The aquarium world is mysterious and amazing, and, of course, fish are its main decoration. And the bright Malawian cichlid fish cannot be deprived of attention here: they have a huge number of shapes and color variations. But, as the famous saying goes: beauty requires sacrifice, because the maintenance of such aquatic inhabitants has some nuances. What exactly? Read our article!
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Description
Malawian fish migrated to our aquariums from the freshwater lake Malawi in East Africa. A huge number of fish live in its depths, most of which belong to the cichlid family. Some of them are edible, while others are purely decorative value.
Lake Malawi is the third deepest freshwater body of water in the world. Its depth reaches 700 meters, and its length is about 576 km.
Malawian cichlids are medium-sized fish, reaching 12 to 20 cm in length as adults. They also live for a long time: with full observance of the conditions of keeping and feeding, they may well please aquarists for 15 years.
Kinds
Features of the diet and habitats made it possible to divide the cichlid lakes of Malawi into two groups: utaka and mbuna. These species of Malawian cichlids have the same requirements for keeping conditions, but differ in color and size.
- Mbuna - inhabitants of the waters near the coast, they are slightly smaller than their relatives and usually do not exceed 12 cm in length. Females and males of the mbuna species usually have the same beautiful and bright color, they like aquariums densely planted with vegetation;
- Utaka are larger inhabitants of the depths, the length of which can reach up to 20 cm. Female ducks lose against the background of bright males and have grey colour scales. They love the rocky bottom and live food.
There are a lot of species of these fish, and the choice can be very difficult. And you can see a selection of the five most beautiful representatives of this species of cichlids in the video from the Scalariki Ru channel below.
Accustomed to living in the spacious waters of the lake, Malawian cichlids require conditions as close as possible to their home environment. The most important requirement is the presence of a spacious aquarium, with a volume of 150 liters or more. The maintenance and care of mbuna and utaka are about the same, so they can be placed in one jar. The liquid in the aquarium should have a hardness index of 4-8 ° and an alkaline pH of 8-8.5.
A weekly change of 30% of the water in the aquarium is an excellent prevention of the inhabitants' diseases. home aquarium. In addition, it is useful to arrange another 1-2 replacements of 10% of the liquid in the jar during the week.
The water temperature in Lake Malawi varies throughout the year. During the drought period, from June to August, winds raise deep waters, lowering the temperature of the reservoir to 20 ° C. During the rainy season, from November to April, the water is kept within 23-28°C. From this it follows that the ideal temperature can be considered an indicator of 25 ° C, and lowering once a year to 20 ° C will benefit the fish.
The soil is chosen according to the special preferences of the type of fish. So, Malawian mbuna cichlids are lovers of digging in the ground, therefore, a sand fraction of 3-5 mm can be used for them. And some types of ducks swallow hard crumbs to help them digest food, so grains of sand 1-2 mm are used for them.
Feeding
In nature, the diet of Malawians consists of zoo- and phytoplankton, insects, caviar and fry - that is, almost everything that gets in their way. Captives can be offered a variety of flakes and pellets, as well as frozen minced seafood. Malawians adapt well to almost any type of food, and therefore some top dressing can be done by hand.
So, mbuna fish will like finely chopped dandelion, burdock and plantain. Fish from the duck group will be happy to eat daphnia, bloodworms and coretra. You can also use seafood ground into minced meat, which is gelled and frozen in portions.
Here are a few recipes for minced meat that are successfully used by aquarists to feed the inhabitants of the cichlid:
- Half a kilo of cod or pollock, as well as 100 grams of shrimp and squid, is ground in a meat grinder. They are mixed with 100 g of nettle, lettuce or cabbage soaked in boiling water, as well as 200 g of green peas, which are also ground. In the resulting mass, boiled for 5 minutes, cottage cheese and a chopped egg are placed. Next, 10 ml of multivitamins are added to the minced meat.
- Another recipe has a higher value and therefore you can only feed the fish with it once a day. For him, take 1 kg of shrimp and 1 kg of green peas, as well as 10 g of pureed spirulina. All this is ground with the addition of 10 grams of multivitamins. Then add 10% of total weight agar-agar, add water, in accordance with the instructions. Now you need to heat the mass until the agar-agar dissolves, and then pour it into molds.
