardleys Flakes
Wardleys Pellets
Spirulina Flakes
Cichlid Spirulina Sticks
Gammarus
Algae Wafers
Omega One
Krill
TetraMin
Aquarian
Cichlid Starters (sinkers)
Life Science BIO-Blend
TetraDoromin CompleteBlack Worms
Meal Worms
Silk Worms
Earth Worms
Super Worms
Plankton
Shrimp
Daphnia
Brine Shrimp
Squid
Scallops
Prawns
Beef heart
Crickets/Grasshoppers
Crayfish
Moths
Ghost Shrimp
Live Worms
Peas (de-shelled)

Water Parameters (made simple)

I will write this very simple so you can understand it quickly.

FIRST: You have ammonia
SECOND: You have Nitrites
THIRD: You have Nitrates

When setting up a new tank you will first see ammonia rise (then drop), then nitrite rise (then drop), then you will have nitrate, the last phase BUT you will see it rise and then drop. You want to keep your nitrates below about 20 to 30ppm at all times.

What your goal is to get ammonia and nitrites to 0ppm, then a nitrate reading of 20 to 30ppm.


pH:
You want to have a nice sturdy pH. If it fluctuates you will have problems and this needs to be dealt with. You can use chemicals but I’m always very hesitant about using chemicals in the aquarium, if all else fails that would be my last resort.

You can use baking soda to keep it stable; you can use a crushed coral substrate, use texas holey rock. These will all raise your pH but for African this is what they need however, Central American Cichlids don’t need a high pH but it’s best to have a stable pH then one that fluctuates.

Cichlids are strong fish and will adapt to any water parameters as long as they are stable. If not my opinion is not to mess with it.

Dithers & Targets

Dithers are fast moving fish to get shy and skittish fish out and feel safe. They make them feel comfortable. A good example is Parrot Fish, they are naturally shy and extremely skittish, this is why I have six Tinfoil Barbs in with Charlie. Even though he is not skittish ate all it’s nice to see him have some friends. I have a huge pleco in with them as well, at first Charlie was hesitant but they got to know each other and now their buddies.

Targets are used for aggressive cichlids to stop the other cichlids from fighting. I do NOT agree with this. They get picked on and this distracts the cichlids from fighting as much. This is cruel in my opinion. The poor fish go threw so much aggression and they don’t fight back because usually they are tropical fish like Danios, Tinfoil Barbs, Silver Dollars, ext. They merely distract the cichlids from fighting.

Cichlid Tank Size

You MUST have a large tank if you are going to have cichlids. The reason being is that they are highly aggressive and need room to move. You can’t put an oscar in a 30 gallon tank with another cichlid and think they are going to get along. It just won’t happen.

Time and time again I read people asking why cichlids fight and they have them in a tiny tank. They need lots of room for decorations and hiding spots as well. Please do not cram a cichlid into a tiny tank!

Most cichlids get big especially Oscars which need a 75 gallon or bigger. They get massive. Most do!

In my one 75 gallon tank all I have in one Parrots Cichlid, Charlie and 6 Tinfoil Barbs and one pleco and I’m maxed out.

If you overcrowd you notice a ton of aggression and you will have problems with the water parameters.

If you want nice big healthy cichlids with pristine water parameters do not overcrowd.

Cichlid Aggression

Okay, so we need to talk about aggression. We are dealing with cichlids here so even the least aggressive species will be pretty aggressive. You need to be aware of this and plan ahead. Cichlids have a lot of quirky characteristics that can be down right strange and unpredictable. Cichlids can kill each other in a matter of seconds.

They may be buddies one day and fight like cat's and dogs the next day. If you have two cichlids together and bought them as juveniles they 'usually' get along great but as they mature they get more and more aggressive and the whole world changes for them.

Now we are dealing with aggressive fish here but sometimes it can be VERY tricky to determine if it's something to be a bit concerned about, something that needs to be dealt with immediately, breeding behavior or if it is normal cichlid aggression.

You are ALWAYS going to have a dominant cichlid in your tank. This is just part of cichlid behavior.

If you know the genders of your fish, interpreting their behavior is much easier. Male-male and female-female interactions are almost always unfriendly. Male-female interactions between two fish of the same species or two similar fish of the same genus are often flirtatious. Aggressive behavior also generally results in small injuries to the participants.

If a fish is constantly being attacked and desperately trying to get away bumping into decorations and out of breath it's time to call it quits and someone must be removed; either your dominant cichlid or the submissive cichlid being attacked. If they are not separated the dominant cichlid will kill the submissive one.

