Cichlid
Most African cichlids in the hobby come from three huge lakes in East Africa. Each lake has hard, alkaline water, but the fish and their needs are very different.
Lake Malawi
The home of the mbuna, the colorful, busy rock dwellers such as yellow labs and demasoni, along with the calmer open water peacocks (Aulonocara) and haps. Mbuna are grazers and need plant based foods. Peacocks and haps take more protein.
Lake Tanganyika
One of the deepest lakes in the world, with an enormous range of cichlids: tiny shell dwellers that live in empty snail shells, the elegant frontosa, and the grazing Tropheus. Many Tanganyikan species are slower to breed and more sensitive to water changes in chemistry, so stability matters.
Lake Victoria
Victorian haplochromines are less common in stores but loved by specialists for their color. Many species are threatened in the wild, and hobbyist breeding programs help keep them going.
What they share
- Hard water with a high pH, usually around 7.8 to 8.6.
- Rock, sand and caves rather than heavy plants.
- Stocking that is built around aggression and ratios.
Read African vs American cichlids and water parameters next.
