African Cichlids of the Great Rift Valley
African cichlids have been a favorite of aquarium hobbyists for many years. With their multitude of colors and variety of body shapes and sizes, there is a fish for everyone here.
The Great Rift Valley
African cichlids have a complex social pattern which is part of the fascination we have with them. They are remarkably protective and responsible parents, with some species even raising their young in their mouths, which is how they received their name, mouthbreeders. There are literally 100’s of different cichlid species native to Africa, with them originating from East Africa’s Great Rift Valley, a 3,700-mile-long trench created by the African tectonic plate tearing apart, creating Lake Tanganyika, Lake Malawi, and Lake Victoria. Most cichlids originate from Lake Malawi, then Lake Tanganyika, and now virtually none from Lake Victoria. This is why you may see many cichlids called a Malawi Cichlid, or Tanganyika Cichlid.
African Cichlid colours and patterns are varied and can be spectacular, rivaling many saltwater fish even for colour and flash! Many hobbyists who are unsure or unable to have a saltwater tank, opt instead for an African Cichlid tank instead, because of their amazing looks.
Lake Malawi
As Lake Malawi is where the majority of cichlids today are from and the most popular cichlids being kept by aquarium hobbyists, lets start with them.
Lake Malawi is the second largest lake in Africa in the Great Rift Valley. In Lake Malawi alone there are now over 1000 species of cichlids confirmed with more evolving every year. Lake Malawi’s most famous cichlids are the rock-dwelling mbuna or “rockfish”. The other cichlids of Lake Malawi are the non-mbuna, the Haplochromis (Haps) and Peacocks.
Lake Malawi has a naturally rocky shoreline with many sandy beaches and sand below the waterline. Being part of the Great Rift Valley, Lake Malawi is land locked and continuously undergoing plate tectonic shifting, the water has no natural drainage, and this is what keeps the water rich in minerals, high in pH, high in GH and KH. This is a huge consideration in keeping Malawi Cichlids, knowing their unique water parameters will help you to be successful in keeping these fish healthy.
Water parameter for these fish should be kept in the following ranges.
- pH 7.5-8.5
- dGH 180-310 ppm, 10-18°
- dKH 180-240 ppm, 10-14°
- Temperature 75-79° F
The rock dwelling mbuna will need to have a rocky tank provided for them to create many pockets of space for these territorial fish. While the more peaceful non-mbuna, the Haps and Peacocks, prefer to swim in the more open sandy environments so these fish can have a more open swimming tank with a sandy bottom. You can use clay pots as an alternative to rocks as these make excellent décor and hiding places. Plan to have minimal live rooted plants as cichlids will typically dig them up and make it hard for them to become established. Try instead to attach plants such as anubias and java ferns to rocks for a décor option.
All the Lake Malawi cichlids are herbivores except for the Labidochromis. You can feed them a commercially available food designed specifically for cichlids. Feed small amounts twice a day and remove any excess or uneaten food to keep their environment as pristine as possible. They will also enjoy on occasion broccoli, peas, and cucumber.
Some common and popular Lake Malawi cichlids.
Mbuna Cichlids
Bumblebee (Maylandia crabro)
Golden Cichlid (Melanochromis auratus)
Red Zebra (Maylandia estherae)
Blue (Electric) Johannii (Melanochromis johannii)
Non-Mbuna Cichlids (Haps and Peacocks)
Red Peacock (Aulonocara jacobfreibergi)
Yellow Peacock (Aulonocara baenschi)
Texas Cichlids (Herichthys cyanogutlatus)
Labs
Electric Yellow (Labidochromis aeruleus)
Lake Tanganyika
The 2nd oldest freshwater lake in the world and the 2nd largest lake in the world by volume and depth and is shared by 4 countries, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Tanzania and Zambia. Lake Tanganyika, the longest lake in the world, drains into the Congo River and then ultimately into the Atlantic Ocean. Part of the Great Rift Valley in Africa.
Tanganyikan cichlids are divided in substrate-spawning Lamprologines, which include, shell-dwellers, and rock-dwellers, normally found in pairs or colonies. The other species are the mouthbrooders, such as Tropheus, the equivalent of Malawian mbuna and should be kept in large groups to help curb their aggression.
Shell-Dwellers
Shell-dwellers are perfect for smaller tanks, growing to 2.5” only, and are more peaceful and interact well together.
Some common and popular shell-dwellers.
Neolamprologus multifasciatus (Multis)
Neolamprologus similis (Similis)
Neolamprologus occellatus (Occellatus)
Neolamprologus brevis (Brevis)
Rock-Dwellers
Rock-dwellers will need to have a good assortment of rock homes available for everyone. They rarely bother their neighbors if there is a large sandy area in between. When adding new rock-dwellers you can move or add new rocks to keep the territory neutral while everyone settles in.
Some common and popular rock-dwellers.
Julies (Julidochromis spp)
Fairy cichlids (Neolamprologus pulcher)
Lemon cichlids (Neolamprologus leleupi)
Tropheus
Tropheus
Tropheus (mouthbreeders) are usually best kept on their own in their groups. They are fairly aggressive, and you will need a large tank (72 gallons and up) to keep a large group together. The larger the group the more you can control the aggression. As well, Tropheus are an herbivore, living on algae and spirulina. Mixing them with carnivores is not recommended.
Water parameters for Lake Tanganyika.
- pH 8.2 – 8.6
- Temp 78 – 80° F
- GH 12-20
- KH 10-15
Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria is also part of the Great Rift Valley, but sadly the native species of cichlids are now almost extinct. In 1954 the Nile Perch was introduced into Lake Victoria with the intention that this fish would help to feed the growing population along the shores of Lake Victoria.
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