Want more tips and tricks to care for your fish? Check out these playlists! Best Fish Keeping Tips Playlist is here: th-cam.com/play/PLr8ew8o8WXoDLeItfzOiRG8DV-1W9qNX4.html Lowering and Controlling Nitrates Playlist is here: th-cam.com/play/PLr8ew8o8WXoD-pzZaHgtIFqurG9HZn2zz.html Every Live Stream is Here: th-cam.com/play/PLr8ew8o8WXoApHjaPfc6rdr7oipfEbZ-k.html The Water Change Tips & Tricks Playlist is here: th-cam.com/play/PLr8ew8o8WXoCdEYkD0rQa0OWejFk5-bHD.html SunSun Canister Filter Playlist is here: th-cam.com/play/PLr8ew8o8WXoCiMWEpBFJFJGxTqJH_MdMg.html Fluval Canister Filter Playlist is here: th-cam.com/play/PLr8ew8o8WXoC8gSuqdG1c4nOzlAMFTmiD.html
Thank you so much MnM and welcome to the TH-cam cichlid universe. It is loaded with content. Some accurate and informative and some a total waste of time. All fun regardless. I appreciate you stopping by my channel!
If you can’t sleep at night, I guarantee you put on one of Ben Ochart videos and his smooth, relaxing voice will put you to sleep, while teaching you a thing or two! 😁😴
Really appreciate this video. I’ve been in the hobby for about 4 months now, and have experienced a lot of negativity...but this really brightened my day! Thank you!
Absolutely beautiful tank! Your tips were on point! I have a 55 gallon cichlid tank and adore it. This hobby is so satisfying! Hope to watch and see more from you 😊
Beautiful tank. Great tips. Your video is inspirational. Soon I will be starting the hobby again after 20 years of retirement. 20 years ago I had a 30 gallons Truvue African Cichilds tank and was very successful. My kids enjoyed as well. Now it is turn for my grandchildren . This time I want a 50 gallon tank. With all the info on YT, FB and other forums. I have no doubt that I will be back on track. Again. thank you for sharing your video.
I just converted our Community Tank to a African Cichlids Tank. This is a good start for me. Thank you for sharing your knowledge-it can be intimidating.
You're in for a adventure. The best advice I can give is: patience and research. If you'd like, come over the Facebook page, "Ben O'Cichlid" where a lot of fish keepers of all levels get into friendly discussions and share tips.
Thank you! As a newbie to the world of cichlids I appreciated your attitude and positivity!! I just lost 2 of my originals to bullying and tomorrow I am visiting a breeder to purchase some more to over stock my tank. Take care and thanks for sharing!
Ree Simmons Thank you for watching Ree and if you want some on going advice come on over to our Facebook group, "Ben O'Cichlid." Lots of friendly fish keepers willing to give advice.
I have been in the hobby for 3+ years great tips. Regarding water changes, I fill 3 five gallon water jugs, treat the water, and let it sit for one week to adjust the water to the temperature of my tank works great for me
I bought my first tank and Cichlids in 1993, and I have learned so much since then but still feel like there is so much more to learn. Good musicians like to get together and have jam sessions, good aquarists like to get together for finned friend talk, we all learn from each other.
your community is beautiful! why did you call that fish what sounded like 'frontosa'? I have two very large convict cichlids that look very similar. I'm a novice and trying to learn. thanks for all your tips as well as the lead on sites and forums to learn from. much appreciated
Hello Juli. The Frontosa (Cyphotilapia frontosa, sometimes called "front" for short) is a Lake Tanganyika (east Africa) fish. They get very large and can live many years, like over 20 under excellent conditions. I ended up giving mine, "Eeyore," away to a friend that had a Front only aquarium. I believe he will be much happier and thrive in an environment that is specific to Tanganyika fish. Fronts prefer to live in groups of other Frontosas. Also, it's not a great idea to mix lakes since conditions and diet requirements can be very different. I am now 99.9% Lake Malawi. Thanks for watching and good luck in the hobby.
So Ben just had to let you know, add 5 new fish today and damned if everyone isn't chill and just hanging out! My two big boys just swimming around, no aggression, everyone just being cool. Thanks man, so excited.
I don't know if anyone has mentioned it yet but I would suggest going with a good pump and your garden hose with a quick attachment coupling for water changes. This makes it so much easier and you can use the water in your garden if you have one. I refill with my tank via aquarium tubing and faucet. This has made a world of difference with my back and it saves time. One other quick suggestion, instead of using Prime water conditioner you can get the same product in powder form , it's called Safe. This powder dissolves instantly and goes nearly 4 times as far as the liquid, it will save you a ton of money.
I watched tonnes of videos on african cichlids for a whole year before I bought my first mbuna....I found African cichlid hub extremely helpful...+ the others you named.
+ORANGE FISHHEAD Very wise of you O.F. The African cichlids are so pretty that it's easy to want to rush in and start enjoying them. Then you end up having to re-home a few that shouldn't have been in the mix to begin with. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Some of the best advice I have heard, and I don't even keep Africans. This goes across the whole hobby. Ive heard so many opinions in videos, social media, and in person and you got it right lol.
Ben, thanks for the call out to HalfMan HalfCichlid, I appreciate your channel too. After 50+ years in the hobby, and 25 years with Africans I am still tweaking a number of aspects of keeping africans. Two that I am continuously trying new things on are cichlid agression and Malawi bloat. Some of my trials and experiments will be in my future videos. I tend to not mix mbuna with peacocks and haps because of cross aggression, but this seems to work ok for you.
+HalfMan HalfCichlid I might be going in the direction of peacock only tank. We'll see. The yellow lab and yellow tail seem very peaceful but the rusty struggles and the other two (cobue and chewere) can get testy. I'm keeping a close eye on it. Thanks for watching and commenting. You are appreciated.
I am in the process of setting up a cichlid tank and very excited about the knowledge you have shared. I mirror everything you have stated as I have been listening carefully to many people on the net who have these fish. I am up for the challenge and so appreciate your advice. Great advice, thanks so much! 😊 😊 😊
Hey Ben, I really enjoyed this video. It is very much obvious that you learned a lot about African Cichlid fish keeping when you filmed it. Thanks very much for sharing
I learned that, as well as size. Keeping fish with similar needs of diet and water perameters makes it easier to balance the tank for all its inhabitants. Having those requirements met, its easier for the fish to achieve full potential size, color, and lifespan.. Good stuff sir.. Thanks !
Great video. I'm currently buying a new 180g after selling my last one 2 years ago which I regretted moments after selling it. So can't wait for my new one and getting back into African cichlids. I miss sitting down after a long day at work and watching them
Yes, it's very relaxing. It will be fun getting a new tank going. You might want to share the set up on TH-cam. It will give you a video record of the journey and help others embarking on a new tank. Giod luck and thanks for watching.
if you think about the reason for changing water, normally to reduce chemical impurity in the tank or as a result of gravel vacuuming the substrate to remove waste. I do about 15% as a result of gravel cleaning the tank parameters remain stable and in acceptable levels, The now side of large changes is the water chemistry can be radically altered adversely effecting the fish
Ben, I am getting back into the larger tank part of the hobby, after decades of being away. Your videos are a pleasure to watch and are very enlightening. Thank you! Glenn
Very good tips. On the water changes which I have always despised. I learned from DYI to install a drip system. I got all needed from the dripdepot.com. 1/8" tubing the connecters and a control time plus the adjustable dripper which I calibrated to ~2g/Hr. also a pressure reducer to 20 psi. I set the controller to for 4h/day 7 days. It does about 250 g/month. I ran a 1" drain from my main room to the basement sink drain with a 1/8" tubing back up to my 55g. I drilled a hole in the tank with a 1" bulkhead fitting in the lowest part on the tank with a stand pipe up to the water line with 6 - 5/16ths holes about inch down. I tested the water over flow by removing the dripper with a ~flow of 5g/min. the 1" stand pipe was able to drain that with no problems. I am on a deep water well so no chemical treatment is needed. Very soft water .003 TSD with a PH of 7.0.
