New to Cichlids and to MFK site...

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Sknnpete

Feeder Fish
Oct 6, 2010
3
0
0
Tampa
Hey Guys Im New to the Cichlids owner thing... I have a 40gal Octaquarium so I brought some cichlids and i fell in love with them and they grew fast and I'll post some pics... i noticed that some of them been shacking and read in the forum they have the "hots" so any tips what i need to lookout for i dont want to clean my tank and then some thing happens to the eggs.\


http://www.flickr.com/photos/sknnypete/5058391314/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sknnypete/5058390230/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sknnypete/5057777673/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sknnypete/5058387938/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sknnypete/5057775925/in/photostream/
 
Welcome to MFK! I see that you have an African Cichlid set up which is very nice. This is the Central and South American Cichlid Forum. You may find better info and assistance on the other forums with the Rift and Malawi Cichlids. Your tank looks really clean and not overpopulated. That Pleco may be a problem though. They grow huge and will easily outgrow a 40gal. I have a 75gal. with African Cichlids. They love the Pool filter sand and African Cichlid sand mix that I have in as a substrate. They dig and filter through the sand a lot.
 
Yea, thanks... so you think I should change to sand instead of gravel? Thanks for the info too...they eat a lot too!!!
 
It's really up to you. Its just been my experience that fish that prefer to dig and dive into the substrate as much as African Cichlids tend to do much better in a softer substrate like sand. Sometimes when they have to forage for food in rocks and pebbles it scars them up and damages their mouths. They look fine now. Maybe when you're ready to make a big change you could try sand. I have a 50/50 mix of pool filter sand from Home Depot and African Cichlid Sand from Foster and Smith. They enjoy it and it is so easy to clean. My Venustus is always digging in it.
 
Ok will do... how about the eggs how can I see if they are laying eggs... a few of them been shaking like the laying eggs... and what and how should I prepare myself for newborns and its about to get cold how can I keep the water temp at normal?
 
Sknnpete;4530392;4530392 said:
Ok will do... how about the eggs how can I see if they are laying eggs... a few of them been shaking like the laying eggs... and what and how should I prepare myself for newborns and its about to get cold how can I keep the water temp at normal?
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My Yellow Labs just laid eggs. They are mouth brooders. The female keeps the fertilized eggs in her mouth until they hatch then releases them. I didn't plan on keeping the fry so they were quickly eaten by the tankmates. I really don't know as much about African Cichlids as I do Americans. There should be more people on the African Cichlid forums who can really point you in the right direction. As for taking care of them during the winter, keep a heater in your tank. All my tanks have heaters year-round anyway. You may need to set up a smaller tank for some of the fry if you want to keep the other fish from eating them. Make sure you cover the intake with a sponge or the babies will be sucked in. I'm surprised the mods haven't moved this yet since its off forum. The next time you look for this thread it may be moved. Just a heads up. I hope I have given you enough advice to get you in the right direction. Good luck.
 
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