Cichlidfishcare asked:


When taking care of cichlids, you may notice that as compared to other fishes, cichlids tend to be rather aggressive. One of the most frequently asked questions on cichlid is on their aggression. Why are they so aggressive? Can I stop their aggression? The answers to these questions may be found by understanding their natural behavior.

Cichlids don’t live in an aquarium where everything is well taken care of. Cichlids live in the wild: in rivers and lakes where there are plenty of predators and other fishes. They have to be tough to survive. They have to be aggressive in obtaining a territory, getting a mate and defending their off-springs.

Thus, when they are brought from the wild and raised in an aquarium, they act the same way. The fight for food, they fight for territory and they fight to get a partner.

This aggression becomes much more apparent when they defend their off-springs. Cichlid frys do get attacked and eaten by other fishes because they are so small and vulnerable. Thus, cichlids need to be aggressive to drive away all predators.

Once you understand their natural behavior and instincts, it becomes easier for you to control their aggression. You need to give them a territory, a place for them to breed and feed. If you can do so, you will find that cichlids are quite easy to keep and care for.

Cichlid, like most animals, uses their surrounding objects to define their territory. If you have a bare tank, the cichlids in the tank will most probably claim the entire tank as his own and fight with every other fish. Thus, the more objects you have in the tank, the easier it is for cichlids to mark out and define their territory.



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Martinact420 asked:


One of the most popular of the cichlids, the Cichlid Firemouth has a distinctive shape and fiery red colors. It is an extremely beautiful fish and fun to keep! Do you want to learn the secrets to keeping and breeding bright and healthy Cichlid Firemouths? This article will show you how to make Cichlid Firemouth keeping easy for you. First though, lets learn some facts about the Cichlid Firemouth. Here we go…

Scientific Name: Thorichthys meeki

Family: Cichlidae

Origin: Guatemala;Yucatan

Adult Size: 6 inches (15 cm)

Social:  Territorial

Lifespan: 10-15 years

Tank Level: Bottom dweller

Minimum Tank Size: 20 gallon

Diet: Omnivore, eats most foods

Breeding: Egglayer

Care: Easy to Moderate

pH: 7.0 Hardness: up to 10 dGH

Temperature: 70-75 F (21-24 C)

The Cichlid Firemouth is so aptly named because of the fiery coloration on the under side of the fish’s mouth. It has a very bright redthroat and belly. This coloring generally starts at the base of the tail and will extend all the way to the mouth. The body of the Cichlid Firemouth is generally blue and gray with numerous black spots. Sometimes they even have brown fins streaked with blue. There are many different coloration differences, however, depending on each fishes exact place of origin.

The Cichlid Firemouth is usually peaceful with tankmates but the exception to that rule is when the fish is spawning. During breeding times, they can be aggressive towards other fish in their habitat as well as becoming aggressive towards smaller members of their own species. During spawning season, the male Cichlid Firemouth will display an impressive bluff. This usually pertains of an aggressive stance where the fish will inflates his fiery red throat sac and gill covers. It has been discovered by ethologists that the red coloring itself is intimidating to other fish. LOL!

During spawning 100-500 eggs can be produced, and both parents care for the fry. Firemouth Cichlids like a tank bottom of fine sand and sustrate that has plenty of hiding places among rocks, wood, and other substances. Plants are also very much appreciated by theCichlid Firemouth.You will want tp place hardy plants, such as Sagittaria, around the inside perimeter leaving an open area in the center for swimming. The plants should be potted to protect the roots as the firemouths may try to uproot them.

Many people say that “Keeping Cichlid Firemouths is too difficult”. Well they are WRONG. Or maybe you have heard other say “They are far too aggressive” – WRONG again. The most common misconception that I har of the most is “You cannot keep them with other fish” – Still WRONG.

Those type of people just did not have the right information to be successful. Like me and you, they probably ran into some big problems keeping Cichlid Firemouths, but did not take the time to learn how to keep Cichlid Firemouths the right way. I hope you enjoyed reading my article today ass well as have learned something to take with you about the Cichlid Firemouth.