I love your fish aquarium. I had a mixture of African Cichlids with a few Angel Fish. I added them in at the same time and they actually grew up together. I also had some snails that had babies. Unfortunately. I lost them all due to a power outage during an ice storm. Thank you for the tips. They are very useful.
I've always kept south and central american cichlids. I want to get peacock african cichlids this time. Gorgeous fish. I'm set up for cichlids. I have a 125 gallon aquarium. I have 2 aquaclear 110 hob filters and a marineland c360 cannister filter.
Very good tips especially on not having anxiety or stress about it and enjoy it. It’s sad when people attach others especially when someone is learning.
Great tips sir. Love that you mentioned Pondguru, I found him early after starting this hobby. I feel his knowledge of filtration is second to none. His products are worth more, they never wear out. This is a very rewarding hobby. I always remind myself it's not about me, it's about my babies.(fish) Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Joel. You're right, PondGuru made canister care simple for me. And I agree, it's about creating the best living conditions for the fish (our babies).
Mr Ochart I'm a new subscriber. I have a African cichlid tank. Great channel, you're easy to listen to. Some of these guys voice is annoying. Keep up the great work sir.
I always wondered how the stores had so many aggressive fish in one tank. I am looking to get back into a larger tank (75 gal). I think you have inspired me to try African cychlids. Love all the fish colors. Thanks
Hi Ben, I am so nervous to do a 50% water change! So I usually do 10-20% water change every other day in my 12.5 gallon tank. I only have 5 shell dwellers. I include prime, little salt and a bio ball each week or to each water change. Colours are popping and my fishes and very happy. I feed them lake Tanganyika fish pellets for my fishes, although I’ve been told goldfish food flakes works? Mine unfortunately don’t like flakes it’s been trial and error with food! Each week I treat them to frozen food. They’re so cute but I may add a little more fishes perhaps some yellow head sardines as I’ve found the more fish I add the less aggression. I’m totally mindful of the size of my tank and eventually I’ll change for a larger tank in a few years. The water changes seem to help keep my water tip top the nitrite is 0.5 yesterday is was 0, and nitrate is 0-0.5. I test the water each day. If it spikes I change it. But only slightly. I also have a brush to wash my rocks with should the food I give them settle on it and hoover it away. I also move their shells, but do I clean them? Thank you for your wonderful channel. I’ve subscribed and also to your Facebook page.
Hi Sara, Thank you for watching and subbing. It sounds like you have a working routine. Doing your water changes that way for a tank that size, stocked the way you have, is actually great. Big water changes are intended more for heavily stocked African Cichlid tanks which are big ammonia factories.
Great tips Ben 👌🏼👌🏼. I have learned more from this 13min video than I have in 3 hours of google searching. Tip #10 is something I’m working on. I stress a lot about my cichlids because I want them to be happy and healthy. And also because I’m only 1 month new to the hobby. Your videos have helped me so much. Thank you 😊
Hey it's me again, lol. I was just watching some vids on acclimating fish and I do basically the same thing as you describe here. The only difference for an extra safety precaution is that I dump the fish into one of those cheap mesh breeder boxes after I float the bag for half an hr. then just hang the breeder box in the tank and watch. I did this because I almost lost 2 fish that got stressed by the water difference and on top of that having to deal with the others as "the new guys". In the breeder box, they are in the tank water but there is a separation between them and the established fish in case they need an hr or so to be ready to deal with their tank mates.
Hey, we each come up with bright ideas that work for us. I've starting feeding everybody before adding fish, then, after adding, turning the lights out. That tends to mellow things out. By the way, be sure to watch my next video, I'm gonna throw out there the subject of our last conversation and see what kinds of comments I get. It's entitled, "Are We Killing Our Fish!" It should generate some lively conversations. Thanks for watching and commenting Ron!
I have a African cichlids tank and now I’m thinking 🤔 of going for my second tank with South America cichlids tank just waiting on some info and advice before I take on this challenge love this hobby it has helped me get throw a lot
Thanks...I really appreciate the video i started now with African Cichlids i have 9 so far and just found out that they do better with sand i have black gravel on my tank i will change it eventually to white sand.
This is all just personal opinion. Doesn't matter who you ask, everyone suggest different things. For Example some people say you need 5 times tank filtration p/h. Others say 10 times and you say 2 times. That's a big difference...
Thanks for sharing Ben. Just bought an aquarium and plan on cichlids. Funny, I'm already obsessing over the tank and water and don't even have cichlids yet. Great video!
I will add a tip, because I too have a 60g tank (48 length, 13 wide and 25 deep). It's a mixed mbuna with only one peacock, accidentally bought because the store sold it as a acei (long story). Anyways, I was having aggression issues and of course a bigger tank can usually solve this but sometimes what you have is what you got. Overstocking helped to distribute the aggression but it was still there. I figured that I don't have the footprint available but I do have 25" of depth for territory. I centred my decor from front to back to keep 2 paths the full 48" length. Then I went with fake rock decor (in case of upset, no broken glass or squished fish) and I made high rise territories about 20 inches on one half and 15 on the other half. After that the aggression has almost disappeared. So my tip is on a 55g or 60g, where footprint space is limited, use the height. It's there, so why not? Thanks for listening and I agree totally with your tip of don't take others negative opinions. It's your tank, it's your creation and no one can say for sure what is or what isn't a mistake.
Ron, that's awesome advice. Kind of using the Manhattan / Hong Kong, go up, idea. I like it. Have you considered attaching the rocks to each other with 100% silicon? Hey, I now have a Facebook group called, "Ben O'Cichlid". I'd love to see a picture of your set-up. Come on over. Thanks!
Great video! I just recently, yesterday, lost my last Butterfly. Had it for almost 10 years! Wish I would have watches videos like this before setting up my tank. I'm a former Oscar and Pacu hobbyist, but had to switch up species because my wife was getting afraid of having these monsters in the house, LOL. So I'm still learning about African Cichlids. Keep the videos coming!
Sorry about that Butterfly, but very well done to you for giving it such a long life in a tank! I'll keep the videos coming and I thank you for the encouragement.
37 gal will be good for growing them out, but you'll want a bigger tank in a year. In the meantime, with some sand and rock work (hiding spots) you could go with 7 - 8 Mbuna, maybe Electric Yellow Labs, some Yellow Tails, and a few more of the more peaceful labs. Gotta think long term, just in case you don't get that bigger tank. Peacocks and Haps would outgrow that size very quickly. If you don't mind the sound of water, a good HOB filter (hang on back) would do the trick and they are easy to clean. If you're pH needs buffering, go with crushed coral or aragonite as a substrate to help raise pH. Go to Jehmco.com and get an Eheim-Jaeger 200 watt heater on sale. You'll be set to go.
