To answer the question posed by the title of this post, I should first define “successful.” That’s a subjective word, which can be applied in many contexts. The most common-sense definition here is the ability to keep fish alive long after you acquire them. There are numerous factors that will contribute to the longevity of your fish, regardless of species. Below, I posit a few that will improve your ability to keep your fish alive the longest.
WATER TYPE: The first and one of the most important factors is providing appropriate water. However, not all water is the same. If you bought a gallon of bottled water from the grocery store, dumped it into some container, then added a fish, it wouldn’t die immediately. Why? Store bought water is filtered to reduce toxins and impurities. If it’s fit for a human to drink, it will keep a fish alive…for a while. However, store bought water also filters out salts and other nutrients, which are important for fish. Such water also will typically have a near neutral pH. Just like humans, fish have physiological requirements that appropriate water provides. That gallon of water from the grocery store alone will not meet those requirements long term.
So how do you know what kind of water is necessary to keep your fish alive the longest and thus improve your fish keeping success? Know the fish and the water best suited to it. Some cichlids are genetically predisposed to thrive in slightly to very acidic water. Some are predisposed to thrive in alkaline water. Some do great in soft water, some in hard water. Research the water requirements of your livestock before you purchase.
TANK SIZE: An appropriate tank size will increase your fish’s longevity by allowing it adequate space to swim and explore. Fish kept in inadequately sized tanks suffer from stunted growth and greater stress, which ultimately lead to an abbreviated life. How do you know what size tank is best suited to a species? Research. There are lots of credible resources online that provide comprehensive species profiles, which often include suitable tank size.
WATER TEMPERATURE: Once you understand the fish’s water requirements, you need to understand what the temperature of the water should be. Some cichlids do great with temperature variations, especially those endemic to waters farther from the equator where temperatures vary more throughout the day. However, only species specially adapted to extremes are going to do well in water, long term, with sustained temperatures lower than 50-60 degrees Fahrenheit. The same can be said for temperatures over 90. Most cichlid species will thrive in water kept between 70-80 degrees.
FILTRATION: Filter the tank appropriately. Home aquaria are closed systems. As such, most rely on some type of biological filtration to ensure the water doesn’t become toxic to its inhabitants. Discussing tank filtration is a post for another day. There are tons of resources online and elsewhere that address different filtration media and hardware.
TANKMATES: Make sure any tankmates are appropriate – both their size and temperament. Depending on the adult size of your fish and its diet, having compatible tankmates is vital. Why? If the maximum length of your fish is two inches, it is not ideal to keep the fish with predators that are substantially larger. For example, keeping Oscars with small fish simply means the Oscar will be well fed without you adding any food. The small fish will become the food. Also, most cichlid species are aggressive, which means many (especially males) don’t tolerate others very well.
FOOD: Feed the fish an appropriate diet. While it might be tempting to simply buy whatever food is the cheapest and most available, many species have specific dietary needs. For example, feeding foods such as blackworms and bloodworms that are high in animal protein to mbuna and herbivorous species will shorten their lives. Their digestive systems aren’t developed to accommodate high amounts of meat-based protein.
ENRICHMENT: Provide an enriching environment in the tank. I have posted about fish enrichment and why it’s important. Some might scoff at this, but I am a huge proponent, especially in tanks with only one or just a few fish.
FISH QUALITY: Make sure you are getting healthy livestock. Just like with other “pet” animals, not all species are bred and sold by reputable people. I am not going to disparage any business here but be judicious about where you source your fish.
Each of the above are worthy of a separate post. In fact, I have posted about all of them at some point. Search the blog for those posts.
While appropriately addressing the needs outlined above will not guarantee longevity for your fish, meeting those needs will greatly increase the probability that your fish lives a long, healthy life.