Aquaculture On Lake Malawi And Lake Tanganyika In West African Cichlids Fish In The Aquarium

The interest in West African Cichlid is increasing everyday. In fact, the West African Cichlid is one of the most popular cichlids to learn. There is more to learn, and more to understand. Furthermore, breeding this specie is even more interesting. Many hobbyists have gather in parts of Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika to explore the true meaning of the West African Cichlids.

The West African Cichlid is mostly found in fresh water streams. They appear in slow moving waters. They prefer areas where there are large amounts of submerged branches. This will build up territories and hiding places. Moreover, the fish will take advantage of these caves to breed. The area is mostly under forest canopies, where the light is dull. The water chemistry in the water streams are just over 7.5 and contain high tannin content. These areas have small amounts of carbonate hardness. The temperature of these streams remains mostly in the upper 70s.

In the streams of Lake Malawi, the water quality remains high due to decrease of rainfall. In the tanks, the pH should remain around 7.0 and a hardness of 125 parts per million. Similar to other aquariums, a weekly water change is necessary. Another name for the West African Cichlid is P. taeniatus. The P. taeniatus mostly feed on detritus. They will dash to the surface of the tank and search for food. The fish’s diet may consist of flake food, pellets, and dry krill. Live foods such as worms and brine shrimp can be considered.

When the West African Cichlid is breeding, they become aggressive. They prefer to be spacious with at least 3 feet long tanks. Again, they prefer to spawn in caves. When spawning, the female becomes glorified with colors. She will dance around the male. When the female is recongnized, the male will begin to follow her. This will continue for several days until they become successfully together.

The West African Cichlid is quite small; they can grow only up to 3 inches. They appear in colors such as blue, yellow, and golden reds. Males appear in yellow from the lips to the caudal fin. The eyes are blue. Females appear in contrasting colors. They have a lemon yellow head, dorsal fin, and caudal fin. These fishes can be a real beauty. Cichlid