Hey Ben, Just wanted you to know that I think you make some nice vids. While I've kept fish for more than 30 years, 25 of those years with cichlids, I'm new to east African Rift Lake cichlids (less than a year) and love to hear other people's tips and tricks. I'll keep watching!
Thank you for the tips. Cichlids are just a tiny thought in my mind right now. You made a comment down below somewhere about adding salt when doing water changes. I thought, "salt?" Clearly I have to do a lot more research before this tiny thought about setting up a cichlid tank gets any bigger! LOL. So, thanks very much for the great tips. This was a good place to start!
fantastic advice... I have been watching videos for the last three hours as I am new to the hobby, and I must say.... I sure learned a lot from your video. congrats... awesome... from san Francisco
triple gravel and use jars under for caves, homes, the more homes with seperation keeps them accupied and I have found over 40 years of chiclids a red tail shark works well as a police of the tank, they hate fighting and will break it up
second to last tip is the best, but all tips are on point. Ben you are such an inspiration. Love all the info and amazing fish! Keep up the good work bro!
+Corey Hecker Corey, I shout out to you was missed...sorry. Is the second to last the #9, #10 or #11 bonus tip? Just curious as to which one you thought was best. As always, thanks for watching. Your input is appreciated.
Thanks for the reply Corey. I included that tip because I read so many comments on fish blogs from people agonizing about points that are not always that vital. Seems it would take some of the fun and joy out of the hobby to worry so much. I also have very little patience for people who are mean spirited. There are polite ways to convey, "If you do that all your fish will die!" Be well.
My personal tip for you is to take out the loaches... They do well in lower pH levels and in tanks a little more chill. Not to mention, they can outgrow your tank!
I've looked at this question for a while. The opinions vary. My loaches seem to be thriving, very active and colorful. My pH runs around 7.5 - 7.8, not on the high end for AC tanks. I will be going to a 120gal, so the size issue is not of concern to me. Thanks for watching and commenting.
+Ben Ochart true. i guess this is where options differ. :) i find that loaches do well in peaceful tanks, where a large school of 8 or more individuals with other large(ish) but peaceful species.... preferably anything over 6 x 2 x 2 ft in size... as they can grow up to and over 2 ft if given the chance. (look at Marie the clown loach) i understand that everyone has their own option but i personally believe that rift lake cichlids should stay with rift lake fish... only.
With canisters I have found getting a better quality one it the got sick of generic canisters getting loud and losing power but they do work good for a while
My SunSun's have been strong and trouble free for quite some time. But I have heard horror stories and I'll admit that I love my Fluval FX 6. It's built like a tank.
Beautiful tank and Very good video! Filtration and overstock is the main things with cichlids. I’ve had cichlids for almost 10 years been through it all. Theyre very aggressive and don’t even think about trying to do a nice aquscape with live plants. I’ve tried about 3 times and nope nope nope hahaha
That was an expensive lesson for me. Respected authorities in the hobby assured me that cichlids would leave anubias and java fern alone. They told me that they tasted sour to cichlids. Well my fish didn't get the memo. As soon as they put on size they destroyed the plants. I salvaged what I could and put them in the grow-out tank. The smaller fish seem to ignore them.
Brother I am with you there! I watch an extensive amount of videos on whatever fish I am looking into next. I thought I was just crazy, but I see I am not.
Ben, i used to have sunsun 704b but i decided to go for FX6. You have running 106watts total on your canisters vs 43 on FX6. Nice setup and amazing fish you got
I run a large sump with 1800gph turnover, a FX6, and a sunsun 304b.. wattage yes but overfiltration on a 360 gallon tank is a good thing.. Good thinking on power saving but I splurge on filtration.. My wife gave me permission lol
Great tank and pointers thank you! I am just starting my first Cichlid tank, she just finished cycling yesterday and my fish are arriving tomorrow !!! thank you again.
+Kayla Ramos Kayla, watch my tank set up videos. There are fast simple techniques you can use to get a healthy tank going, especially if you can get a hold of some filter media from an already established tank.
+Ben Ochart yes unfortunately I have filter media because a few days ago I killed all of my boyfriends cichlids. he is on vacation so I wanted to change the water because it was very cloudy and green. I removed 95% of the water then refilled with tap water that want treated and most likely hot in temperature. I also poured the water in super fast so maybe I knocked them unconscious because they immediately fell to their sides and then bellied up and died one by one. I was so hurt and my boyfriend is super passed and upset
thank you for your tips, I'm really inspired by the beauty of your fish, clarity of your water and over all tank setup. I'm brand new to the cichlid world and loving every minute! Thanks again, you've gained a new subscriber :) Peace!
Thanks for the tips! I was thinking about getting into cichlids, b/c I was given a 55 gal from a friend and I wanted to put something colorful and active in there. However after listening to what you said about them, they are not for me. I was also able to pick up some good general insight for running a large tank too! Thanks again!
+RobertLee Cichlids Thank you sir. He's really blossomed and he's a real ham when I'm filming. Always flashing and challenging the German Red but they never really hurt each other. Thanks for watching and commenting.
And buy some batter air pumps at minimum in case of a power outage. Those are bad enough in community tanks. An overstocked tank will be much quicker to get low on oxygen.
Yes, so true. I have a couple Cobalt Rescue Air pumps. In a pinch you can also pour water out into a bucket and then back in during a power outage. That will add oxygen, like every hour.
@@BenOchartCobalt Rescue, eh? I need to replace mine and was wondering which one to get (all the ones I've looked at so far are pretty sorry,) so thanks!
Awesome tank I have a 125 with 1 very large buttikoferi 1 medium buttikoferi and a giraffe cichlid also a lager catfish not sure what kind he is all silver, but has no eyes. Not sure if another fish got them but they have been gone a few years
Yeah the apartment/condo idea was what prompted my idea. I lost 2 fish had to rescue 3 more, before I thought of this. But now rarely see a nipped fin. Well except I have 2 ice blue males I'm watching closely. Waiting for one to take dominance and then sell the other. They seem to be more tolerant of each other than the 3 females are of either of them. I'm sorry, I don't have facebook, but I was thinking of uploading a video sometime on here. I just really want to stress my appreciation for fish keepers like you. I started this tank about a year ago and at first, I found it almost discouraging by reading many of the forums. Seems like a lot of negative ego, people making others feel like anything you do or did was wrong. Like their tank and only theirs was the only one that would work. I've got 5 different breeding harems with misc individuals (including the "killer" kenyi and auratus) and even a peacock thrown in the mix, all in a 60g and only lost 2 fish in a year. So, I love hearing others stories without judgement. Thanks again. Ps, the ego in others telling me that my tank would fail has kept me from sharing too much.
Thanks Ron. In the end it is YOUR tank and you have the freedom to do with it as you please, doing what works for you. People can be mean and judgmental and condescending. This doesn't help the hobby.
