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i am a new commer to the world of cichlids. i have kept angels,kribs,rams.etc. i am now looking at i guess african cichlids , such as fronts, and so yellows one's. like i said i am a newbi and need tips. my wholesalers has them in stock i just always over look them.

i need help with some common Q:
cichlids(african) do they need special water?
Special set-up's
and can they live with reg FW fish?

Hi,
I havent kept African Cichlids myself, but I do have a small body of knowledge from friends who have kept them and from reading up on them.
Yes, African Cichlids require special water conditions. Most Africans require a high ph (8.0) and hard water (greater than 160ppm)
Some require the addition of Rift Lake Salt to keep them healthy, while others dont, you would have to determine if the ones you are interested in are from the Rift Lakes (Tanganyka (Sp?), Victoria, etc).
As to whether or not they can be kept with other FW fish, I would highly stress NO. They speak a completely different Language than most of the worlds FW fish. Being Isolated in these rift lakes (once craters of volcanoes and such), they have evolved to act different, be colored differently, and speak differently than the rest of the worlds fishes. All you are asking for if you put Africans with non-africans is a bloodbath. I know it has "worked" for some people, but I have heard mostly stories of murder. 1 Example, My sister put 2 Kribensis in with her tropical community, and wound up with 2 kribs and a whole lot of dead fish- including a fairly large young angel and some dwarf gouramis, and 2 bolivian rams as well as a couple gold/blue german rams. Dead at the hands of kribs.
I wouldnt reccomend you mix Africans with any other group of fish.
Besides, A tank of all Tangs for example, or only species from Lake Victoria, can be incredibly rewarding and beautiful.



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ok. i probably stay away from african cichlids and stick with rainbows. thanks