i understand originally they did poorly in captivity due to people not givibg them enough flow but that the cb generations have gotten allot hardier and dont need as much flow. how much flow do they need i only have a sponge running in their tank.
i dont think a sponge filter is going to add anything for flow its a large spong filter anyway im thinking of adding a 100g airpump to the tank. maybe a powerhead. after i grow them out theyll be in a large river set up but its just a holding tank with broken pots atm. im mostly just concerned with how much dissolved oxygen they need in the water.I would get a sponge rated for a larger tank. I do that for my qt (which is mostly for marine fish) and it has a very strong current. Of course a small powerhead or hang on back wouldn’t hurt to add some flow.
have you kept buffalo heads or are you just talking about riverine cichlids in general? ive heard the buffalo heads aren’t very aggressive.The problem is not the lack of flow.
But flow helps to provide the needed amount of oxygen and can help reducing aggression in smaller tanks.
They are built to build to live in strong current and therefore they are full of energy that can be put into aggressiv behaviour if not used otherwise.
A big sponge filter might produce enough oxygen but I still recommend a flow pump or a power head to encourage their natural behaviour.
Generally cichlids of all species spend a lot of energy fighting flow, regardless of location or relative flow. When not fighting current, they have more energy to spend on aggression.have you kept buffalo heads or are you just talking about riverine cichlids in general? ive heard the buffalo heads aren’t very aggressive.
I mean attached to the airline. Without a stone, those air pipes create massive current.
Powerhead is definitely the most reliable for current though.