Fish Care Guides

Four cichlids from the Premier Tropicals fish room: an OB peacock, a blue peacock, a sunshine peacock and a livingstoni

The same routines we use across 50+ species in our fish room, written up as practical guides you can follow at home.

African Cichlid Setup

Lake Malawi and Tanganyika cichlids are tough, colorful and rewarding, as long as you give them hard, alkaline water and piles of rockwork.

  • Stack rock to the waterline: caves and sight breaks defuse aggression.
  • Overstock mbuna deliberately (within filtration limits) to spread aggression; peacocks and haps prefer open swimming room.
  • Crushed coral or aragonite substrate buffers pH naturally and keeps water hard.
  • Overfilter: aim for 8 to 10 times tank volume turnover per hour.
  • Avoid mixing mbuna with slow, long-finned species. They will be harassed.

Quick parameters

  • Temperature: 76–82°F
  • pH: 7.8–8.6
  • Minimum tank: 55 gal (mbuna) / 75 gal (haps & peacocks)
  • Diet: High-spirulina cichlid pellets, low protein for mbuna

Pleco Care Basics

From bristlenose to rare L-numbers, plecos are nocturnal grazers that need wood, caves and food after lights-out.

  • Always provide real driftwood. Most plecos rasp wood as an essential part of digestion.
  • Feed after lights-out so plecos get their share before faster fish steal it.
  • One cave per pleco, plus a spare: cave disputes are the top source of stress.
  • L-numbers like the L134 and L183 prefer meatier foods: frozen bloodworm and carnivore pellets.
  • Stable, oxygen-rich water matters more than chasing exact parameters.

Quick parameters

  • Temperature: 74–80°F
  • pH: 6.5–7.8 (species dependent)
  • Minimum tank: 20 gal (bristlenose) / 40+ gal (L-numbers)
  • Diet: Algae wafers, blanched zucchini, driftwood fiber

Plants That Survive Cichlids

Yes, you can keep plants with African cichlids. The trick is choosing tough species and attaching them to hardscape, out of digging range.

  • Never bury anubias or java fern rhizomes. Attach them above the substrate or they rot.
  • Vallisneria tolerates hard alkaline water and spreads into a background forest.
  • Expect some nibbling; tough-leaved species shrug it off.
  • Skip CO2 systems in high-pH cichlid tanks. Low-tech plants do fine without.
  • Add plants when the tank is young so roots establish before fish get boisterous.

Quick parameters

  • Temperature: 72–82°F
  • Light: Low to moderate
  • Placement: Glued or tied to rock & driftwood
  • Best species: Anubias, java fern, bolbitis, vallisneria

Acclimation & Quarantine

The first hour decides the first month. Slow acclimation and a simple quarantine routine prevent almost every new-fish disaster.

  • Dim or turn off tank lights before introducing new fish. It calms residents and newcomers alike.
  • Drip-acclimate with airline tubing: 2 to 4 drips per second until bag volume doubles.
  • Net fish out of the bag; never pour shipping water into your aquarium.
  • A bare 10 to 20 gallon quarantine tank with a sponge filter is the best insurance you can buy.
  • Observe for flashing, clamped fins or refused food during quarantine before adding to the display.

Quick parameters

  • Float time: 20–30 minutes
  • Drip time: 45–60 minutes
  • Quarantine: 14 days minimum
  • First feeding: Next day, small portion