Who do they get along with
When keeping this type of fish, special attention should be paid to their compatibility. Some Malawians are quite aggressive and will not react well to the neighborhood in the aquarium. So, large tyrannochromis or buccochromis do not get along well with smaller mbunas - pseudotropheus, labidochromis and lodotropheus. Bad neighbors will be inhabitants of rocky terrain, such as melanochromis, sandy species of letrinops and the like.
If a neighborhood with non-cychlovs is planned, then success depends on the specific species. One has only to say that almost all Malawians get along well with the genus of synodonts and some types of iris.
Diseases
For the most part, this type of fish is not very susceptible to any diseases. But there is such a disease as dropsy of fish, which manifests itself due to non-compliance with water requirements. You can identify the disease by bulging (bulging) scales. Exposure to poor quality water first causes the fish to lose their appetite, then their scales begin to bristle, and after a few days the cichlid dies. On early term the disease can be treated with drugs, however, if the cover is already strongly bristling, then it will not be possible to save it.
reproduction
Almost all cichlids spawn in the same aquarium where they live. Malawian cichlids have interesting feature- they hatch eggs in their mouths. This protects future offspring, however, and brings some problems. Females often cannot stand a long stay without food and swallow their own cubs.
Readiness for spawning in fish can be determined visually. So the male has a tiny swollen anal tubercle of an acute shape. In a female ready for spawning, it has the shape of a truncated cone.
Each female spawns up to 10 eggs, which are immediately collected by mouth. Then there is enough milk produced by the male. Females carry fertilized eggs in their mouths for about 21-25 days. Due to the fact that only a small part of the fish are able to successfully spawn in an aquarium, artificial incubation in a nursery is required for successful breeding.
Fry
The fry grow up quite adapted to life and grow rapidly. Within a month, they reach 3 cm in length and, in the presence of a large number of shelters, may well coexist with large adults. You can feed babies with Artemia nauplii, Daphnia and Cyclops.
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Video "The basics of keeping Malawians in an aquarium"
Theory is theory, but only experience will tell about the content of the Malays in full! Video channel member Elena Falkenthal shares a description of all the components of a home for African guests, as well as her experience.
Malawian cichlids are perhaps the most common cichlids in our aquariums, with the exception of of course Astronotus and red parrots. Colorful rather unpretentious fish will decorate any aquarium. As a rule, Malawian cichlids are bought when they are made in the "pseudo sea" style, because the colorful Malawians look so much like marine life. And now more about these fish.
Lake Malawi and its features
Lake Malawi is one of the largest in Africa. The history of its discovery is associated with the name of the Scottish explorer and scientist David Livingston, who found this reservoir in 1859. Initially, Lake Malawi was called Nyasa, but later the reservoir was renamed Malawi, which translates from the local dialect as "shining light over the lake." The lake is the border of three states - Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania. In terms of water volume and size, Malawi is second only to Lake Baikal and the ultra-deep Tanganyika, which is located nearby. To date, more than five hundred species of cichlids have been discovered, which are mostly endemic (living only in this reservoir).
Types of Malawian cichlids
To simplify the classification, all types of Malawian cichlids are divided into utaka and mbuna. Cichlids belonging to the mbuna group feed mainly on plant foods. The name "mbuna" is translated from the local dialect as "attacking the rocks" - that is, the fish eats algae and vegetation that grows on the rocks. Most widespread Pseudotropheus, Melanochromis and Labidochromis were obtained from Mbuna. Usually the size of this group of cichlids does not exceed 15 centimeters.
Mbuna have a special structure of the oral cavity, which helps them scrape algae from rocks. Mbuna fry and juveniles feed on zooplankton, but subsequently switch to plant-based diet. That is why, when keeping this group of cichlids in an aquarium, they need to provide a complete plant-based diet, but private feeding with plankton should be abandoned. Since this leads to problems with reproduction and contributes to the obesity of fish.
Utaka cichlids, on the contrary, prefer animal food and can feed on plankton. Such popular cichlids of this group include haplochromis, aulonocara, cirtocar. The size of these species of fish can reach 20 centimeters.
One of the most beautiful and popular fish from Lake Malawi among aquarists is the blue dolphin. Are popular different kinds aulonocorus and cornflower blue labidochromis.
