Malawi African Cichlids

Like their south american counterparts there are also some african cichlids that reach an impressive size making great specimens for a large show tank. First picture is the malawi cichlid display tank at the shedd aquarium in chicago and the second is at the atlanta aquarium. The most popular for home aquariums originate from lake malawi.

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They fall into two ecological groups the mbuna group and the haplochromis group.

Malawi african cichlids. The peacock cichlid is a stunning species of fish native to lake malawi. African cichlids are grouped into lake malawi cichlids lake tanganyica cichlids and other types of cichlids like the dwarf cichlids and west african cichlids. It belongs to the astatotilapia genus.

African cichlids belong to the cichlidae family. All the malawi cichlids available are farm bred. Their coloring can vary from blues reds to yellows and will stand out in any aquarium.

Lake malawi lake tanganyika or lake victoria. Males display prominent colors in comparison to females with the dominant male showing the most intense color to attract a mate. Lake malawi is one of the three rift lakes of eastern africa along with lake tanganyika and lake victoria and stretches 360 miles from north to south.

Malawi cichlids are highly sought after in the aquarium hobby due to their vibrant colors and interesting behavior. There are at least 22 different species of peacocks the majority of which have stunning coloration. It is the 9th largest lake in the world and is located between malawi mozambique and tanzania.

Here s an overview of each group but for more in depth information follow the linked title of each type below. All rock dwelling cichlids are territorial. Each of these regions has their own distinct species that are well suited to aquarium life.

All malawi cichlids require similar water conditions in their natural environment. African cichlids generally originate in one of the three rift lakes of eastern africa. Therefore a water temperature of 25 26 c and a ph of 7 8 8 6 is ideal.

The species relevant to the aquarium hobbyist belong to the haplochromine group. The malawi cichlids are some of the most brilliantly colored fishes. Many common and rare aquarium species of african cichlids call lake malawi home.

African cichlids from lake malawi include mbuna peacock and haplochromis species. Cichlids from lake malawi as you can see my interest in lake malawi cichlids is mostly limited to the mbuna the small agressive colorful rock dwelling cichlids of lake malawi.