Article From SubmitYOURArticle.com: Keeping African Cichlids Happy and Healthy

African cichlids are a species of fish that many
people all over the world keep in aquariums in
their homes. Many people find their vibrant
colors are more attractive than any other
freshwater fish worldwide. The following article
will briefly discuss the basics about African
cichlids.

African cichlids are native to Africa and can be
found in the three African Rift Lakes. These
lakes are:

- Lake Tanginika - Lake Malawi - Lake Victoria -

Over one thousand different species of cichlid
call Lake Malawi their home. There are over 1,500
cichlids species worldwide.

Besides their vibrant colors, many hobby
aquarists are drawn to African cichlids because
of their social behavior and intelligence levels.
They often become visibly excited when someone
walks by their tank. When they are hungry, they
are known to swim in a swarm in hopes of being
fed. They are not picky eaters.

Some of the hunting techniques used by African
cichlids only further prove their intelligence
levels are high. For example, the Livingstonii
species will play dead and wait for available
prey to come near. Once prey is near enough, the
Livingstonii will pounce.

Certain breeds of African cichlids are used as a
food source. The Tilapia breed has been consumed
by many people around the world for thousands of
years. Hieroglyphic evidence has been found to
prove that the Tilapia species was farmed by
Egyptians as far back as 2,500 BC. The Tilapia
breed is not as colorful as some of the other
breeds, which is probably one of the reasons it
has been the mainstream diet of many.

Breeding African Cichlids

These cichlids are mouth brooders. This means
that after the male fertilizes the eggs the
female laid, the female will take the eggs into
her mouth. She will carry the eggs around in her
mouth until they hatch, which can take up to 30
days.

Even after the eggs hatch, the female may take
the fry into her mouth to protect them from other
fishes in the aquarium. However, you might want
to allow this. After not eating for a whole
month of mouth-brooding, the female is nearly
starved and they sometimes eat their fry. May
aquarists put the female in a separate aquarium
until she is well-nourished again. Others put the
fry into a separate aquarium because other fish,
besides the hungry female may eat the fry. Once
the fry are a few months old it should be safe to
put them back into the aquarium with their
parents and other fishes.

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African cichlids are hardy, so even a beginner
can keep them successfully. However, if you want
to get started on the right foot check out this
page on African cichlids. You can also learn a
lot about cichlid care on that website.
http://www.cichlidfishcentral.com/cichlid-fish-art
icles/african-cichlids-intro/>

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