The main requirement for keeping Malawian cichlids is the volume of the aquarium. A large space is needed, especially when keeping several species together at once. The minimum volume is 150 liters. 30 percent of the water needs to be changed weekly. For substitutions, it is necessary to use clean, settled water. It also requires high-quality biofiltration and the use of aeration to saturate the water with oxygen. The acidity index can be in the range of 7.5-8.5, and optimum temperature 24-28 degrees.
As decorative elements in an aquarium with Malawi, you can use all kinds of grottoes, stones, caves and shells. The decor used should serve as hiding places for the fish. It should also be remembered that cichlids love to dig in the ground, so it is necessary to select the appropriate soil fraction. If you want to plant plants in a Malawi aquarium, then you need to use only plants with a strong root system, and surround the plants with large stones, which will not allow the fish to dig directly under the root. Be aware that certain species of Malawi may simply perceive plants as food, and quickly eat young leaves.
Malawian Cichlid Compatibility
On the Internet you will find numerous compatibility charts for Lake Malawi cichlids. It should be remembered that in addition to the food supply, these aquarium fish may differ in their behavior and conditions of detention. Many species are territorial and will invariably oppress other weaker fish in an aquarium. In such an aquarium, especially if it is small in size and with little cover, fights will be inevitable. To avoid this, it is necessary to create numerous shelters in the aquarium, where weaker inhabitants can wait out a dangerous period for them.
Feeding Malawian cichlids
Feeding is not difficult. You can feed Malawian cichlids with a variety of foods. But at the same time, it is necessary to take into account the preferred forage base. It is possible to feed frozen, dry and canned food. Remember that you can bring an infection along with live food, so it is recommended to refuse to use it. Great option will be spinach, lettuce, cucumbers and pieces of bell pepper.
Herbivorous species of Malawian cichlids can reach sizes larger than in their natural habitat in an aquarium, provided that they are fed well, due to a plentiful and balanced diet.
Reproduction of Malawian cichlids
Malawian cichlids are predominantly polygamous, that is, one male has several females. You can determine the readiness for mating by a pronounced tubercle at the anus. Many species of cichlids court their partners beautifully by playing and dancing in front of them.
After fertilization, the female takes the eggs into her mouth and carries the eggs and then the larvae for several weeks. During this time, the larvae grow into full-fledged fry, which, immediately after leaving the mother's mouth, can fully eat. All this time, the female is starving and after the release of the fry, she may look emaciated and sick. Fry can be fed with daphnia, cyclops or brine shrimp. There is also a technology for self-incubation of the game in special incubators. This reduces the load on the female, and she can soon give new offspring.
Fish of the cichlid family that live in the African Great Lakes are collectively called African cichlids. Around the world, Malawian and Tanganyika cichlids are also called variegated perches because of their color and behavioral responses. They are very reminiscent of deep sea inhabitants. Lake Malawi (another name for Nyasa) - the southernmost of the Great Lakes of Africa - is represented by a single basin with a maximum depth of 706 m. 87% of the ichthyofauna of this reservoir are various types of cichlids. About them further and will be discussed.
The family of cichlids (lat. Cichlidae) is estimated at more than a thousand species. Most ichthyo inhabitants of the water depths have two pairs of nostrils, while cichlids have only one, which is their characteristic difference.
In addition, they have a slightly elongated dorsal fin, the first rays of which are rigid, like the anal fins of fish.
If we consider cichlids as a whole, then they are very diverse both in terms of appearance as well as lifestyle and behaviour. However, all of them are brightly colored, and delight their owners with an enchantingly festive look.
The cichlid species present in Malawi are mostly endemic, meaning they are found only in this area.
Malawian cichlids are locally classified into two main groups:
- mbuna;
- duck, which is due to their morphological originality, as well as food preferences.
The first group includes herbivorous fish, the basis of the diet of which is algal fouling. If you try to change the diet of these pets to a live food version, this will lead to their obesity and inability to reproduce. The mbuna group includes:
- labidochromis;
- pseudotropheus;
- melanochromis.
Labidochromis Yellow.
Fish of the duck group prefer live food, and can use their congener in this capacity. These include:
- aulonocars;
- haplochromis;
- cirtocars.
If you decide to get yourself an aquarium with African cichlids, it is recommended to stop at only one of these two groups, since representatives are very aggressive towards the opposite group, and with insufficient aquarium volumes, frequent bloody skirmishes can occur.