I have a 60 gallon tank every fish in there is a South African cichlid ranging from peacocks to a red devil face and a jewel. I have 5 of them. The ones I have been adding is peacock cichlids. I have lost 3 of them. And they were some of the most distinctive and colorful ones I've ever seen. I have them in the bag for about 15 to 20 minutes. None of them have lasted longer than 24 hours and I recently lost my 4th one that I tried putting slime coat protection in the bag before he went in the tank
The consensus is that South Americans should never be mixed with African Cichlids and will kill ACs if they are bigger. That would be my first guess. Certainly water factors might have something to do with it. ACs needs hard water with a high pH, while SAC's require a softer, lower pH water. So, if your water is perfect for your SACs, it's not going to be what ACs need to thrive in. I have seen some mixed tanks and one could argue that since the fish we buy are usually tank bred and raised, the water needed can be a bit flexible ... but your ACs are dying, so it must be something along those lines, IMO. What was the "GH" and "pH" reading in your last water test? If you don't have a test kit, take a sample to the local fish store and they can test it for you. If you pH is around 7.0, and GH is soft to medium hardness, then that might be what's killing off the new additions. Or, maybe the ACs are being ambushed and killed after the lights go out by the SACs. Let me know what those test results show and also ask your fish store what the keep their water at. The shock from the difference might be killing your new guys.
Very good video. I have a 45 gallon cichlid tank * Planning to upgrade soon* and have 12 in it at the moment. I have not seen any fighting and they are now two years old. This video taught me a lot of things , some I was doing , I have a filteration system for a 100 gallon tank on my system at the moment.
Ben Ochart You have some of the most beautiful cichlid's I've seen. I'm planning to get a Green Terror soon and this game idea's on what to do. I've always done the buying more than one at a time thing only once did I buy a single fish and release it. It's not my breeding female so I guess it worked out for me, never knew about the long hose system planning to get one of those now.
Green Terror, as the name implies, I hear, can be quite a terror. Be sure you have the right tank mates. He's a South American (different from my African Cichlids). They are very pretty.
Ben Ochart Yeah my Green terror will be in his own 55 gallon tank along with some cleaner fish. I know how mean they are same with the dempseys ( though they do get along with africans if you get them young. so I hear)
When using a hose I add to the tank as I'm adding the water. When using buckets I dose each bucket. When filling from a hose from tap to tank you dose for the full volume of the tank (not just for the amount that is being added).
BANGSHOTA Thanks. This is coral and shells. Whiskers seem okay. I do want to switch to sand at some point. It's covered in my recent video on the battle to control nitrates.
![African Cichlids, Peacocks, Haps or Mbunas??? [Which Should You Keep?] - My Experience Keeping Both!](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YzNj8v35Ew4/mqdefault.jpg)
Want more tips and tricks to care for your fish? Check out these playlists!
Best Fish Keeping Tips Playlist is here: th-cam.com/play/PLr8ew8o8WXoDLeItfzOiRG8DV-1W9qNX4.html
Lowering and Controlling Nitrates Playlist is here: th-cam.com/play/PLr8ew8o8WXoD-pzZaHgtIFqurG9HZn2zz.html
Every Live Stream is Here: th-cam.com/play/PLr8ew8o8WXoApHjaPfc6rdr7oipfEbZ-k.html
The Water Change Tips & Tricks Playlist is here: th-cam.com/play/PLr8ew8o8WXoCdEYkD0rQa0OWejFk5-bHD.html
SunSun Canister Filter Playlist is here: th-cam.com/play/PLr8ew8o8WXoCiMWEpBFJFJGxTqJH_MdMg.html
Fluval Canister Filter Playlist is here: th-cam.com/play/PLr8ew8o8WXoC8gSuqdG1c4nOzlAMFTmiD.html
This actually first video I ever watched about African Cichlids. Great video Ben.
Thank you so much MnM and welcome to the TH-cam cichlid universe. It is loaded with content. Some accurate and informative and some a total waste of time. All fun regardless.
I appreciate you stopping by my channel!
It is a pleasure. If you get a moment drop by and watch one of my videos. I would really appreciate some constructive criticism Thanks Ben.
Me too!
The tip number 1: don't have African cichlids !
Terrible Terrible Terrible
I don't see any reason to have these aggressive animals.
If you can’t sleep at night, I guarantee you put on one of Ben Ochart videos and his smooth, relaxing voice will put you to sleep, while teaching you a thing or two! 😁😴
Really appreciate this video. I’ve been in the hobby for about 4 months now, and have experienced a lot of negativity...but this really brightened my day! Thank you!
Happy to hear that!
I just bought an established 90g Cichlid tank to help my cancer recovery. Thanks so much for your posts. We are never too old to learn.
Thank you for watching and I hope your recovery goes well.
I second positive thoughts for awesome recovery !!
Absolutely beautiful tank! Your tips were on point! I have a 55 gallon cichlid tank and adore it. This hobby is so satisfying! Hope to watch and see more from you 😊
Thank you Holly. Your kind words of encouragement are greatly appreciated.
What fish did u go with and how are they doing? I want a 50 for my daughter's tank and my 75 for my flowerhorn
Beautiful tank. Great tips. Your video is inspirational. Soon I will be starting the hobby again after 20 years of retirement. 20 years ago I had a 30 gallons Truvue African Cichilds tank and was very successful. My kids enjoyed as well. Now it is turn for my grandchildren . This time I want a 50 gallon tank. With all the info on YT, FB and other forums. I have no doubt that I will be back on track. Again. thank you for sharing your video.
Love ur cichlids and that purple plants
Thank you Eric!
I just converted our Community Tank to a African Cichlids Tank. This is a good start for me. Thank you for sharing your knowledge-it can be intimidating.
You're in for a adventure. The best advice I can give is: patience and research. If you'd like, come over the Facebook page, "Ben O'Cichlid" where a lot of fish keepers of all levels get into friendly discussions and share tips.
Beautifull cichlid tank you got there! Also love the clown loaches. Makes a nice color contrast!
Those clowns are still going strong. "Los Tres Amigos." Thank you for watching.
Thank you! As a newbie to the world of cichlids I appreciated your attitude and positivity!! I just lost 2 of my originals to bullying and tomorrow I am visiting a breeder to purchase some more to over stock my tank. Take care and thanks for sharing!
Ree Simmons Thank you for watching Ree and if you want some on going advice come on over to our Facebook group, "Ben O'Cichlid." Lots of friendly fish keepers willing to give advice.
Ben Ochart Thank you. Yes. I have already done that too 😃
good vid, good advice. just getting started and will keep those tucked in the back of my mind. thanks
You're welcome Daniel. Come back and rewatch after you're up and running.
I have been in the hobby for 3+ years great tips. Regarding water changes, I fill 3 five gallon water jugs, treat the water, and let it sit for one week to adjust the water to the temperature of my tank works great for me
If it works, keep doing it. I think some are too quick to change things. If it works, why change? Thanks for watching.
I just want all your rocks... and that one OB with all the beautiful oranges, pinks, and the blue head. It wants to live with me.
LOL! Thanks for watching and commenting Avy!
I bought my first tank and Cichlids in 1993, and I have learned so much since then but still feel like there is so much more to learn. Good musicians like to get together and have jam sessions, good aquarists like to get together for finned friend talk, we all learn from each other.
your community is beautiful! why did you call that fish what sounded like 'frontosa'?
