With being slightly longer than 650 miles and parts as wide as 60 miles, Lake Tanganyika is the second largest lake in Africa and seventh largest in the world. The acidity in the lake is varied, with a PH ranging from the low 8s to 9s, thus making the water of the lake very hard. The temperature, as well, fluctuates throughout the lake from 68 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cichlid Species of Lake Tanganyika
There are 38 genera and 170 species of cichlids in Lake Tanganyika. Some of the most popular species kept in aquariums are Frontosa, Tropheus Moorii, Brichardi, Calvus and Julies. Of these species, 40% of these fish are mouth brooders and 60% of them are open spawners.
The ruling genera of Lake Tanganyika are the Lamprologus and the Neolamprologus, which in turn, have the most species of fish belonging to them.
With mouth brooders, the female of the species carries the eggs in her mouth for up to 18 days. When they hatch, she releases them and both parents then continue to give some form of parental care for a few weeks.
Open spawners lay their eggs in a carefully prepared pit in the open waters of the lake and usually the male is left to guard them till they hatch in approximately 90 hours.
Aquarium Conditions for Lake Tanganyika Cichlids
The water should be well-filtered with a 25% water change done every other week and;
- Hardness should be over 20.
- PH of at least 8
- Water temperature kept around 84 degrees Fahrenheit.
To help with water conditions for Lake Tanganyika cichlids, there are salts and buffers that can be bought at local pet stores. Good water conditions are essential in order to keep these fish in an aquarium.
The aquarium should have open spaces for swimming and lots of rockery and driftwood for hiding places. These hiding places can be used for fish to breed in a location away from other tank mates. They also give a defined territory in order keep other fish away during spawning.
Many Lake Tanganyika cichlids will eat most foods, such as flake, freeze dried, pellets and most live food. All of them need a food supplement of vegetables.
There are some fish from this lake, such as Tropheus Moorii, that only eat vegetables. It these fish do not eat vegetables, it will cause disease and death in the aquarium. Be sure to research each fish carefully.
Breeding Lake Tanganyika Cichlids
Breeding these fish can be difficult because these fish must follow a strict diet and have perfect water conditions. If the fish are healthy then breeding is possible. Research is required to find out which species are egg layers and which are mouth brooders. Once that is established, there are specific instructions on how to optimize the breeding of Lake Tanganyika cichlids.
Tanganyika cichlids are not recommended for beginners because they are very sensitive to water conditions and many have strict dietary requirements. They have beautiful colors and are well worth the effort.
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