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Derek Rogers asked:


Are you new to the fine art of owning fish? Having your own fish aquarium is an exciting hobby that will teach you a lot about nature, but the key to proper fish care is using the right fish tank equipment. In order to keep fish alive and in their optimum health condition, you need to accommodate them by producing an environment that mimics what they are used to as closely as possible. This means that their water condition, temperature and surroundings must all match what they are used to. This also means that using the right fish tank equipment is absolutely vital if you want to keep your fish healthy and give them the quality of life that they deserve.

Using the right fish tank equipment means implementing all of the following pieces of equipment in your aquarium set up:

- A proper filtration system.

- A heater.

- A thermometer.

- Aquarium plants or Airstone.

- The right Décor.

Filtration- is a necessary part of keeping your aquarium properly equipped. Filtration pulls the water through, filtering out impurities, waste and other bits and releasing clean water back into the aquarium. Not only should you have the fight filter in your aquarium, but you have to make sure that you are using the right filter media as well. Most filters use charcoal to purify the water before releasing it back into the aquarium, sans waste and debris.

Heater – Most tropical and salt water fish prefer warmer waters. Goldfish are usually more than happy to be in colder waters, but if you want to keep your tropical fish happy, keep them warm. Most heaters for aquariums are set up so that they only click on when the water needs a boost of warmth. Make sure that you also have a thermometer installed inside your aquarium so that you can make sure that the right temperature is being reached at all times. Different fish species have different temperature requirements, so keep that in mind when setting your heater.

Aquarium Plants and Airstones – These two pieces of equipment are not necessarily vital to the health of your fish, but they are nice and helpful additions. Plants and airstones both introduce oxygen into the water and while fish do not need to breathe the air we breathe, they do need the oxygen in the water in order to survive. Airstones release oxygen into the water by way of bubbles, and plants naturally produce oxygen as part of their normal life cycle. So while not exactly necessary, these props are still worthwhile additions to your aquarium setting.

Décor – Some people would tell you that décor is not a vital part of any aquarium setting, but some fish do require it.

For example, African Cichlids are aggressive fish that take up territories in an aquarium. If you plan to house numerous Cichlids in the same aquarium, giving them different territories and boundaries is a good way to keep them from harming one another. Another less than vital aspect of the aquarium setting, but still worthwhile if you want to create a safe haven for your fish.



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Carl Strohmeyer asked:


You can make your own supplement for general fish feeding that is high in DL-methionine (an important amino acid in fish nutrition); Start with whole salmon which is an excellent source of carotene for color (frozen or even canned works), frozen peas, hard boiled egg, frozen or FD brine shrimp, duck weed or spiulina powder, and fish oil (cod liver oil works fine). Blend this mixture then add corn starch to the paste to dehydrate. Spread this paste on small strips of foil (or even wax paper if your dehydrator does not get to hot). Make sure you leave room for air circulation.

For a frozen food, substitute the corn starch with unflavored gelatin powder.

For goldfish and koi, add wheat germ powder. Use this formula for African Cichlids, except delete the wheat germ.

For more carnivorous fish increase the whole fish and decrease the spirulina powder or duckweed. Calamari (squid) can be added too for carnivorous fish, but make sure that all the ink is removed from whole squid.

Use this formula for Discus.

For spirulina powder, Spirulina One Flake can be substituted, but since this already a complete diet for many fish, I double the amount of this and decrease other ingredients by comparable amounts.

Here are basic percentages, please note that you can change these percentages to suit your fish food requirements:

BASIC/GOLDFISH/CARNIVOURE

Whole Salmon: 25% 20% 30%

Peas: 25% 25% 15%

Egg: 20% 15% 25%

Brine shrimp: 15% 15% 15%

Spirulina Powder:10% 15% 5%

Wheat Germ: 0% 5% 0%

Squid: 0% 0% 5%

Fish Oil: 2% 2% 2%

Corn Starch or Gelatin: 3% 3% 3%

For a complete article about what constitutes quality fish food ingredients, please visit this article: Quality Fish Food; What ingredients are needed for proper nutrition, growth and health



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