I have two very large convict cichlids that look very similar. I'm a novice and trying to learn. thanks for all your tips as well as the lead on sites and forums to learn from.
much appreciated
Hello Juli. The Frontosa (Cyphotilapia frontosa, sometimes called "front" for short) is a Lake Tanganyika (east Africa) fish. They get very large and can live many years, like over 20 under excellent conditions. I ended up giving mine, "Eeyore," away to a friend that had a Front only aquarium. I believe he will be much happier and thrive in an environment that is specific to Tanganyika fish. Fronts prefer to live in groups of other Frontosas. Also, it's not a great idea to mix lakes since conditions and diet requirements can be very different. I am now 99.9% Lake Malawi.
Thanks for watching and good luck in the hobby.
So Ben just had to let you know, add 5 new fish today and damned if everyone isn't chill and just hanging out! My two big boys just swimming around, no aggression, everyone just being cool.
Thanks man, so excited.
Richard C Great to hear!
Wow I can't believe in my eyes that tank is tooo perfect
Thanks Farhan.
Ben Ochart where's the water
IOS Game Reviews they are flying fish they live in air the tank is like a cage 😂🤣
Farhan ok thanks I might buy me some soon
I don't know if anyone has mentioned it yet but I would suggest going with a good pump and your garden hose with a quick attachment coupling for water changes. This makes it so much easier and you can use the water in your garden if you have one. I refill with my tank via aquarium tubing and faucet. This has made a world of difference with my back and it saves time.
One other quick suggestion, instead of using Prime water conditioner you can get the same product in powder form , it's called Safe. This powder dissolves instantly and goes nearly 4 times as far as the liquid, it will save you a ton of money.
THANK YOU for your videos 😜
LOL, you absolutely must watch my most recent video. It's like you read my mind, or I read yours. Thanks for watching and commenting.
I've started using Safe. So far so good. Thanks for the tip.
Gorgeous fish!
Thank you!
Rutherford chiclid fish is good 🐟
Great looking set up. Just got back into keeping African Cichlids myself. Hoping to get a breeding set up going. Thanks for the Info!
You are welcome and good luck with your new venture.
I watched tonnes of videos on african cichlids for a whole year before I bought my first mbuna....I found African cichlid hub extremely helpful...+ the others you named.
+ORANGE FISHHEAD Very wise of you O.F. The African cichlids are so pretty that it's easy to want to rush in and start enjoying them. Then you end up having to re-home a few that shouldn't have been in the mix to begin with. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Leuke clip, kan ik veel van leren...
Thank you and I'm glad you feel that way.
Snarfhimself 8b.
Very nice tank. I just set up a 75 gal after a 10 year break and will be stocking it with Africans . Looking forward to it. Thanks for the info.
You're welcome Chris. Feel free to come over to the "Ben O'Cichlid" FBook group if we can be of any assistance.
You have a few of my favorite Malawi Cichlids in this tank, #1 Labidochromis caeruleus, # 2 Crytocara Morrii (Blue Dolphin) #3 Pseudotropheus Sp. Acei
your advice, your attitude, the comments you make....excellent....a true asset to the hobby
Thank you so much curly!
Ben Your Tank's Always Look Superb, Kudo's To You My Mentor Of this Hobby.
Some of the best advice I have heard, and I don't even keep Africans. This goes across the whole hobby. Ive heard so many opinions in videos, social media, and in person and you got it right lol.
Thank you Andrew, I appreciate the kind words.
My new cichlid tank is progressing very well!!! Thanks for the help!
Awesome and you’re welcome😀👍🏻
Ben, thanks for the call out to HalfMan HalfCichlid, I appreciate your channel too. After 50+ years in the hobby, and 25 years with Africans I am still tweaking a number of aspects of keeping africans. Two that I am continuously trying new things on are cichlid agression and Malawi bloat. Some of my trials and experiments will be in my future videos. I tend to not mix mbuna with peacocks and haps because of cross aggression, but this seems to work ok for you.
+HalfMan HalfCichlid I might be going in the direction of peacock only tank. We'll see. The yellow lab and yellow tail seem very peaceful but the rusty struggles and the other two (cobue and chewere) can get testy. I'm keeping a close eye on it. Thanks for watching and commenting. You are appreciated.
I am in the process of setting up a cichlid tank and very excited about the knowledge you have shared. I mirror everything you have stated as I have been listening carefully to many people on the net who have these fish. I am up for the challenge and so appreciate your advice. Great advice, thanks so much! 😊 😊 😊
Good luck Rita and welcome to a great community of fish keepers.
Hey Ben, I really enjoyed this video. It is very much obvious that you learned a lot about African Cichlid fish keeping when you filmed it. Thanks very much for sharing
You're welcome Dennis. I appreciate you taking the time to watch my videos.
This is one of the best advice videos I've stumbled on. Great job!
I learned that, as well as size. Keeping fish with similar needs of diet and water perameters makes it easier to balance the tank for all its inhabitants. Having those requirements met, its easier for the fish to achieve full potential size, color, and lifespan.. Good stuff sir.. Thanks !
Thanks FS.
Great video. I'm currently buying a new 180g after selling my last one 2 years ago which I regretted moments after selling it. So can't wait for my new one and getting back into African cichlids. I miss sitting down after a long day at work and watching them
Yes, it's very relaxing. It will be fun getting a new tank going. You might want to share the set up on TH-cam. It will give you a video record of the journey and help others embarking on a new tank.
Giod luck and thanks for watching.
Some great tips. 👍 I have been keeping fish for almost 30 years but I am sure I still bend a few of those tips.
Thank you for stopping by, watching and commenting Peter.
if you think about the reason for changing water, normally to reduce chemical impurity in the tank or as a result of gravel vacuuming the substrate to remove waste.
I do about 15% as a result of gravel cleaning the tank parameters remain stable and in acceptable levels,
The now side of large changes is the water chemistry can be radically altered adversely effecting the fish
That's exactly what I'm talking about. It sounds like you've found what works for you. Definately stick with that.
Ben, I am getting back into the larger tank part of the hobby, after decades of being away. Your videos are a pleasure to watch and are very enlightening. Thank you! Glenn
I always love to hear of someone getting into (or back into) this wonderful hobby! Thank you!
Ben Ochart i just got a 54 gallon corner tank and am going to do a Peacock Cichlids tank. Any advice is appreciated.
Very good tips. On the water changes which I have always despised. I learned from DYI to install a drip system. I got all needed from the dripdepot.com. 1/8" tubing the connecters and a control time plus the adjustable dripper which I calibrated to ~2g/Hr. also a pressure reducer to 20 psi. I set the controller to for 4h/day 7 days. It does about 250 g/month. I ran a 1" drain from my main room to the basement sink drain with a 1/8" tubing back up to my 55g. I drilled a hole in the tank with a 1" bulkhead fitting in the lowest part on the tank with a stand pipe up to the water line with 6 - 5/16ths holes about inch down. I tested the water over flow by removing the dripper with a ~flow of 5g/min. the 1" stand pipe was able to drain that with no problems. I am on a deep water well so no chemical treatment is needed. Very soft water .003 TSD with a PH of 7.0.
I love your fish aquarium. I had a mixture of African Cichlids with a few Angel Fish. I added them in at the same time and they actually grew up together. I also had some snails that had babies. Unfortunately. I lost them all due to a power outage during an ice storm. Thank you for the tips. They are very useful.
Sorry to hear about that ice storm. Did you start over?
Thank you for watching and commenting.
