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African cichlids bring marine-level colour to a freshwater tank. Peacocks glow electric blue, orange and yellow; mbuna dart in and out of the rocks; and their behaviour, from digging to defending territories, is endlessly entertaining. They're hardy fish, but they need a very different setup from a typical community tank.
This guide focuses on Lake Malawi cichlids, the most popular group, with notes on Lake Tanganyika species.
African cichlid setup at a glance
| Need | Malawi (mbuna and peacocks) | Tanganyika |
|---|---|---|
| Tank size | 200 litres minimum; 250–450 litres is better | From 100 litres for shell dwellers; 200 litres or more for most others |
| Temperature | 24–27°C | 24–27°C |
| pH | 7.8–8.6 | 8.0–9.0 |
| Hardness | Hard | Hard |
| Decor | Lots of rock with caves, sand bottom | Rock and/or shells, sand bottom |
| Plants | Usually eaten or dug up | Hardy plants on rock can work |
Choosing the tank
A long tank gives more territories and more room for subordinate fish to escape. For mbuna, 120cm long is a good starting point. Bigger is always easier: aggression is spread across more fish and more space. Make sure the cabinet is rated for the weight; rock and water add up quickly.
Water: hard and alkaline
Lakes Malawi and Tanganyika have hard, alkaline water with very stable chemistry. Many parts of the UK have naturally hard tap water that's already close. If yours is soft, raise and stabilise it:
- Seachem Cichlid Lake Salt adds the minerals found in rift lake water. It's not the same as aquarium salt.
- Seachem Alkaline Buffer raises KH so the pH stays high.
- Seachem Cichlid Trace replaces trace elements.
- A crushed coral or aragonite substrate, such as Caribsea Eco-Complete African Cichlid Sand or Caribsea Florida Crushed Coral, buffers the water naturally.
Read our guide to freshwater pH, GH and KH for more, and test with a kit such as the API High Range pH Test Kit.
Rockwork
Rock is the most important part of a mbuna tank. It creates territories, breaks lines of sight and gives every fish somewhere to retreat to.
- Stack plenty of rock, with lots of caves and gaps. Holey rock such as Brown Holey Dragon Stone is ideal and looks natural.
- Place rock directly on the glass before adding sand, because cichlids dig and can undermine rocks.
- Peacocks prefer more open swimming space with rock at the sides or back.
- For Tanganyika shell dwellers, add plenty of empty snail shells on a sand bed.
Browse aquascaping rock.
Filtration
Cichlids are messy, heavy eaters and are usually stocked more densely than community fish, so they need strong filtration. Aim for a filter that turns the tank volume over at least five to ten times an hour. Large external filters such as the Eheim Professionel 4+, Sicce Whale or Aquael Ultramax are popular choices, and many keepers run two. Browse external filters.
Change 30–50% of the water weekly. Cichlids from these lakes are used to very clean, stable water.
Stocking to control aggression
Male African cichlids are territorial. The key to a peaceful tank is managing aggression through stocking.
- Don't mix Malawi and Tanganyika fish, or cichlids from other continents. Their behaviour and diets differ.
- Mbuna: keep one male to three or four females of each species, or a carefully planned all-male tank. Many keepers "overstock" slightly so no single fish can be targeted, but this needs excellent filtration.
- Avoid similar-looking species together. Males target fish that look like rivals. Choose species with different colours and patterns.
- Peacocks are gentler and are often kept as an all-male tank of different colour forms. Avoid keeping them with aggressive mbuna.
- Add fish in groups, and rearrange the rocks when adding new fish to reset territories.
We stock a range of Malawi cichlids, including Aulonocara Stuartgranti Peacock, Red Ruby Peacock, Yellow Peacock and Cynotilapia Afra Red Top. If you'd like a mixed peacock group, Assorted Peacocks are a great start. See our Fish Shop.
Feeding
Diet matters more with African cichlids than with most fish, because species have very different needs.
- Mbuna are mainly herbivores. Feed a vegetable-based food such as Ocean Nutrition Cichlid Vegi Pellets. Rich, high-protein diets can cause "Malawi bloat", a serious digestive disease.
- Peacocks and haps are omnivores or carnivores. They do well on quality pellets such as Fluval Bug Bites Cichlid Pellets or Tetra Cichlid Sticks, with frozen foods such as Ocean Nutrition Cichlid Mix as a treat.
- Feed small amounts two or three times a day rather than one large meal, and fast them one day a week.
Browse our freshwater foods.
Heating and lighting
A reliable heater keeps the tank at 24–27°C. In a large tank, two heaters at each end give even heat and a back-up if one fails. The Eheim ThermoControl is a good choice. Bright lighting shows off cichlid colours; a standard LED is enough, as plants aren't the focus. See heaters and freshwater lighting.
Common problems
- Constant fighting or one fish being chased: add more rock, rehome the aggressor, or rebalance male-to-female ratios. Our guide Help! My Fish Are Fighting has more ideas.
- Swollen belly and loss of appetite in mbuna: possibly Malawi bloat. Act quickly, and review the diet.
- Holes in the head: often linked to poor water quality and diet. Increase water changes and vary the food.
- Plants dug up: normal. Use anubias and java fern attached to rock instead.
