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Freshwater Aquarium
African Cichlid Tank
A hard-water, high-pH freshwater tank featuring the colorful, aggressive cichlids of African Rift lakes - Malawi, Tanganyika, Victoria.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Tank Size: 55g+ Recommended: 125g Budget: $400-$2,000
📖 Overview
African Rift Lake cichlids are among the most colorful freshwater fish, evolved in the mineral-rich, alkaline waters of Lakes Malawi, Tanganyika, and Victoria. Overcrowding is the counterintuitive key: dense stocking disperses aggression across many targets, preventing individuals from being bullied to death.
💧 Essential Parameters
Temperature: 75-82 F. pH: 7.8-8.6. GH: 12-20 dGH. KH: 10-18 dKH. Nitrate: under 30 ppm. Strong filtration (5-10x turnover).
🐟 Stocking Recommendations
Malawi mbuna: yellow labs, rusty cichlids, red zebras (avoid cross-mixing lakes). Peacocks (aulonocara) - more peaceful. Tanganyikan: Julidochromis, shell-dweller shellies. Overcrowd deliberately (30+ fish in 75 gallon).