Suggestions for keeping Malawi Cichlids.

1. Never buy two males from the same species. Males are very territorial and will often battle the other male for dominance which often leads to the death of the weaker fish.

2. Plan on "overstocking" your tank to avoid agression, and buy all the fish at the same time. This will help an instand "family" form. Adding fish one by one can be hazardous to the new fish due to agression.

3. Look for good color and have the shop personel feed the fish, you will want to make sure the fiish are healthy before taking them home. Unhealthy fish usually do not get excited at feeding time.

4. Look at the fish's fins. The should all be working smoothly. Any clamped fins is the sign of an unhealthy or extremely stressed out fish. Also make sure the fish is breathing normally. If the fish looks like its "gasping" for air or breething at very fast rate, the fish could have other problems.

5. When you get serious about Malawi, or if you just want to jump right into it, the absolute best place to buy fish is on the internet. Find a reputable dealer who imports "wild caught" cichlids. These will have the best color and are the best suited for breeding. The best place to get fish if you don't want to spend that kind of money are private breeders and hobbiests who may sell them at ACA Cichlid Clubs (check your area), and on internet classifieds such as Yahoo, keep your eyes open. You will want to be careful to watch out for hybrids.

A Malawi communty should not be perminantly housed in a tank less than 60 gallons. The fish will need room to grow and divide territories. Anything less for a legnth of time may stunt growth or cause the fish to go insane.

It is strongly recommended that you invest in a good filter. Malawi cichlids require the cleanest water free of disolved matter. This requires a "3" stage filtration process --biological, mechanical, and chemical. The Eheim professional series is the best on the market and is recommended by everyone who has one. Check out the P2 2028 which has trays for each stage of filtration. It is also a good idea to place powerheads towards the gravel to help lift and stir matter from the bottom.

On larger tanks (60g +) a UV Sterilizer is a great idea, and is a good investment for crystal clear, algae free, and disease free water.

For happy fish that thrive in your "ecosystem", it's better to go with a more natural environment or a simulated environment such as the picture above. A good crushed coral or fine substrate is recommended as the fish love to "decorate" their surroundings. You will notice that they tirelessly scoop up a mouthful of substrate and place it where they want in order to help establish their own dwellings. It is also wise to use a few large rocks or stack slate to form many crevises and caves for them to hide in and use as terratory marks. If you wish to include live plants, you may want to look into the hardy "Anubias" species or go with fake plastic plants. Many Malawi's see live plants as an inticing salad bar to munch on.

Treasure chests, moving dinosours, and aerating spear hunters usually don't go over well with these intellegant fish. If there's something in the tank they don't like, they will let you know.

Lake Malawi water is some of the clearest and most diluted water on earth. The fish have adapted to these environments and will not tolerate much disolved matter in their water. To keep the fish happy and healthy, it is necessary to change 30-40% of the water weekly. Never pour tap water directly into the tank as it probably contains Chlorine or Cloramines. It is best to treat the water with everything you need and let it mix before introducing it to the fish.

Also it is important to make sure the water is the same temperature, as to not shock the fish. Test the old water every water change for Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrates. Ammonia and Nitrite should be 0ppm and Nitrates less than 20ppm.

A good water temperature is 76-81 degrees.

Most Malawi are either Carnivor or Omnivore and should be fed a combination of foods. Cichlid pellets, protien flakes, brine flakes, spirulina flakes, frozen brine shrimp, live brine shrimp, feeder guppies are all fine and enjoyed by the fish. If you feed your fish live foods, make sure you get them from a trusted LFS.... Many diseases can be introduced to the tank from feeders.

Stay away from live bloodworms, tubiflex worms, beef heart, or any foods not specifically recommended for "South African" Cichlids.