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When it comes to the blog interviews, I would be doing you, the reader, a disservice if I only targeted cichlidophiles in the United States. Fortunately, I’ve been able to interview fish keepers from all over the globe. In fact, today’s interviewee hails from Denmark. If you keep Lake Victoria cichlids, then you have probably heard of him – Kim Pedersen.
NOTE: All photos by Kim Pedersen unless otherwise noted.
At this year’s annual ACA convention in Cincinnati, I was able to meet many well-known cichlid keepers who I have not met. Never passing up an opportunity to score some new interviews, I eagerly searched out a few folks who I knew were attending.
Last night I was thinking about my fish. Being the self-reflective type, I thought about my fish keeping journey and the factors that have led me to where I am now. Ultimately, I began to think about how I decide upon what species to keep. This is a long post.
As a long time cichlid keeper, I have sourced my fish from a variety of vendors – both online and my LFS. I have made it no secret here on the blog that one of my favorite online sources is Dave’s Rare Aquarium Fish. Owned by Dave Schumacher and specializing in African cichlids (mostly the rift lakes), this San Antonio, TX based business is first class. From the quality of the fish to expertly bagged, boxed, and shipped orders, Dave does it right. Some of the best fish I have ever had (and still have) came from him.
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a post about keeping mbuna with shell dwellers. Specifically, I mentioned that it can be done but requires some forethought.
I very often hear of cichlid keepers with mixed tanks. Some keep New World and Old World cichlids together. Some keep Tangs with Malawis and some even keep West Africans with East Africans. Does it really matter? Sure….sometimes. It depends on several factors.
What about keeping mbuna with Tanganyikan shell dwellers? “Blasphemous!” some might say. I would say, “Not so fast.” Different lake origins and water parameter requirements aside, it can be done. I know because I do it. But should you?
If you are new to cichlids, especially African cichlids and more specifically mbuna, you should rarely be surprised when you find one of your fish upside down in your tank looking like it got drug across the driveway. Cichlids fight, get picked on, and get killed by other cichlids. Know this before you set up a cichlid tank.
Tank lighting can and does affect cichlid behavior. I have posted before about how some fish become killers at night whereas sometimes everything is calm and peaceful. See Lights on or lights off?, Lights off equals calm, When the lights are off, it’s not always tranquil. My show tanks are all individually lighted. My larger tanks, which are community tanks, also contain considerable cover (e.g., caves, rock work). The lights on those tanks are only on for a couple of hours each day. However, those same tanks are also exposed to ambient lighting (e.g., window light or room lights) about 14 hours a day, leaving my fish in complete darkness for the remainder.