Mbuna Cichilds In Your Aquarium
Mbuna Cichlids are a species of fish that come from Lake Malawi in Africa. Since Mbuna means rockfish, it’s not surprising that these fish live among piles of rocks and caves. The rock-dwelling Mbunas are primarily herbivorous or omnivorous.
The Mbuna Cichlids grow to be 4 to 5 inches long. In addition, the Mbuna Cichlid is quite aggressive and territorial. For this reason, it is best to keep them in groups. Ideally, you want to have a group of at least 15. This will help to minimize the aggressiveness and keep any one fish from being singled out and picked on too much.
Because of the size of the fish and the fact that it is best to keep them in groups of at least 15, you’ll need a sizeable tank. When the Mbunas are young (about 2 inches long), a 30 gallon tank is sufficient to house 15 fish. As soon as the grow a bit, it will be necessary to have at least a 75 gallon tank.
The best tank set up for Mbunas is one with plenty of rocks and hiding places. It is not advisable to have a thick layer of gravel. In fact, having no gravel is the best bet. Likewise, having plants is unnecessary. Mbunas will tend to destroy live plants, so if you are really keen on having plants, try one or two plastic ones.
The ideal water temperature for the Mbuna is rather warm, approximately 78 to 80 degrees. The wider range is 74 to 83 degrees. At the lower end of the range, Mbunas will be less active, however, the higher end of the range is recommended for breeding. If necessary, you can invest in a water heater to maintain these temperatures.
pH is quite important to these fish. It is important to keep the pH as close to 8 as possible.
As Mbunas are herbivoresomnivores, they will need some green food in their diet. This can be accomplished by supplementing with some vegetable fish flakes or Spirulina. A prepared tropical fish flake available in pet stores is a good choice, as it also contains shrimp meal. Do not feed Mbunas worms of any sort.
If you plan to breed the Mbuna Cichlids, it’s important to use various methods to distinguish the males from females. Generally, the males are a bit larger and have more intense coloration. They are also usually more territorial. The Mbunas are mouthbreeders, so the female keeps her eggs and fry in her mouth until she is ready to release them. It’s a good idea to keep the female in a separate smaller tank until she releases her fry naturally.
Mbuna Cichlids are good for beginners, as long as you know the needs and habits of this lovely fish.
Gold Gourami Fish
Gold Gourami, also known as Trichogaster Trichopterus, is a tropical fish that is as you might guess, gold in color! The Gold Gourami is different from the Blue Gourami in that it doesn’t have spots.
This fish is considered a labyrinth fish which means that it is able breathe air at the surface. Although the Gold Gourami can breathe air directly, they must still have their tank changed weekly, the reason being that toxins do build up and can cause tissue damage.
The Gold Gourami can be peaceful, especially when young. With that being said, the males can be aggressive around each other. It is best to supply them with tankmates that are of similar temperaments and size. Choosing similar-sized fish is important, as the Gold Gouramies can actually become aggressive with smaller fish as well as those with long, flowing fins. Examples are male bettas and guppies, who are often seen as competitors.
Gold Gouramies are great fish for beginners because they are quite hardy. The do however grow somewhat large (about 15 cm), so they will need to have an adequate tank size to swim about and to avoid becoming overcrowded. The younger fish can be housed in a 15 to 20 gallon tank, but ideally, one should use a 35 gallon tank, especially for the adult fish.
The Gold Gourami does best when there are a few hiding places available, so be sure to add dense plant cover as well as some floating plant cover. This species occupies the lower, middle and bottom of the tank, so they have a wide range.
All Gold Gouramies are omnivores. This means that they should be fed a combination of meaty foods as well as algae -based foods. Some good food choices for the Gold Gourami are bloodworms, mosquito larvae, tubifex worms, brine shrimp and an algae-based flake food.
If you are interested in breeding the Gold Gourami, the easiest way to tell the male and female apart is by looking at the dorsal fin. The male’s dorsal fin is longer and more pointed whereas the female fin is shorter and more rounded. Breeding for this species is not exceptionally easy, though it can be done once you have the hang of it.
Set up a separate 10 gallon breeding tank specifically for this. Place floating plants in the tank to support the bubble nest for the eggs.
Once a healthy pair have been chosen and placed in the breeding tank, the male will begin building a bubble nest. After the female lays her eggs, she should be promptly removed so as not to be attacked by the male. The male should then be removed once the fry hatch, otherwise the male may attempt to eat them. Fry must be fed only with fry food until they grow big enough to eat regular flake food.
As you can see, having a Gold Gourami can be fun and it is certainly nice to enjoy this beautiful fish!
Why You Need Sand In Your Aquarium
Live sand is especially beneficial to the organisms in your tank. Live sand is biological sand. It is pre-seeded with certain microscopic organisms such as bacteria and algae. These organisms help to clean the water in the tank and also produce the chemicals that are present in natural habitat. Live sand can be very expensive, such as live aragonite sand, but it is a very good option to have at the bottom of your tank, since it will not require maintenance. Not only does live sand clean itself due to the organisms present in it, but it will also contribute a major share in the internal cleaning of your tank.
There are many different types of sands available that can make good choices to your aquarium. The following is a list of some of the sand types that are used:-
- Aragonite sand – Aragonite sand is the most expensive variety of sand available, and so it will not be a good choice for larger aquariums. However it helps in the buffering of the water and is fantastic for keeping the tank at an optimal chemical condition.
- Silica sand – Silica sand is common beach sand, and it is very cheaply available. It is mainly composed of silicon dioxide, SiO2, which is a natural ingredient in sand. The plus points of this sand are that it is smooth and sifts easily. It is very easy to clean during setup and maintenance, and it is available very cheaply.
- Coral sand – As the name suggests, coral sand is suitable for tanks that have corals as their inhabitants. Since corals can change internal levels of the tank, such as the nitrate levels and the pH values, drastically, it is wise to use this sand. Coral sand has a natural buffering action that can maintain the chemical composition of tank water at optimal values.
- Black beauty – Though this is not actually sand, it is sold as such. Black beauty is actually solidified and powdered iron slag. It adds a contrast to the tank and is good for esthetic reasons. But the sand particles are sharp, so do not use this sand if you have fish that sift too much on the bed.
Cleaning of sand is a very important process, and must be done in the right way. These are the steps you must follow while cleaning sand:-
- Take about two gallons of the sand in a capacious bucket.
- With the help of a pipe, run water on the sand till half the bucket is full.
- Then drain out the supernatant water. This will contain many floating dust particles.
- Put water again, and this time, sift through the sand.
- Again pour out the water.
- Continue this process till the water you pour out is quite clear.
Thus, it is very easy to clean the sand in the tank, and that should not be a problem in deciding to use it as a bed product for your aquarium. Sand does add quite a bit of grace and naturalness to the tank, and fishes find it closer to their own natural surroundings.
