Rift lake water parameters effect on African riverine cichlids

[screaminleeman]

Hi,

I was wondering if any MFK'rs with African cichlid experience answer the question as to what effect the rift lake water parameters might have on african riverine cichlids?

More specifically:

I had some baby Tilapia (two Pollini & four Nile) that I had raised in the Mbnu cichlid tank. I generally add around one tablespoon of marine salt per gallon of water.

The Nile tilapia grew so fast that they needed to be removed from the juvi. Mbnu tank. I do not use any salt in any of my tanks outside of my brackish and African cichlid tanks. The 135G tank that the four Nile tilapia, several weeks ago, were moved to was 100% freshwater. They were dull and plain in the African cichlid tank containing salt. They now have phonominal coloring and patterns!

I am wondering if I am doing "bad" by keeping the Pollini in the Mbnu tank now. When I got them from TFD they were tiny ~ 1.5", but had incredible silky black with bright blue spots. They are now > 3" and plain light brown now!

Although they are not too large and are not causing any trouble in the Mbnu tank, should I give them a tank with 100% freshwater?

 

[spyke]

i don't think it's a question of salt...but maybe perhaps it's just moving them to cleaner water, fed them more because its the juvi tank, and they were not "oppressed" by the larger mbuna.

and i really doubt that it is about salt, because in the wild many tilapia and oreochromis species switch from fresh to salt quite often.

 

[Otherone]

Do you mean PH buffer or Non Iodized Aquarium Salt? - They are 2 different additives. IMO niether is needed in aquariums if the PH is stable most fish will adapt just fine. If the fish aren't sick or injured, no need to burn them with salts to regenerate slim coating. For Brackish water - I'd use Marine salt.

Washed out coloration could be stress or incorrect diet.

 

[screaminleeman]

Do you mean PH buffer or Non Iodized Aquarium Salt? - They are 2 different additives. IMO niether is needed in aquariums if the PH is stable most fish will adapt just fine. If the fish aren't sick or injured, no need to burn them with salts to regenerate slim coating. For Brackish water - I'd use Marine salt.

Washed out coloration could be stress or incorrect diet.

I use only marine salt addative in the Rift lake cichlid tank. Stress I believe can be ruled out. The Nile Tilapia were closing in on double the size of the largest Mbnu when I moved them. They are now in a tank with a 16" longnose Gar, 7" Cuban Cichlid (Brutal fish), Two 8" Ornate Bichirs, a 4" Dovi and two 4" tiger loaches. This combo would be far more stressful then then juvi Malawi cichlids they had been homed with.

I think that you may be onto something with the diet though! With meat in the diet being a primary cause of Malawi bloat, the tilapia NEVER got so much as a nibble of meat the whole time in the Rift lake tank. They now eat meat exclusively in their new tank.

If diet is the reason for the washed out color in the Pollini's, then I will have to move them anyway as I still do not wnat meat going into my Rift lake tank!