I've always kept south and central american cichlids. I want to get peacock african cichlids this time. Gorgeous fish. I'm set up for cichlids. I have a 125 gallon aquarium. I have 2 aquaclear 110 hob filters and a marineland c360 cannister filter.
Very good tips especially on not having anxiety or stress about it and enjoy it. It’s sad when people attach others especially when someone is learning.
I have no patience for people who discourage new fish keepers by making them feel stupid.
Great tips sir. Love that you mentioned Pondguru, I found him early after starting this hobby. I feel his knowledge of filtration is second to none. His products are worth more, they never wear out. This is a very rewarding hobby. I always remind myself it's not about me, it's about my babies.(fish) Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Joel. You're right, PondGuru made canister care simple for me. And I agree, it's about creating the best living conditions for the fish (our babies).
Mr Ochart I'm a new subscriber. I have a African cichlid tank. Great channel, you're easy to listen to. Some of these guys voice is annoying. Keep up the great work sir.
Thank you very much!
@@BenOchart you're welcome sir.
Thank very much. Great tank! I have a 55 Gallon Mbuna tank. I have been in the hobby for a few years and just took on 9 mbuna ciclids in my tank.
Thks for your comments, I have seachem buffer and purchased a large rock from my local pet store to help raise my PH.
What kind of rock? So, like lava rock, don't buffer. Limestone however is a good buffer.
I always wondered how the stores had so many aggressive fish in one tank. I am looking to get back into a larger tank (75 gal). I think you have inspired me to try African cychlids. Love all the fish colors. Thanks
Hello Randall, Come over to the FB page and you can get some advice along the way. Good luck.
Hi Ben, I am so nervous to do a 50% water change! So I usually do 10-20% water change every other day in my 12.5 gallon tank. I only have 5 shell dwellers. I include prime, little salt and a bio ball each week or to each water change. Colours are popping and my fishes and very happy. I feed them lake Tanganyika fish pellets for my fishes, although I’ve been told goldfish food flakes works? Mine unfortunately don’t like flakes it’s been trial and error with food! Each week I treat them to frozen food. They’re so cute but I may add a little more fishes perhaps some yellow head sardines as I’ve found the more fish I add the less aggression. I’m totally mindful of the size of my tank and eventually I’ll change for a larger tank in a few years. The water changes seem to help keep my water tip top the nitrite is 0.5 yesterday is was 0, and nitrate is 0-0.5. I test the water each day. If it spikes I change it. But only slightly. I also have a brush to wash my rocks with should the food I give them settle on it and hoover it away. I also move their shells, but do I clean them? Thank you for your wonderful channel. I’ve subscribed and also to your Facebook page.
Hi Sara, Thank you for watching and subbing. It sounds like you have a working routine. Doing your water changes that way for a tank that size, stocked the way you have, is actually great. Big water changes are intended more for heavily stocked African Cichlid tanks which are big ammonia factories.
@@BenOchart Thank you so much for replying and I look forward to seeing more of your videos soon!
The crystal clear water is breathtaking . I envy you so much now. :)
Thank you. In other videos I talk about how I got the water to be like that. Thank you for watching.
Great tips Ben 👌🏼👌🏼. I have learned more from this 13min video than I have in 3 hours of google searching. Tip #10 is something I’m working on. I stress a lot about my cichlids because I want them to be happy and healthy. And also because I’m only 1 month new to the hobby. Your videos have helped me so much. Thank you 😊
Hey it's me again, lol. I was just watching some vids on acclimating fish and I do basically the same thing as you describe here. The only difference for an extra safety precaution is that I dump the fish into one of those cheap mesh breeder boxes after I float the bag for half an hr. then just hang the breeder box in the tank and watch. I did this because I almost lost 2 fish that got stressed by the water difference and on top of that having to deal with the others as "the new guys". In the breeder box, they are in the tank water but there is a separation between them and the established fish in case they need an hr or so to be ready to deal with their tank mates.
Hey, we each come up with bright ideas that work for us. I've starting feeding everybody before adding fish, then, after adding, turning the lights out. That tends to mellow things out.
By the way, be sure to watch my next video, I'm gonna throw out there the subject of our last conversation and see what kinds of comments I get. It's entitled, "Are We Killing Our Fish!" It should generate some lively conversations.
Thanks for watching and commenting Ron!
Sounds good!
I have a African cichlids tank and now I’m thinking 🤔 of going for my second tank with South America cichlids tank just waiting on some info and advice before I take on this challenge love this hobby it has helped me get throw a lot
Thanks...I really appreciate the video i started now with African Cichlids i have 9 so far and just found out that they do better with sand i have black gravel on my tank i will change it eventually to white sand.
This was a great talk! I feel more comfortable knowing I'm still learning everyday. Thank you from Australia
Hello friend down under! Thank you for watching and I'm glad that you enjoyed it.
This is all just personal opinion. Doesn't matter who you ask, everyone suggest different things. For Example some people say you need 5 times tank filtration p/h. Others say 10 times and you say 2 times. That's a big difference...
Thanks for sharing Ben. Just bought an aquarium and plan on cichlids. Funny, I'm already obsessing over the tank and water and don't even have cichlids yet. Great video!
The hobby should relax you, not stress you out, right!?
Thanks for watching and commenting.
I will add a tip, because I too have a 60g tank (48 length, 13 wide and 25 deep). It's a mixed mbuna with only one peacock, accidentally bought because the store sold it as a acei (long story). Anyways, I was having aggression issues and of course a bigger tank can usually solve this but sometimes what you have is what you got. Overstocking helped to distribute the aggression but it was still there. I figured that I don't have the footprint available but I do have 25" of depth for territory. I centred my decor from front to back to keep 2 paths the full 48" length. Then I went with fake rock decor (in case of upset, no broken glass or squished fish) and I made high rise territories about 20 inches on one half and 15 on the other half. After that the aggression has almost disappeared. So my tip is on a 55g or 60g, where footprint space is limited, use the height. It's there, so why not? Thanks for listening and I agree totally with your tip of don't take others negative opinions. It's your tank, it's your creation and no one can say for sure what is or what isn't a mistake.
Ron, that's awesome advice. Kind of using the Manhattan / Hong Kong, go up, idea. I like it. Have you considered attaching the rocks to each other with 100% silicon? Hey, I now have a Facebook group called, "Ben O'Cichlid". I'd love to see a picture of your set-up. Come on over. Thanks!
Great video! I just recently, yesterday, lost my last Butterfly. Had it for almost 10 years! Wish I would have watches videos like this before setting up my tank. I'm a former Oscar and Pacu hobbyist, but had to switch up species because my wife was getting afraid of having these monsters in the house, LOL. So I'm still learning about African Cichlids. Keep the videos coming!
Sorry about that Butterfly, but very well done to you for giving it such a long life in a tank!
I'll keep the videos coming and I thank you for the encouragement.
Yes, keep them coming! I want to restart my African Cichlid tank any ideas on substrates, community size (I have a 37 gallon tank), filters, etc?
37 gal will be good for growing them out, but you'll want a bigger tank in a year. In the meantime, with some sand and rock work (hiding spots) you could go with 7 - 8 Mbuna, maybe Electric Yellow Labs, some Yellow Tails, and a few more of the more peaceful labs. Gotta think long term, just in case you don't get that bigger tank. Peacocks and Haps would outgrow that size very quickly.