Blue dolphin from the genus Cyrtocar.
Behavioral features of the family Cichlidae
The behavior of these representatives of the underwater fauna is peculiar and attractive. Sociable and active by nature, cichlids are in constant motion, using the entire space of the aquarium.
Their activity increases in proportion to the increase in hunger. In pursuit of a portion of food, they arrange real races and can absorb everything that is offered to them in an instant, although such greed does not benefit them.
Some species of fish have highly developed hunting skills:
- nimbochromis, buried in the sand, pretend to be inanimate, thereby luring prey;
- Copadichromis, having a tube-shaped mouth, are able to easily draw in plankton like a vacuum pump.
The intelligence of cichlids is attractive to aquarists. They are able to recognize their owner and demonstrate peculiar social behavior.
So almost all varieties of this family have developed parental care for offspring. aquarium fish cichlids carefully guard their masonry, care for larvae and fry. Specifically, the Malawian species of fish hatch clutches in their mouths, and hatched fry find shelter in the throat pouch of their parents in a moment of danger. Therefore, with a relatively small number of eggs in these fish, their survival rate is quite high. 
Features of keeping and breeding Malawian cichlids
For a comfortable life, fish from Malawi need a large - from 150 liters - an aquarium with clear water, which needs to be updated by a third every week, after allowing it to settle. It is equally important to subject the water to powerful aeration and filtration, cichlids are in great need of oxygen. Other parameters of aquarium water are also important for them:
- temperature - 24-26°C;
- hardness - 4-8ºdH;
- pH level - 8.0-8.5.
Lake Malawi has a unique hydrochemical regime. Due to the constant tectonic activity, the water has an alkaline environment and high hardness.
The decor of a home pond should combine a large number of shelters in the form of grottoes, shells and other things. When planting plants, it is necessary to take into account the predilection of Malawian fish for digging the soil. The roots of green spaces should be protected with larger pebbles. It is not recommended to plant plants in an aquarium with cichlids of the mbuna group, as they will gnaw them with pleasure. If you still want to add some greenery to the interior, you can use hard-leaved species, such as anubias.
Thanks to the bright coloration, reminiscent of saturated colors marine fish, Malawian cichlids are used to create a style aquarium.
Depending on the type of cichlids, they are fed with vegetable or live food. What to feed a particular species, you can ask the seller.
Aulonocara.
The readiness for reproduction of cichlids is determined by the anal tubercle. In the male, ready for spawning, it is sharp, in the female it is truncated cone-shaped. At the same time, the female lays 3-8 eggs, which are immediately fertilized by the male, and then pecked by the female for further gestation.
The offspring of the female bears about 4 weeks. All this time, she not only does not eat, but also becomes completely defenseless against the attacks of aggressive neighbors. Under severe stress, she can swallow her offspring.
Sometimes there are situations when, after the due date, the female does not release the juveniles outside. Young fry may try to swim out of the mother's mouth, but she constantly sucks them back. If such conditions continue for too long, the little fish will die of starvation.
To avoid this, aquarists "shake out" the female. To do this, they wrap it in a small handkerchief, place it in a basin in which there is a little water, and holding it with one hand, open its mouth with a toothpick, helping the fry to swim out. Sometimes a thin incised tube is used for these purposes, and with the help of a jet of water, babies are washed out of the female's oral cavity.
Juveniles leave their shelter fully adapted to independent existence. The fry are fed with finely ground dry food, brine shrimp nauplii and cyclops.
Compatibility
The selection of neighbors for each species is individual. It is important to remember that Malawian cichlids can have a very bad temper, depending on the species.
Unlike their American relatives, Malawians do not form stable pairs, and it is better to keep them in harems of one male and several females. If several males are present in a small container, then one of them will sooner or later show dominant behavior. In this case, the rest will either have to hide in the corners, or fight him to the death.
Of the representatives of other families with them, you can keep large chain catfish, synadontis and some large iris, occupying the upper layers of the water. You can also add mobile and cocky Sumatran barbs to them.
Despite the laboriousness of the process of keeping these fish, they have won the love of many amateur aquarists with their external attractiveness, clearly expressed social and social behavior, touching care for offspring and high intelligence.
