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

A common question amongst hobbyists is how to get faster, denser growth from their freshwater planted aquariums.

Inevitably chemicals come up. Which to use, how much, when, what time of day, with how much light, in conjunction with this or that. . . It’s enough to make your head spin.

What I always say is this: Chemicals only make things more complicated in an aquarium. (Note: They are also in direct opposition to the main principle for keeping your tank happy and healthy: the K.I.S.S. principle.)

So how do you get faster, denser growth sans the chemicals?

Two ways: by using the proper lighting and by injecting CO2 into the water.

Aquarium Lighting: Watts Per Gallon

In my opinion, lighting is pretty cut and dry, although plant enthusiasts will debate spectrum and bulb type and other things I won’t get into here.

To me, its all about watts per gallon.

* F0r low light plants, I suggest no less than 3 watts per gallon.
* F0r high light plants, I suggest no less than 8 watts per gallon.

Remember, this is to achieve steady, dense growth.

Creating an Aquarium CO2 Injector

The best fertilizer for your plants is CO2. Here’s how a quick how to on creating a cheap, reusable, environmentally friendly CO2 bottle for your tank.

* plastic 2 liter bottle
* couple yards of plastic aquarium hose
* packet of yeast
* sugar
* warm water

Fill the 2 liter bottle 3/4 way with warm water (not hot). Add yeast and a few tablespoons of sugar.

Cut a hole in cap of 2 liter bottle to attach the hose.

Close the lid with hose attached (make sure hose is not closed by the hole being too small on the cap).

Place 2 liter bottle behind aquarium and place hose in the bottom of tank. Use the suction cup fasteners if you have them.

Watch as small bubbles of naturally produced c02 pour from your bottle.

Just pour out contents of bottle and refill as the yeast produces less CO2 over time.

Be sure to keep your lights on while this is in your tank. When the plants are not in photosynthesis (converting light energy into chemical energy) they will not absorb the CO2 and it will leave you tank with zero oxygen, hence killing your fish.

Other than that, this is 100% safe for your tank.

No chemicals please. There are always natural ways to improve your tank and they typically work a lot better than chemicals.

(This how to was a reply I posted on Yahoo! Answers.)

One Last Thing. . .

The only thing I would recommend testing occasionally is the iron levels in the tank.

As the plants grow, they will use more and more iron from the substrate.

After you’ve achieved the full growth, you may find the tank is becoming deficient in iron. If your iron levels crash, so will your plants.

Just go to your LFS and grab some iron, read the instructions and use sparingly.

Remember, keep it simple!

Hope this helps and if you have any questions, let me know in comments section.

To simple aquarium building,

Max
Mikrogeophagus.com