If you don't mind the sound of water, a good HOB filter (hang on back) would do the trick and they are easy to clean.
If you're pH needs buffering, go with crushed coral or aragonite as a substrate to help raise pH.
Go to Jehmco.com and get an Eheim-Jaeger 200 watt heater on sale. You'll be set to go.
Awesome! Thanks.
A very good example of how to keep African cichlids good job!..
Thank you for the kind words Ian. I appreciate it.
Nice Video. Been keeping Africans for 3 years and found some good tips in your video. I also agree with your tips.
Thank you. I'm glad you've been helped, that is the purpose of my channel (and to have some fun).
Your 10 reasons not to get African cichlids got my African Cichlid tank started! Beautiful fish as always keep up the excellent work.
Hey Ben,
Just wanted you to know that I think you make some nice vids. While I've kept fish for more than 30 years, 25 of those years with cichlids, I'm new to east African Rift Lake cichlids (less than a year) and love to hear other people's tips and tricks. I'll keep watching!
Thank you for the kind words. I'm always watching and learning as well. Lots of good ideas out there. Thank you for watching and commenting.
Great video Ben. Thanks for the shoutout!
+Steve Poland Cichlids You're welcome Steve and thanks for watching and commenting.
Thank you for the tips. Cichlids are just a tiny thought in my mind right now. You made a comment down below somewhere about adding salt when doing water changes. I thought, "salt?" Clearly I have to do a lot more research before this tiny thought about setting up a cichlid tank gets any bigger! LOL. So, thanks very much for the great tips. This was a good place to start!
Yes, watch a lot of videos before starting. There's lots of great advice out there. once you're under way it's very easy and a lot of fun.
fantastic advice... I have been watching videos for the last three hours as I am new to the hobby, and I must say.... I sure learned a lot from your video. congrats... awesome... from san Francisco
Well, this is why I post. Thank you for the kind words.
I never acclimate any of my fish. Never had any problems. Great video. 👍🏻
triple gravel and use jars under for caves, homes, the more homes with seperation keeps them accupied and I have found over 40 years of chiclids a red tail shark works well as a police of the tank, they hate fighting and will break it up
Nice tips! My big (and thank God peaceful) Taiwan Reef helps to keep the peace.
second to last tip is the best, but all tips are on point. Ben you are such an inspiration. Love all the info and amazing fish! Keep up the good work bro!
+Corey Hecker Corey, I shout out to you was missed...sorry. Is the second to last the #9, #10 or #11 bonus tip? Just curious as to which one you thought was best. As always, thanks for watching. Your input is appreciated.
+Ben Ochart tip number 10, but 11 is great too.
Thanks for the reply Corey. I included that tip because I read so many comments on fish blogs from people agonizing about points that are not always that vital. Seems it would take some of the fun and joy out of the hobby to worry so much. I also have very little patience for people who are mean spirited. There are polite ways to convey, "If you do that all your fish will die!" Be well.
Watched a lot of videos as a new comer to cichlids. Yours was one of the best I've seen, thanks for the info.
It pleases me that I was able to provide you with some help. Thanks for watching and for the kind words.
My personal tip for you is to take out the loaches... They do well in lower pH levels and in tanks a little more chill. Not to mention, they can outgrow your tank!
I've looked at this question for a while. The opinions vary. My loaches seem to be thriving, very active and colorful. My pH runs around 7.5 - 7.8, not on the high end for AC tanks. I will be going to a 120gal, so the size issue is not of concern to me. Thanks for watching and commenting.
+Ben Ochart true. i guess this is where options differ. :)
i find that loaches do well in peaceful tanks, where a large school of 8 or more individuals with other large(ish) but peaceful species.... preferably anything over 6 x 2 x 2 ft in size... as they can grow up to and over 2 ft if given the chance. (look at Marie the clown loach)
i understand that everyone has their own option but i personally believe that rift lake cichlids should stay with rift lake fish... only.
With canisters I have found getting a better quality one it the got sick of generic canisters getting loud and losing power but they do work good for a while
My SunSun's have been strong and trouble free for quite some time. But I have heard horror stories and I'll admit that I love my Fluval FX 6. It's built like a tank.
Your a good man. We need more ppl like you in the hobby
Ryan Cabonce Thank you Ryan, I appreciate the kind words.
Beautiful tank and Very good video! Filtration and overstock is the main things with cichlids. I’ve had cichlids for almost 10 years been through it all. Theyre very aggressive and don’t even think about trying to do a nice aquscape with live plants. I’ve tried about 3 times and nope nope nope hahaha
That was an expensive lesson for me. Respected authorities in the hobby assured me that cichlids would leave anubias and java fern alone. They told me that they tasted sour to cichlids. Well my fish didn't get the memo. As soon as they put on size they destroyed the plants. I salvaged what I could and put them in the grow-out tank. The smaller fish seem to ignore them.
Ben Ochart wow that stinks! And yes I learned that lesson a couple times lol frustrating but that’s a cichlids for ya! Haha
Brother I am with you there! I watch an extensive amount of videos on whatever fish I am looking into next. I thought I was just crazy, but I see I am not.
Thomas McAllister It's a GOOD kind of crazy :-)
Thanks for watching!
+Ben Ochart Haha! No problem.
Ben, i used to have sunsun 704b but i decided to go for FX6. You have running 106watts total on your canisters vs 43 on FX6. Nice setup and amazing fish you got
I've heard great things about the FX canisters.
The SunSun 302s are 17 watts each, so I'm using 34 watts for both.
Thanks for watching.
My bad, thought they were 304's :)
I run a large sump with 1800gph turnover, a FX6, and a sunsun 304b.. wattage yes but overfiltration on a 360 gallon tank is a good thing.. Good thinking on power saving but I splurge on filtration.. My wife gave me permission lol
Sounds like an awesome set-up to me.
Thanks for comment back..
GREAT VIDEO!!!! I'm fixing to start my own 135 gallon African Cichlid tank.
Thank you Wes. In the next few weeks I'm going to put out a full, piece by piece breakdown of the 135. You might want to tune in.
Great tank and pointers thank you! I am just starting my first Cichlid tank, she just finished cycling yesterday and my fish are arriving tomorrow !!! thank you again.
Very exciting. Enjoy!
how do you cycle your tank before you add fish?
+Kayla Ramos there are tons of articles on "fishless cycles" I used ammonia and continued to add ammonia until the tank fully cycled
+Kayla Ramos Kayla, watch my tank set up videos. There are fast simple techniques you can use to get a healthy tank going, especially if you can get a hold of some filter media from an already established tank.
+Ben Ochart yes unfortunately I have filter media because a few days ago I killed all of my boyfriends cichlids. he is on vacation so I wanted to change the water because it was very cloudy and green. I removed 95% of the water then refilled with tap water that want treated and most likely hot in temperature. I also poured the water in super fast so maybe I knocked them unconscious because they immediately fell to their sides and then bellied up and died one by one. I was so hurt and my boyfriend is super passed and upset
thank you for your tips, I'm really inspired by the beauty of your fish, clarity of your water and over all tank setup. I'm brand new to the cichlid world and loving every minute!
Thanks again, you've gained a new subscriber :)
Peace!
Thanks you Tony, much appreciated.
Hey man just wanted to let you know I'm getting cichlids and this was so helpful I watched all your videos in your description. Thanks so much. :)
I'm very happy that you found the videos helpful.
