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Pet City Mt Gravatt guarantees all freshwater fish for a period of 24 hours. New Owner Checklist If anything happens within that time frame, please bring back a receipt, the fish and a separate sample of water from your aquarium. CARE SHEET Should the sample test within parameters acceptable to the fish in question we are more than happy to issue a replacement or a refund. Aquarium at least 4 foot in size Filter – Large tanks need big filters ER FISH GUA AT TEE t RAN t FRESHW – most Cichlids are territorial AFRICAN CICHLIDS Water conditioners – Pet City Mt Gravatt recommends Seachem Prime Good quality food specifically formulated for Cichlids – We recommend Spectrum Served by: Heater Thermometer Gravel mixed with Coral Rubble Plants (Real or Fake) Test Kit Join the Pet City Club and save $$$ every time you shop! Aquarium Lighting pH buffers – Africans prefer high pH african_care sheet.indd 1 www.petcity.com.au Ph: 07 3349 2086 14/05/2012 4:13:24 PM African Cichlids in habit the rocky shoreline of the Rift Lakes in Africa. The water in these lakes is quite hard and alkaline. Large schools of fish graze algae from the rocky outcrop reefs. The bottoms of the lakes are sandy. Caves formed between the boulders that dot the bottom of the lake offer protection to young fish and nesting females. The three Great Lakes of Africa, Malawi, Tanganyika and Victoria offer most of the cichlids common to aquarists, although some riverine species such as the African Butterfly, Dwarf Jewel Cichlid and Kribensis are also popular choices for tropical community tanks. Cichlids of the African Rift Lakes have gained great popularity with aquarists around the world. This is due to them being some of the hardiest, most colourful and easiest fish to breed that are available to the aquarist. About Cichlids Cichlids found in the Great Lakes and the rivers of Africa are fascinating and no other fishes similar to them are found anywhere else. These Care African Rift Lake Cichlids come from warm alkaline waters. To recreate this in your home aquarium, Pet City Mt Gravatt recommends mixing coral sand into the aquarium substrate. African Cichlid water conditions such as Seachem’s Rift Lake Salt along with Seachem Malawi/ Victoria buffer added to Prime neutraliser produce as perfect a semblance of natural water with a pH of 7.6 – 8.0. Set the heater to 26C to recreate a natural environment. Feeding Feeding African Cichlids the right type of foods is very important. Inappropriate foods will rot in their stomachs causing bloat, sickness and in some cases death. For this reason foods with a large proportion of Spirulina and vegetables are the best. Some fish such as the Tropheus are very susceptible to this, so meaty foods should be avoided. Pet City Mt Gravatt recommends Spectrum Cichlid Formula and Sera Flora Flakes for feeding. The other popular river dwelling African fishes do not necessarily require hard alkaline water but thrive in warm community tanks with a pH of 7.0 – 7.6 with a temperature of 26C. Hardness of the water should be about 150ppm for maximum health and beautiful colouration. african_care sheet.indd 2 fish vary greatly in size and aggression and Pet City Mt Gravatt recommends writing a wish list of what your “dream tank” should house. We suggest adding your fish in stages and are happy to help with knowledgeable advice in respect to creating the perfect tank. Setting up the aquarium As African Rift Lake Cichlids can be quite aggressive and fast moving, we recommend setting up your African biotope with plenty of rockwork around the sides and back of the tanks. This provides ample territory and hiding places and also gives an open amphitheatre where fish will interact and display. Plants are not essential as many Cichlids may eat them , but providing them will allow the fish to display natural behaviours. We suggest Java Fern, Anubias and Vallisnera as great starting plants. If you require any further information on any aspect of fish keeping please do not hesitate to contact one of our trained aquarium specialists. Just call 07 3349 2086 and ask for the Aquarium Department. Better yet, come in and have a look! Pet City Mt Gravatt recommends aquariums should be set-up as African community tanks only. We do not recommend mixing American-type Cichlids and African Cichlids as each requires a separate type of environment for optimal health. 14/05/2012 4:13:28 PM