Cichlids?

[krucz36]

my neighbors just came over and told me they don't have time to take care of their fish, and since i'm the neighbor pet guy, they asked if i'd care for them. so she brings over a like huge brandy snifter with four cichlids in it...there's a tank for them, the snifter was for transport only. my question: what the heck do i need to do to take care of them? i keep freshwater fish like mollies and guppies and stuff. i've never kept cichlids, and the caresheets i've run into so far have not been for an amateur. i know i'm supposed to research and prepare and all that but sadly i don't have the time to right now! any help, or even directions to help, is very very much appreciated! thanks!
g

 

[Phillip]

cichlid care...

If you have african cichlids ( the really colorful yellow and blue ones ) then the care is very simple. They are among if not the hardiest aquarium fish there are. As a matter of fact you would be hard pressed to kill them. The only trick to cichlids is that once they are all put into a tank you can't usually get away with adding new ones later as they set up territories and will kill new arrivals. There is however a trick to fixing even this problem where you put the aggressive one in a baby food or similar small jar and put it in the tank for a bit so that it can see the others but not attack them. Not quite sure why it works but it does something to their fishy little brains and causes them to lose the aggression. Also redecorating helps as it changes the territories around and makes them have to set up homes again. They will constantly re arrange the gravel and give up on plants as they usually destroy them. Also they cannot be kept with other fish or they will kill them. If the cichilids in question are not Afican still the same story applies just less overall aggression but still very feisty and extremely hearty fish. Room temp water is actually fine for them as they can take surprisingly cold temps but for quicker growth heat it to the high 70s low 80s. Very cool fish that are both easy to keep and breed as well as being entertaining to watch.

Phil

 

[krucz36]

thanks phil, you rock. i've been tracking down info on the packages my neighbor sent with the fish, i set up the tank and i'm conditioning the water right now. they came over in a fishbowl, and i've got them in there with a bubbler and sitting next to a heat lamp on the dragons.
its all a big adventure, eh?

 

[krucz36]

hey phil, those sugar gliders on your site rule. i wish i could make it to alabama (or had and extra two hunnerd fiddy clams) to pick one up.
if you're coming out to san diego let me know

 

[sunnymarcie]

If they are kept below their normal temps, they will eat less
and spend time near the bottom. There really pretty much
the same (as far as care)as your tropicals. With the exception
that they eat other fish!
I use to keep them myself, along with a few Oscars and some
other agressive fish.

An idea for their water, if you do not already use it. Use START RIGHT for them. It balances the water faster than any other
solution out there. You can use it on any fish, even the trops.
And ICK GUARD would be another thing to get. These guys
tend to stress out big time when messed with a lot. They might
develop a case of spots (ick) It's something that can be put in
along with the other stuff as a preventative measure.
If you have mated pairs, you will end up with tons of fish.
Good luck, have fun with them.
Marcie

 

[krucz36]

thanks marcie!
i got them set up in the tank the neighbors broght over, and it looks way too small...they're territorial, right? i don't want a bunch of stressed-out fish because they don't have room to pee in their own corners! i have about a 30-gal tank in the garage, i'll start setting that up tonight.
thanks again guys

 

[sunnymarcie]

4 fish in a 30gal. tank is good.
Having the old tank was a good thing
Fish tank prices are really getting high.
Do you have a hood for the tank?
Just a standard fixture, with regular fish tank bulbs like
your trops. Nothing fancy.
Do you have a timer on your tank?
I use to use one, it's one less thing to have to do in the morning.
Especially if you like to sleep in
12 hours on, and 12 off.
(It would be ok to do that for both tanks)
Standard filter set up to, can't forget that, as the tank would
get pretty gross from the live food
Heating depends on your place, if it's warm in the house
you really do not need a heater for the Africans. It is still good
to have one, incase you do need it.
If you need anything else, just PM me from here