Setting up an African Cichlid Aquarium

So you want to learn how to setup an African cichlid Aquarium? In this article I will try to give a good example of how to set up an African cichlid aquarium. I think a good cichlid aquarium should be beautiful and easy to maintain. For fish selection, make sure to check our African Cichlids for Sale.

This article is mostly for beginners that doesn’t have lots of African cichlid experience already. If you are an experienced aquarist that hasn’t tried cichlids yet, then these set-ups will be good. You will also be able to try some of the more demanding species.

African Cichlid Aquarium:

Most African cichlids like a rocky bottom with caves and rocks. You will have to leave some free areas without plants and rocks to create space for the cichlids to swim and a chance for yourself to see them. Some of the African cichlids can be kept in very small aquariums; however I would recommend most people to start with a larger aquarium around 30 gallons. The mayor reasons for choosing a bigger aquarium is:

• A big aquarium is easier to maintain.
• African cichlids are aggressive. A bigger aquarium makes it easier for your cichlids to hide and get out of them way if they get picked on.
• Watching your African cichlids behavior is more interesting if you can keep more than one pair in the same tank.

If you find that your aquarium looks a bit empty you can add some tetras or similar to the upper levels of the aquarium. This will give your aquarium more life and give you more to watch.

Water Condition:

This is the most important factor of all fish keeping. All fish are different and demand different water quality. I would recommend starting with African cichlids which are less sensitive to water conditions. Make sure to read up on the species you choose and write down all important water information that is demanded.

Feeding:

You can feed your African cichlids all kind of food. Try to give them a diverse diet. I usually go for pellets/flakes and frozen food. Once in a while I also give them live food.

I hope this have at least sparked you interest and given you an idea how to start. Just remember that keeping an aquarium requires some work and if you keep it clean and feed your fish they will thrive and spawn in your aquarium. Good luck with your African cichlid aquarium.