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Usually the first thing hobbyists think about when the hear about “African cichlids” is two things: colorful and aggressive.

That is true… when referencing African rift lake cichlids. Those fish are from mainly 3 lakes in Africa: Malawi, Tanganyika, and Lake Victoria. But there are many different types of cichlids from Africa…

My favorite cichlids from this continent are the dwarfs found in flowing streams and rivers along Western Africa. Most of these cichlid species are found within150-200 miles of the coast. The water in most of this region is relatively soft, usually 7-8 dGH and right around 7.0 ph. That makes them a pretty easy fish to acclimate to most home aquariums.

A Look at Pelvicachromis pulcher

One popular dwarf cichlid from this region is Pelvicachromis. They are most commonly referred to as “Kribs” in the tropical fish hobby. The common Krib  (Pelvicachromis pulcher) are originally found in Western Cameroon, Nigeria, and Benin. The fish stay small and grow to no more than 5-6 inches.

Pelvicachromis are great for planted tanks and are an easy fish to keep and breed. Many hobbyists have had there first cichlid spawns with Pelvicachromis pulcher.  They are usually great parents and will care for their young very well.

There are many different color types depending on the streams from which they come: Yellow, Blue, Red and other morphs are commonly found in the hobby. Pelvicachromis primarily eat detritus, aufwuchs, and other small particles. They will also eat small meaty foods such as insect larvae and shrimp eggs.

Other Pelvicachromis Species

Pelvicachromis  come in different sizes. The larger species are called humilis. Humilis can reach about 6-7 inches in length. There are many color forms of humilis depending on location they were collected. They are found in Sierra Leone and western Liberia.

There are also Pel. Rubrolabiatus and Pel. Signatus from Guinea which are a larger species similar to the humilis. They are said to be slightly more aggressive that other Pelvicachromis species. And they also will exhibit 7-8 vertical bars which is unlike the dwarfs Pelvicachromis types.

The dwarf  Pelvicachromis are roloffi, subocellatus, pulcher, sacrimontis and taeniatus.

The taeniatus species has a large number of different colors and patterns depending on where they were collected. The taeniatus are very colorful and can change their look numerous times throughout the day. Numerous color forms are available in the hobby including: Pelvicachromis taenaitus “Makoure”, “Wouri”, “Lobe”, “Nyete”,  “Dehane” and more…

W.A. Cichlids at Your Local Pet Store

Most of the West African cichlids you see at your local pet shops are fish that are bred by a hobbyist or a breeder. It is pretty rare to get wild specimens imported in the United States. This is for a few reasons…

• First – it’s expensive. Shipping charges are in the thousands of dollars for 15- 20 boxes of fish, yes just the shipping costs. As fuel costs rise, so do all of the fees for shipping, packing and air cargo.
• Communication can be very difficult with the exporters.
• The customs paperwork is extensive.
• Coordinating arrival times for international flights can be very confusing.
• It’s difficult to make trustworthy contacts.
• Investing tons of time to deal with everything listed above.

But when everything works out it makes all of the stress worth it. Seriously!

More Information on Kribs and West African Cichlids

There is a lot of good information all over the web about Westies. I recommend apistogramma.com, and  tedsfishroom.com.

The Cichlid Fishes of Western Africa by Anton Lamboj is the best resource available on West African cichlids.  Pelvicachromis are great fish to add to almost any community tank. They have great personality and remember – they will not destroy your plants.

To discovering new fish,

Max