Below I have listed cichlid behavior so you are aware of what is going on and to make a decision if someone needs to be removed or if what you are seeing is 'normal' cichlid behavior;

Shimmying and Shaking
The fins and tail will look like it's vibrating and shaking. This is a sign of breeding behavior.

Flashing
The fish will turn on their side and scrape against the gravel or objects. This is a sign of dominance or a sign of breeding behavior. The male will shake, shimmy and flash to get the females attention. However; you must note that flashing can also be a sign of illness.

Tail Wagging
You will see the cichlids tail and fins wiggle like a puppy dog. This is a sign of dominance. This is just a normal part of aggression and all it really means is, "Get out of my way."

Hiding
Your submissive cichlid may be hiding in a pot/decoration and too scared to come out due to aggression. They may not even come out to eat. At this point you should separate the two cichlids.

Lip-locking
The two fish will look like they are kissing, but in fact they are displaying aggression and fighting for dominance or this may also be breeding behavior. You need to keep an eye on the two and if it still persists and if the two don't break up I recommend you separate them.

Flaring
If you see the neck gills, flaring and the top fins sticking straight up this is a warning telling others to get out of the way. This is a normal part of cichlid aggression.

Circling Behavior
The the male and female will literally circle around each other. It is really cool to see and once you see this you will automatically be able to tell they are breeding. The male may also circle around the females head and sort of flash, shake and wiggle his body. This can also be a struggle for dominance but usually it breaks off and things usually work out. However, I mostly see this when my cichlids are spawning.

Chasing
Cichlids do chase and that is part of their trait but if they start biting, hurting and doing this constantly across the tank I would be concerned. There should be some kind of break from this and if it's just one chasing the other that is very stressful for the fish. If there is biting that is not a good sign. A few nips here is there isn't a big deal but when they are taking chucks out and missing scales it's time to separate. The submissive cichlid should not be chased around to the point that it is out of breath and weak.

Spawning Behavior
Cichlids become extremely aggressive when spawning. You will notice they will start to dig and clean a spot and start re-arranging furniture in the tank for the eggs and start becoming extremely aggressive. If you just watch the behavior for a bit I'm sure you will be able to determine if they are breeding.

Signs of Cichlids Spawning;
Shimmying or shaking
Lip-locking
Flashing
Circling behavior

If you are having a lot of problems with aggression & it's out of control & you don't know what to do, send me an Email & I will help as best as I can. I have been there & trust me, it's no fun!


Cichlids LOVE to dig so when you are adding decorations like rocks, always keep in mind that whenever you add is stable and will not come tumbling down on them.

Cichlids and most fish love and need hiding spots to feel secure. I would not recommend keeping live plants with cichlids as they will be torn apart and shredded in a matter of seconds. You can try plastic plants but they will be up-rooted because as we all know, they DIG DIG & DIG some more. What I find works is attaching some plants with an elastic band to a rock. I hide the elastic band with other rocks piled around it.

The way your tank is set up plays a huge role with keeping aggression levels down or increasing aggression levels. A bare tank with one cave and three cichlids is bound to reek havoc on how they behave. Or if you have three cichlids with no hiding spots this will stress them out and they will take it out on each other. If you have your tank cluttered with so much stuff they can't move is not such a good idea either.

I find a lot of rock work really helps keep aggression levels down. I leave a lot of open swimming space at the top. I find that having a lot of rock work helps different size fish fit in different spaces. I make sure all my little cichlids have a lot of little hiding spots and huts that the big cichlids can't get into.

Some way's to decorate to keep aggression levels to a minimum are, strawberry or clay pot's. They are cheep and work wonders. Each fish in the tank MUST have a territory; a pot, cave, tunnel, rock cave, something to call their own. I even just stick some floating plants in there to distract them. What I find my cichlids love is if I put big rocks in the back corners of my tanks and stack them next to each other and build a little fort. You can also use slate to build a little fort for them to hide under. Another good tip is some kind of decoration in the middle like a peace of bogwood to distract them. You can add a big peace of a wood decoration smack in the middle of your tank and this works wonders. When I raise my baby Red Devil fry and they start becoming juveniles I add NUMEROUS clay pots and hiding holes and this cuts down on aggression incredibly.

Decorating Cichlid Tank

Decorating the tank is vital when owning cichlids. The more hiding spots the better. You should have a tall decoration in the middle to break the line of sight. As you can see in the picture I have a lot of rock work to combat aggression. This makes a huge difference. You have many options of how you decorate the tank just keep in mind that you need lots of hiding spots.