Good luck with your cichlids and do let me know when you've posted a video 😀
Ben Ochart I will. 👍
I love those electric blue Nagarra they’re amazing
i learned everything from youtube fishkeeping community..especially kgtropicals..great video bro...respect
Thank you. Yes, there's a wealth of great info out there on TH-cam.
Thanks for the tips! I was thinking about getting into cichlids, b/c I was given a 55 gal from a friend and I wanted to put something colorful and active in there. However after listening to what you said about them, they are not for me. I was also able to pick up some good general insight for running a large tank too! Thanks again!
One Bad Banana They are amazing fish, but they're not for everybody. Good luck with whatever you end up with.
Beautiful tank and fish. Quality video. My goal is a large cichlids tank sometime next year. I just setup a 29 gallon community. Thanks.
Feel free to ask questions during your set up process or come to the "Ben O'Cichlid" Facebook group page where other fish keepers can provide advice.
Will do. Thanks.
Your tank would not be the same without the loaches, love the puppy dog personality. And they are gorgous.
I agree. I call them "Los Tres Amigos." Thanks for watching and commenting.
Thanks For The Shout Out... Great Video and Points... Water Looking Crystal Clear... That Sunshine Benga On Fire...
+RobertLee Cichlids Thank you sir. He's really blossomed and he's a real ham when I'm filming. Always flashing and challenging the German Red but they never really hurt each other. Thanks for watching and commenting.
And buy some batter air pumps at minimum in case of a power outage. Those are bad enough in community tanks. An overstocked tank will be much quicker to get low on oxygen.
Yes, so true. I have a couple Cobalt Rescue Air pumps. In a pinch you can also pour water out into a bucket and then back in during a power outage. That will add oxygen, like every hour.
@@BenOchartCobalt Rescue, eh? I need to replace mine and was wondering which one to get (all the ones I've looked at so far are pretty sorry,) so thanks!
Awesome tank I have a 125 with 1 very large buttikoferi 1 medium buttikoferi and a giraffe cichlid also a lager catfish not sure what kind he is all silver, but has no eyes. Not sure if another fish got them but they have been gone a few years
Love your videos. You have such a genuine desire to help others by sharing your knowledge and experiences.
Thank you Andre, I appreciate your kind words.
Great info. I have a Fluval 306 on a 60 gallon tank and definitely thinking about adding a SunSun to help keep the water levels A1. Thanks!!
Can't go wrong with SunSun and a backup canister is never a bad idea.
Thanks for watching and commenting.
I'm getting back into the hobby. Thanks for this video upload.
You are very welcome.
Yeah the apartment/condo idea was what prompted my idea. I lost 2 fish had to rescue 3 more, before I thought of this. But now rarely see a nipped fin. Well except I have 2 ice blue males I'm watching closely. Waiting for one to take dominance and then sell the other. They seem to be more tolerant of each other than the 3 females are of either of them. I'm sorry, I don't have facebook, but I was thinking of uploading a video sometime on here. I just really want to stress my appreciation for fish keepers like you. I started this tank about a year ago and at first, I found it almost discouraging by reading many of the forums. Seems like a lot of negative ego, people making others feel like anything you do or did was wrong. Like their tank and only theirs was the only one that would work. I've got 5 different breeding harems with misc individuals (including the "killer" kenyi and auratus) and even a peacock thrown in the mix, all in a 60g and only lost 2 fish in a year. So, I love hearing others stories without judgement. Thanks again. Ps, the ego in others telling me that my tank would fail has kept me from sharing too much.
Thanks Ron. In the end it is YOUR tank and you have the freedom to do with it as you please, doing what works for you. People can be mean and judgmental and condescending. This doesn't help the hobby.
I have a 60 gallon tank every fish in there is a South African cichlid ranging from peacocks to a red devil face and a jewel. I have 5 of them. The ones I have been adding is peacock cichlids. I have lost 3 of them. And they were some of the most distinctive and colorful ones I've ever seen. I have them in the bag for about 15 to 20 minutes. None of them have lasted longer than 24 hours and I recently lost my 4th one that I tried putting slime coat protection in the bag before he went in the tank
The consensus is that South Americans should never be mixed with African Cichlids and will kill ACs if they are bigger. That would be my first guess.
Certainly water factors might have something to do with it. ACs needs hard water with a high pH, while SAC's require a softer, lower pH water. So, if your water is perfect for your SACs, it's not going to be what ACs need to thrive in.
I have seen some mixed tanks and one could argue that since the fish we buy are usually tank bred and raised, the water needed can be a bit flexible ... but your ACs are dying, so it must be something along those lines, IMO.
What was the "GH" and "pH" reading in your last water test? If you don't have a test kit, take a sample to the local fish store and they can test it for you.
If you pH is around 7.0, and GH is soft to medium hardness, then that might be what's killing off the new additions.
Or, maybe the ACs are being ambushed and killed after the lights go out by the SACs.
Let me know what those test results show and also ask your fish store what the keep their water at. The shock from the difference might be killing your new guys.
Thanks for sharing! Just started a 60 gallon cichlid tank and appreciate any knowledge.
You are welcome and good luck with your new tank.
re 8 , I stopped using water ager (dechlorinator) some time ago even for big changes with out any ill effect
Very good video. I have a 45 gallon cichlid tank * Planning to upgrade soon* and have 12 in it at the moment. I have not seen any fighting and they are now two years old. This video taught me a lot of things , some I was doing , I have a filteration system for a 100 gallon tank on my system at the moment.
I'm glad it provided some new ideas. I'm constantly learning. Thank you for watching and commenting!
Ben Ochart You have some of the most beautiful cichlid's I've seen. I'm planning to get a Green Terror soon and this game idea's on what to do. I've always done the buying more than one at a time thing only once did I buy a single fish and release it. It's not my breeding female so I guess it worked out for me, never knew about the long hose system planning to get one of those now.
Green Terror, as the name implies, I hear, can be quite a terror. Be sure you have the right tank mates. He's a South American (different from my African Cichlids). They are very pretty.
Ben Ochart Yeah my Green terror will be in his own 55 gallon tank along with some cleaner fish. I know how mean they are same with the dempseys ( though they do get along with africans if you get them young. so I hear)
He'll love his own tank and 55 gal is a good size. Good luck.
great information
Thank you for watching.
So you add water conditioner before adding tap water. That's good to know I was adding bits to each bucket (I'm getting a hose system soon haha)
When using a hose I add to the tank as I'm adding the water. When using buckets I dose each bucket.
When filling from a hose from tap to tank you dose for the full volume of the tank (not just for the amount that is being added).
Beautiful fish Ben. Good suggestions. Love the rocks and plants.
I also use 2kg biohome in a fluval 306 plus mechanical and chemical in a juwel internal in a 450l tank with centrel and south american cichlids
The Biohome is working. I'm getting perfect test results. Thanks for watching!
Ben informative content,
My nitates are gradually decreasing in my cichlid taank and I made two new filters for a gold fish tank with bbiohome
Nice info.. I once heard loaches prefer sand rather than gravel because gravel wears down there whiskers after a period on tine.
BANGSHOTA Thanks. This is coral and shells. Whiskers seem okay. I do want to switch to sand at some point. It's covered in my recent video on the battle to control nitrates.