Lake Malawi Cichlids 1, An Introduction to Keeping African Cichlids of Lake Malawi

Lake Malawi is one of Africa’s great rift lakes, although many see it as more of an inland sea. Lake Malawi is home to many different species of cichlids, no doubt a large amount that have yet to be discovered. Lake Malawi, then, is more an inland sea because the weather that the lake experiences is correspondingly changeable, sometimes involving waves several metres high.

The lake is also a source of food and income for the local coastal population.

Lake Malawi is one of the purest bodies of water on earth. It has a multitude of rocky areas where the rock dwelling cichlids, however there are also excessive sandy areas that are inhabited by these fish who adapt to the local habitat.

The rocky areas of Lake Malawi that reach a depth of eight to ten metres is where most of the fish thrive and are therefore caught for sale. These areas are densely populated and therefore it is possible to keep a number of different species of cichlids in the same aquarium. You can also mix them with those living in similar conditions in Lake Tanganyika.

Lake Malawi cichlids are energetic and can get quite large as they grow, so are not suited for smaller aquariums. Different sellers will tell you different things, but it would not be a good idea to start out with an 80cm aquarium if you plan to keep these Malawi cichlids, even though the density of the population would be possible in the wild due to the abundance in food sources. Dense algae grows on the rocks along with countless invertebrates that live in the lake, that form the cichlids diet. Of course these wont exsist in your home aquarium, algae will but no-where near the same amount.

Among all the rocks in the lake, the cichlids find ideal homes and shelter to conceal themselves.

When designing your aquarium you should allow for this behaviour by providing plenty of caves and crevices in which they can hide. So when buying rock, take your time and get the pieces that are the most interesting. Since I have owned an African Cichlid tank, I have had a large Maylandia Zebra Male who has found a single hole in the aquarium and has always lived there; he has fiercely defended it against all other fish. Even when the tank had to be rearranged he has found the same hole.

An important point for any aquarist to note is the chemical composition of Lake Malawi is very different from the main concentrations of freshwater in South America and Asia, where most ornamental fish originate. Lake Malawi is Alkaline, with a PH ranging from 7.8 to 8.5, which most people will consider very high. When keeping Lake Malawi cichlids you must be able to maintain a PH level of about 8 if your fish are to thrive. So aquarist living in soft water areas will need to harden their water. One way to do this is to use sand instead of gravel, and use plenty of limestone or calcareous rock when decorating your aquarium.

Also when decorating your aquarium, it may be an idea purchase some more rounded rocks so that algae can grow more easily and allowing the fish to eat it

The Next Parts of the Keeping Malawi Cichlids Guides

Part 2 - Aquarium Requirements http://tylersteele.hubpages.com/hub/Lake-Malawi-Cichlids-2-the-Aquarium-for-Mbuna-Cichlids

Part 3 - Aquarium Technology http://tylersteele.hubpages.com/hub/Lake-Malawi-Cichlids-3-Aquarium-Technology-Lights-Heating-and-FiltersFiltration

Part 4 - Aquarium Decoration http://tylersteele.hubpages.com/hub/Lake-Malawi-Cichlids-4-Aquarium-Decoration

Part 5 - Choosing the Right Fish http://tylersteele.hubpages.com/hub/Lake-Malawi-Cichlids-5-Choosing-the-Right-Fish

Part 6 - Cichlid Nutrition http://tylersteele.hubpages.com/hub/Lake-Malawi-Cichlids-6-The-Right-Nutrition-For-African-Cichlids

Part 7 - Breeding Cichlids http://tylersteele.hubpages.com/hub/Lake-Malawi-Cichlids-7-Breeding-Fish

Part 8 - Causes of Diseases http://tylersteele.hubpages.com/hub/Lake-Malawi-Cichlids-8-Causes-of-Disease