Choosing a African cichlid fish tank goes hand in hand with deciding on your African cichlid fish. The dimensions of the tropical tank is dependent upon, first of all the size and volume of the fish you want to maintain in it. You should remember that several cichlids can ultimately grow to in excess of 12" in length which enable it to survive for over fifteen years. Carefully researching your preference of African cichlid fish will give you a concept of the size the varied varieties can grow to and for how long they live. The fish tank alone might want to be big enough for the full grown adult Lake malawi cichlids you want to keep whilst being an appropriate size and shape for the space you've intended for it.
While choosing a African cichlid tropical aquarium you should also give deliberation to the thickness of your aquarium glass and how the freshwater aquarium is produced. It should withstand the weight of the water and possibly any rocks or gravel you select to position within it. You need to make sure the African cichlid tropical tank is manufactured by a good brand name corporation. Companies including Fluval, Rena, Juwel or Oceanic are very much suggested. The general size of the freshwater aquarium is a major point and for Lake Malawi cichlids it ought to be no less than 75 US Gallons.
You must also commit some thinking to the overall height of tank and holder since it will probably be difficult if you cannot reach the bottom of the tropical aquarium when it comes to maintaining it.
A further consideration of selecting a African cichlid tank is the filtration you are going to be using. Does it possess a built-in interior filter or will the tank come pre-loaded with an under-gravel filter. Ideally the cabinet has the space and ability to accommodate and exterior filter or two within the cupboard beneath the freshwater aquarium. I'd continuously advocate an exterior filter for a freshwater cichlid aquarium as these are usually more powerful and cichlids are exceptionally messy pets. This also means that you may cleanse the filtration system without causing excessive disturbance in the aquarium. The fish are going to be happier as well as love you much more for it.
Most recent freshwater cichlid fish tanks customarily come with a purpose made presentation stand and lid. The lid assists to stifle the sound of trickling water and also keeps airborne pests out of the tank, while the cabinet is usually sturdy enough to hold the immense weight of water and someplace to keep the external filters and supplementary accessories that you're going to no doubt accumulate. These stands or cabinets are by and large obtainable in a choice of colours which can match with most decors and furnishings. This is important as you do not need your display sticking out like a sore thumb.
Lastly just step back and absorb the complete look of the preferred aquarium. It is important to keep in mind most of these functional considerations but do you like the look of it? One point my wife noted after we were searching for tanks was the sealant used to hold the glass together. Some were black, some were white and some were transparent. One aquarium had removed the requirement for sealant on the front altogether through the use of bowed aquarium glass to make the front and sides.
Author Resource:
Choosing a African cichlid fish tank needs to be done with attention to ensure the best potential residence for your African cichlids and to slot in nicely to your home or office.