vaine111;2852440; said:
hahaha good way of putting it.
find something u like and google it. they will usually tell u what is compatible of what and u can find mature pics of the fish so u have an idea of what it will look like
Teach me about the different Cichlids please
- Thread starter HaleMoana
- Start date
hahaha good way of putting it.
find something u like and google it. they will usually tell u what is compatible of what and u can find mature pics of the fish so u have an idea of what it will look like
There are beautiful fish from every selection......central american's like jaguar/salvini/rainbow cichlid/vieja to name a few......south american, port acara/blue acara/oscar's/.....madagascan have a beauty called polleni
HaleMoana;2852352; said:I don't see a 'Beginner" section, so I thought I would just start a thread here.
I must tell you... I am very overwhelmed and intimidated by all the different species of cichlids and different regions. I have spent several hours researching the net and I'm still lost
Can you guys help me understand the pros and cons of Malawi, Tanganyka, South America, Central America, etc...
Sorry for the noobie question, but I appreciate your help!!!!
buy the books and read my friend i started 27 years ago have over 400 African/s.American cichlids and still learning.
trust me get book....HaleMoana;2854017; said:
Ad Konings series. Buy the "Malawi Cichlids in their natural habitat" and "Tanganyika, Back to Nature", last versions of each.
For more online research www.cichlid-forum.com is also very useful.
cichlid fiend;2852767; said:
That is such an understatement. So broad and general and disgustingly asinine.
Let me see, Tanganyikan predators (Boulengerochromis Microlepis, Cyphotilapia species, especially blue Zaires), or featherfins (Benthochromis Tricoti and many more) ...or Malawi's array of color is so impressive that I feel I won't have enough time and space here to lay it out for you.
And you have the audacity to yell in my face too
...what a noob 
Lake Malawi and Victoria African cichlids really don't vary much in size. Most are about 5-7 inches long. Lake Malawi also has more species of cichlids than anywhere else on the Earth, with over 1000 species.
Lake Tanganikya, however, is much different. You have your shelldwellers- these are the smallest of cichlids, some max out at only 2 inches long, they inhibit shells. Then, you have your tropheus- these are not much larger than shelldwellers. They have rounded heads and feed primarily on algae. Then you have your Haps- these include blue haps, electric haps, various nimbochromis, etc, these are very pretty guys. The next step up is Frontosa & kin- these are deepwater predators can grow nearly a foot or more long. They predate on other fish. They are very deep bodied and inhibit nuchul humps much like ca/sa cichlids. They are lightblue/darkblue banded. Finally, you have your monsters- these are Boulengerochromis & kin. These grow the largest, B. microlepsis is arguabley the largest cichlid in the world at nearly three feet.
In East Africa, the cichlids are much like that of south america. They are often small (kribensis) and also colorful and attractive. They prefer soft water, unlike the hard water loving rift lake cichlids.
Back over to Asia are two more cichlids- the Etroplus species. These live in brakish waters and display interest symbiosis. They grow relatively small.
Around the Globe to North and Central America we find another interesting diversity. Over here cichlids grow large and ferocious, but also display much more personality than the shy African cichlids. They are also generally deep-bodied and very colorful.
In South America a lot of diversity is shown. They are all ruled by the peacock bass- the largest of all cichlids, growing from 10'' to over three feet, highly predacious open water predators. Commonly kept in aquariums with the personality of ca cichlids are oscars, these guys get 12'' and are perhaps the most kept cichlid (i myself have four). You also have your earth eaters, (geophagus and friends), which scoop up substrate with their mouth and feed off of the contents in it. Smallest of all are the sa dwarf cichlds- these include jewel cichlids, and rams. Nearly omnipresent in south america are a branch of interesting, perhaps oddly shaped, but beautiful cichlids- these include discus, angelfish, and uara.
Hope this helps.
-Art
Lake Tanganikya, however, is much different. You have your shelldwellers- these are the smallest of cichlids, some max out at only 2 inches long, they inhibit shells. Then, you have your tropheus- these are not much larger than shelldwellers. They have rounded heads and feed primarily on algae. Then you have your Haps- these include blue haps, electric haps, various nimbochromis, etc, these are very pretty guys. The next step up is Frontosa & kin- these are deepwater predators can grow nearly a foot or more long. They predate on other fish. They are very deep bodied and inhibit nuchul humps much like ca/sa cichlids. They are lightblue/darkblue banded. Finally, you have your monsters- these are Boulengerochromis & kin. These grow the largest, B. microlepsis is arguabley the largest cichlid in the world at nearly three feet.
In East Africa, the cichlids are much like that of south america. They are often small (kribensis) and also colorful and attractive. They prefer soft water, unlike the hard water loving rift lake cichlids.
Back over to Asia are two more cichlids- the Etroplus species. These live in brakish waters and display interest symbiosis. They grow relatively small.
Around the Globe to North and Central America we find another interesting diversity. Over here cichlids grow large and ferocious, but also display much more personality than the shy African cichlids. They are also generally deep-bodied and very colorful.
In South America a lot of diversity is shown. They are all ruled by the peacock bass- the largest of all cichlids, growing from 10'' to over three feet, highly predacious open water predators. Commonly kept in aquariums with the personality of ca cichlids are oscars, these guys get 12'' and are perhaps the most kept cichlid (i myself have four). You also have your earth eaters, (geophagus and friends), which scoop up substrate with their mouth and feed off of the contents in it. Smallest of all are the sa dwarf cichlds- these include jewel cichlids, and rams. Nearly omnipresent in south america are a branch of interesting, perhaps oddly shaped, but beautiful cichlids- these include discus, angelfish, and uara.
Hope this helps.
-Art
andy1985;2855695; said:
they are I'm guessing he was meaning to differientiate the mbunas from the haps and probly didn't notice he put that and cichlids fiend from what I've always seen Africans brighten up and grow their markings with maturity do they not mfk help me out here I might just keep oddball Africans though or superfreaks
