African cichlids are active and require plenty of swimming space, as well as lots of cavities and hiding places to claim as their territories.Īs diurnal fish, African cichlids are more active in the day than the night and swim quickly around the bottom and mid-sections of the tank. Typical BehaviorĪfrican cichlids exhibit territorial behaviors like chasing and nipping, especially when housed in a crowded tank. African cichlids become duller than usual when exposed to poor water conditions, including high ammonia and nitrate levels. Females have rounder bellies than males when viewed from above. Male African cichlids are bolder and brighter than females, especially during breeding season. The majority of African cichlids have albino variations, with pinkish-white or yellowish-white bodies and red eyes. Mbuna cichlids: Blue, yellow, or orange bodies with horizontal black stripes on the head and vertical black stripes on the body.Giraffe cichlids: Blue heads with golden yellow bodies and brown giraffe-like splotches.Buffalo head cichlids: Prominent foreheads and camouflage bodies, including black, blue, green, and gray.Kribensis cichlids: Slim bodies in a variety of color morphs including red, yellow, green, silver, and blue.Bumblebee cichlids: Elongated yellow bodies with black vertical stripes that resemble a bumblebee.Demasoni cichlids: Dark blue bodies with black and light blue vertical stripes.Electric yellow cichlids: Bright yellow coloration with whitish-yellow bellies.Electric blue cichlids: Vibrant blue, iridescent bodies with paler heads than bodies.Frontosa cichlids: Light blue, whitish, or gray bodies with five or more black vertical stripes.Zebra cichlids: Stripy black and white with several color morphs, including blue, orange, red, and yellow.Maingano cichlids: Blue bodies with a horizontal black stripe and black fringed fins.Peacock cichlids: Bright yellow, red, blue, gold, or purple bodies. Multies are the smallest African cichlid species, reaching two inches when fully grown. The longest African cichlids are big mouth haps, which grow up to 12 inches. Adult Size & Lifespanįully-grown African cichlids reach 2 to 12 inches long, depending on the type of African cichlid. Most African cichlids live in the shallows of their habitats, where they scavenge for food in the sand. These natural habitats have warm, clear waters, sandy substrates, lots of vegetation, and a high density of freshwater fish. Common names: African cichlid Distribution: East Africa Size: 2–12 inches Life expectancy: 6–10 years Color: Various colors including blue, yellow, pink, green, red, and purple, with spots or stripes Diet: Carnivore Temperament: Aggressive Minimum tank size: 30 gallons Temperature: 75–85☏ (24–29☌) pH: 7.8–8.6 Hardness: 12–30 dGH Care level: Moderate Breeding: Egg layer or mouthbrooder, depending on the type of African cichlid OriginĪfrican cichlids are a category of cichlids that inhabit three African lakes: Lake Malawi, Lake Tanganyika, and Lake Victoria. Advertisements Scientific name: Pseudotropheus sp.
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