Download african_care sheet.indd

Pet City Mt Gravatt
guarantees all freshwater fish
for a period of 24 hours.
New Owner
Checklist
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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
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AFRICAN
CICHLIDS
Water conditioners – Pet City Mt Gravatt
recommends Seachem Prime
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Good quality food specifically
formulated for Cichlids
– We recommend Spectrum
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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