OASE BioPlus Thermo 200 internal canister. Image from https://us.oase.com/.   Several months ago, OASE sent me one of their BioPlus Thermo 200 internal filters to do a review. I anxiously awaited its arrival because 1) I have not done an internal canister review and 2) OASE has made some serious strides in their aquarium filtration efforts.   The 200, OASE’s largest in the BioPlus line, arrived nicely boxed. Sadly, and inadvertently, I threw the box away before I wrote this review. In any case, I do remember that it was packed well. This filter includes an integrated OASE HeatUp 200 ..read more

Image from https://dominicantoday.com/. Has anyone else noticed the rising prices of cichlids? It seems to me that prices are going up quicker and more frequently than in the past.  It should come as no surprise that the rising costs of doing business are often passed on to customers by business owners. When the prices of fuel, utilities, and such increase, operating costs for store owners and fish businesses (wholesale and retail) do so as well. To maintain a specific level of profit (called profit margin, or just margin, in business terms), retailers have to either reduce operating cost ..read more

Image from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/684195368364689611/ As I have pointed out a few times here on the blog, I am not a fan of unnecessary noise inside (e.g., air stones, sponge filters) or outside tanks. Back in 2020, I posted about a study on the effects of anthropogenic noise on cichlids, specifically Astatotilapia burtoni.  This month, a new study about the effects of anthropogenic noise on aquarium fish was accepted for publication in the journal Science of the Total Environment. Titled “Anthropogenic noise disrupts early-life development in a fish with paternal care,” the study ..read more

  Aquarium filter types. Image by https://thepetsupplyguy.com/ on Pinterest. Trying to decide what type of filtration for your tank? I have touched on this subject many times here on the blog. How should you decide? That is a tough question, and the easiest answer is “it depends.”  What does the answer depend on? Here is a short list: Tank size Budget Space Livestock Noise Maintenance time Let’s go through each of these independently, starting at the top. Tank Size Large tanks generally require more filtration than small tanks. Thus, whatever size of fish tank you are planning will ..read more

Convict cichlid (Amatitlania nigrofasciata). Image from https://www.gdaquarium.nl/. Looking for a fun, little cichlid that exhibits all of the traits you would expect from a cichlid species? Look no further than the convict.  So named for its black and white color, especially the vertical black stripes, this bi-parental Central American species is full of personality. Aggressive, temperamental, active, prolific, you name it. If any cichlid species characterizes the Cichlidae family of fish, it’s this one.  Officially described way back in 1867, the species has undergone a number of s ..read more

Cover of the March 2024 issue of the Buntbarsche Bulletin. Image from https://www.cichlid.org/. Over the years, I have posted many times about the Buntbarsche Bulletin, the official journal of the American Cichlid Association (ACA). Published several times annually, there are 320 total issues, as of today’s post.  Available both digitally and in print, a subscription to the Bulletin is included in ACA annual membership. However, for only $30, you can purchase EVERY issue to date via a single USB3. The USB drive contains PDF and Flipbook versions of each issue and is fully searchable. I en ..read more

Image from https://vecteezy.com/. Looking for cichlids but your LFS doesn’t have what you want and can’t/won’t get it for you? If this is you, don’t be afraid to order from an online vendor. As with any business, quality, service, and price will vary, so you might reach out to fellow cichlid keepers, who have ordered online, for recommendations before ordering. I am not advocating online ordering over buying from your LFS. In fact, I encourage you to support your LFS when you can.  I recently went through the list of online cichlid retailers I posted in 2020. I updated the list, including ..read more

Holey rock. Photo by the author. Need rocks for your aquarium? You have decided to set up a cichlid tank, maybe your first one or maybe not. You know you want to include some rocks, but you don’t know what kind(s) to use and/or where to get them? There are actually a significant number of options when it comes to choosing rocks for an aquarium.  River rock. Photo by the author. Before you begin your rock pursuit, however, answering the following questions might make the task a bit easier: What size of rock(s) are you looking for? What shape(s) are you interested in? Does the color of the ..read more

Adult Neolamprologus Savoryi. Photo from https://aquarift.fr/. I have posted a few times about alloparental care (also here) including how it relates to Julidochromis dickfeldi.  Simply put, alloparental care is offspring care by non-parents of the offspring, and such care may come from relatives or non-relatives of the parents.  This cooperative breeding behavior is not at all uncommon among highly social species, which includes many cichlids. Even more interesting are the social dynamics at play with regard to the alloparental care, i.e., why do they do it?  There is an intere ..read more

Julidochromis marlieri (bottom), Neolamprologus leleupi (yellow fish just above marlieri), Neolamprologus tretocephalus (on top of cave). Photo by author. How much space do cichlids need? The answer to that question boils down to two factors – the size of the cichlid(s) you want to keep and how many you want sharing the same tank. But before answering the question above, I would start with asking yourself the following: What is your intent with the tank the fish will be in? In other words, are you wanting to breed or do you just want to show them? Do you want multiple cichlid species togethe ..read more