Texas Cichlids
The Texas cichlid (Herichthys cyanoguttatus, formerly Cichlasoma cyanoguttatum) is a freshwater fish that belongs to the cichlid family. Also known as Rio Grande cichlid, this species is originated from the lower Rio Grande drainage in Texas and Northeastern Mexico, particular on the sandy bottom of deep rivers.
This is the only cichlid species native to the United States, and has been introduced by man as far North as Central Texas where they live in various lakes and rivers.
The Texas cichild has a large greyish high-backed body with bright blue scales and two dark spots, one at the center of the body and another and the end of its tail. Adult males have a large hump on their heads. This species can grow up to 30 cm. They prefer a water temperature range of 20–33°C, a pH range of 6.5-7.5, and a water hardness of 5-12 dH.
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Cichlid Care – The Easy Way
Cichlid Care Made Easy
Cichlid Locations..
Just before we get onto the topic of cichlid care here is some info about their locality. All the cichlid fish variants you see in pet shops come from only one scientific family: Cichlidae. This family of fish come from large marine areas around the continent of Africa and the United States. Some species, notably the tilapia has found its way to several parts of Asia.
Cichlid species now exist in continents where they did not originally thrive, either through accidental introduction or intentionally, through aquaculture practices. To date, there are two thousand identified species of cichlids and many more are being discovered, year by year.
The Oscar fish, discus fish and the marbled angelfish come from one family. Many fish keepers take care of these species without realizing that they are in fact, scientifically related to each other.
There’s also a chance that you may have already met a species belonging to the Cichlidae family in a restaurant or even at home. The larger species in this family of fishes are caught or even bred for food.
Caring For Cichlids Is Easy..
Like other animals kept in captivity, there is a minimum amount of care that must be given to cichlids. This section of the article will cover the basics of taking care of cichlids. First, the aquarium or tank should have the right amount of water and the right, consistent temperature.
The goal is to produce an aquatic environment that is close to what the cichlids may find in nature. Many of the commonly available pet cichlids are warm-water fish and prefer a consistent temperature of eighty-two degrees Fahrenheit.
The temperature of the tank has a direct bearing on the activity and metabolism of cichlids, especially the fries. If you have cichlid fries in a warm tank, expect the little fishes to grow twice as fast and be twice as hungry for fry food.
Ideal Temperature..
Inversely, a low temperature tank produces less active and less aggressive cichlids. As a cichlid keeper, it’s your job to keep the tank’s temperature ideal – not too hot or not too cold. Do not place the tank outdoors or in a spot in the house where hot sunlight is streaming in unabated throughout the day. An electronic or digital heater would be ideal for a cichlid tank.
As for the pH level of the tank, cichlids love alkaline water (unlike goldfish and other fish species who prefer neutral to slighly acidic water). Use a pH kit to measure the alkalinity of the water (8.5 is a good pH level for cichlids). If you are going to do any adjustments, take some water from the tank and keep the cichlids in a separate tank before you add any chemicals to the water.
Do not add any chemicals to the tank while the fish are still in it, as this may cause shock or even death. Any sudden changes to the immediate environment of the fish should be considered a bad move. If you’re having trouble with acidic water, then you can use soda to adjust the alkalinity of the water easily (and cheaply, too!)
Installing A Filter System..
Water filtration is also important for healthy cichlids. Between sponge filters and under-gravel filters, we highly recommend that you use sponge filters. If a sponge filter is installed correctly in a tank and cleaned regularly, it can be used for your cichlid tank for years. How about under-gravel filters? Under-gravel filters are not as effective and cichlids have a tendency of digging out the tank substrate (which is necessary for effective filtration).
Feeding Your Cichlids..
Cichlids must be fed a variety of fresh, frozen and dry foods. The first step is to identify whether the cichlid is herbivore, carnivore or omnivore. If it’s a meat-eater, then pellets and flakes made with fish meal should be given.
If the cichlid is a herbivore, then avoid giving fishmeal-based foods as this can lead to bloating and eventually, death. Omnivores can be given a combination of plant-based and fishmeal-based commercial foods. Live or frozen food can also be given; just make sure that the live prey/food is disease-free.
Did you know that you can provide cichlids with a natural food source in their tank? All you have to do is to place some rocks in the tank and allow algae to grow on the tanks. Cichlids (even the carnivores) will feed on the algae.
This will ensure that even if you fail to feed them regularly enough, they will not starve. Ideal care always begins in the tank – so avoid overcrowding the aquarium with too many cichlids and always check whether the heater and filter is working.
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Cichlid Breeding
Cichlid Breeding
As you go along raising cichlids, you will soon find yourself entertaining the idea of cichlid breeding. And why not? Cichlids are wonderful freshwater fish that are delightful to raise and breed, more so when they have endeared themselves to you. Cichlid breeding will enable you to observe firsthand how cichlids raise their young. You will find it interesting to know that in many ways cichlids are as protective as humans, but other times they can also be detached, even aggressive, parents. Such are the wonders of nature.
Before you start cichlid breeding, you need to work out what type of breeder your cichlid is.
Open Brooders
Open-brooding cichlids are those that spawn on open surfaces such as rocks, leaves of plants, logs, and gravel or other substrate. Discus fish, German blue ram, and angelfish are among the cichlids that breed in open spaces. Open brooders usually lay as much as 10,000 eggs. The male cichlid guards the territory while the female cichlid fans the eggs to increase oxygen supply and leads the fry in foraging. Strange cichlid-breeding behaviors such as leaf turning and fin digging have been seen in some cichlid species in South America and America.
Cave Brooders
Cave-brooding cichlids lay their eggs in caves and other areas that are covered by rocks, plants, and flowerpots. Examples of these are the Kribensis and the convict cichlids. Some strange cichlid-breeding behaviors such as digging a pit to lay eggs have been observed in certain cichlids. Among cave-brooding cichlids, biologists have noticed that parents and free-swimming fry communicate through body movements such as shaking and flicking of pelvic fins.
Mouth Brooders
The third type of cichlid breeder is one that carries the eggs and fry in its mouth to protect them from predatory fish. Ovophile mouth brooders such as the African cichlids incubate their eggs in their mouth after laying them and may even continue keeping the fry in their mouth for many weeks. Other mouth brooders are larvophiles, which means they first lay their eggs in the open or in a cave, then once the eggs have hatched, take the larvae into their mouth to keep them safe. Cichlid-breeding species that carry their fry in their mouth are mainly females.
Some Things To Consider
The ability of the female cichlid to breed depends on factors such as her health, age, and species.
Other external factors that affect cichlid breeding are water quality and temperature. Cichlid breeding and hatching become more conducive when water temperature is between 76 and 78 Fahrenheit and the pH level is alkaline.
The environment also plays a big role in making cichlid breeding possible. Cave brooders feel much more secure in laying their eggs if there are hiding places, so if your cichlid is this type, make sure your aquarium has many of these.
Cichlid breeding is not always successful the first time, because young and inexperienced female cichlids may not be able to carry their eggs for the full term. But over time, they will learn how to breed successfully. As a cichlid raiser, you need to be patient. Cichlid breeding is not carried out mechanically but occurs when the time is right.
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