You can put some nice fake plants at the back of your aquarium, which looks really pretty. And you should put a backing on the back of your aquarium; this truly makes a huge difference. Cichlids are diggers though, what I do is put a fake plant under a rock, then they can’t dig it up.

Decorating the tank will make the fish feel much more comfortable, especially skittish fish. All fish need a hiding spot to make them feel safe and secure. It also makes the aquarium looks so much better. Actually, it will even make their colour stand out.

You should only use decorations used for the aquarium. Other decoration not made for the aquarium may be toxic and kill all your fish. I can’t stress this enough, fish are very sensitive to chemicals in the tank.

Tank Mates

Tank Mates with any kind of cichlids is always a gamble! If you are purchasing a new fish I strongly recommend you quarantine your new fish for one full month. The larger the tank the better chance you have at success. In confined spaces, these fish will fight over territory. There are many options when it comes to tank mates, but this also depends on the species. As stated before their personalities vary greatly. Some things work, some things don't! What works for others may turn into a disaster for someone else. There is no 100% guarantee with cichlids. You should ALWAYS have a divider on hand if you have cichlids. One day they may be buddies then the next day the may decide to go on a killing rampage. Cichlids are unpredictable!

If you buy all your tank mates at the same time as babies or even as juveniles you have a 'huge' success rate of them getting along. You even have a better chance buying your fish as adults and introducing them into your tank all at once. It will be harder to introduce tank mates as your fish matures, have been alone in the tank for a while or the fish you have in your tank have already established their territory and are defending it -according to them it is THEIR tank, THEIR home and the new fish is invading their space.

If you are thinking about getting another tank mate I suggest you talk to the Local Fish Store about their return policy regarding the fish you buy if it isn't successful. Some places will take the fish back and give you a full refund. The Pet Smart near me gives people two weeks to take back any fish, no questions asked. Even if the fish you just buy passes away they will give you a refund, the only thing is you have to bring back the dead fish, yuck. But if you spend a lot of money on one particular fish it's worth it. Some stores will give you store credit which is better then nothing! And of course some places will give you nothing, if this is the case at least ask if they will take the fish back with nothing in return. It's better then watching a fish get massacred.

So these are a few options that may ease your mind of things don't work out!

When you have tank mates with your cichlids you should always keep in mind that things may change at any given point and you should be prepared to move them if someone get's overly aggressive. You ALWAYS need a back up plan to separate at any given time throughout their whole lives. If you are just starting out and are just getting used to cichlids and aggression I urge you to think very hard about this.

Now as stated above I urge you to think and plan carefully before adding tank mates. ALWAYS consider the size of both fish, aggression level, tank size and separating at any give time due to aggression. Also keep in mind that things may work for now but this doesn't mean it will work out forever. As juveniles things are all hunky dory but as they mature they get more aggressive. If you are choosing a cichlid to put with yours that is on the aggressive side make sure that your cichlid is much bigger. Also take into consideration that you don't want the tank mate to be too small or it will be lunch. If your cichlid is more on the gentle side I would not put an overly aggressive cichlid with him/her.

Friday, February 26, 2010

My Cichlids

Cichlids are nasty, plain and simple. You need to prepare for them, you can’t just throw them in a tank and expect them to get along, that won’t happen. There is so much to know about them.

I have owned many cichlids. Right now in my 75 gallon tank I have a Parrot fish named Charlie who is in a tank with a huge pleco and Tinfoil Barbs, my other 75 gallon tank has baby convict fry, I’ve raised them from birth and there starting to get nasty. I put in some rock work for them to hide out in. In another tank I have Tropical Fish.

I love my parrot fish Charlie, he is my favorite. Usually they are shy and skittish but mine is always on the go, swimming around. He even lets me feed him. He will take pellets from my hand. He is in with Tinfoil Barbs and they can really move fast when I feed them so I feed Charlie my hand so he gets food too, he is slower at feeding time.

My convicts are so much fun to watch, they are a blast. There is SO many of them. I’m going to have to sell a few for sure but for now it’s working out. So far I have only lost three. They are starting to look like fish now. They are just so tiny as babies.

At night what I like to do is relax in bed and watch my fish, it is so relaxing. I sometimes just turn the lights out and watch them. I don't know why but it truly does help relieve stress. I love watching my Parrot Fish Charlie, just swimming around. He jets all over the place. And the Tinfoil Barbs keep it nice and livley. That is my favorite tank to watch.