| If you have decided to bring pet fish into your | | | | With African cichlids, you need to make certain |
| home, one of the first things you will need to | | | | your fish have plenty of places to hide. These fish |
| determine is the type of habitat you will create. | | | | tend to enjoy having rock formations, caves, and |
| You may be surprised to learn that there are | | | | plants in which they can hide. Ideally, you should |
| actually many different types of habitats for you | | | | maintain a pH balance of 8.0 for African cichlids. |
| to select from. In addition, the type of habitat | | | | South American cichlids, on the other hand, need |
| you choose to create will determine the type of | | | | to have plenty of space to move because they |
| fish you can put into your tank. | | | | tend to get quite large. Some fish that fall in this |
| A community tank is a tank that may contain a | | | | category include severums and Oscars. Since they |
| variety of different fish, but all of the fish species | | | | tend to get so large, you should have a tank that |
| in a community tank need to be non-aggressive | | | | is at least 50 gallons big in order to keep them |
| against each other. This way, the fish can live in | | | | happy. |
| the same tank without hurting one another. This | | | | Tetra and Livebearer Tanks |
| does not mean, however, that you cannot have | | | | Tetra and livebearers can be kept in smaller tanks |
| aggressive fish in your tank. Rather, you need to | | | | than what you would use for cichlids. In fact, a |
| choose the fish in your community carefully. This | | | | tank that is only ten to twenty-nine gallons big is |
| way, one species will not dominate and harm the | | | | large enough. The pH should be in the mid 7s for |
| other species. Some types of community tanks | | | | most livebearers, though tetras prefer the pH to |
| you might want to create include:o Cichlid tankso | | | | be somewhere in between 6.5 and 7. Either way, |
| Tetra and Liverbearer tankso Fast moving tanks | | | | it is best to keep plenty of plants and decorations |
| By combining the right types of fish together, | | | | in the tank, as these fish tend to enjoy playing |
| they will be able to live together peacefully. | | | | with their decorations. |
| Cichlid Tanks | | | | Fast Moving Tanks |
| Cichlid tanks come in two major forms: African | | | | Fast moving fish include fish such as tiger barbs, |
| and South American. When it comes to cichlids, | | | | zebra danios, and sharks. For these fish, you will |
| you can mix a variety of African cichlids together | | | | want to obtain a high tank that provides them |
| or you can mix a variety of South American | | | | with plenty of space to roam. Although these fish |
| cichlids together. You cannot, however, mix | | | | don't really have anywhere to go, they like to get |
| African cichlids with South American cichlids. If you | | | | their fast. The temperature in these tanks should |
| do, disaster may strike as the two different | | | | be kept somewhere around 70 to 80 degrees. |
| types of cichlids fight over the territory. | | | | |