Cichlids make fascinating aquarium residents: Learn how to keep them (The Cichlid Aquarium - Paul V. Loiselle)

Member Name: markos9

Product:	The Cichlid Aquarium - Paul V. Loiselle
Date:	17/10/09 (65 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A superb resource for cichlid keepers.

Disadvantages: Rather expensive.

To many aquarists, fishes from the family Ciclidae represent the pinnacle of freshwater fish keeping. Their dazzling colouration, fascinating behaviour, and often tender parental care ensures their lasting popularity.

Detractors of cichlid keeping point out that the fishes can be destructive, rearranging their tank's décor at will, can be extremely predatory, and when breeding can be murderously protective of their eggs and offspring.

Both points of view are equally valid, but when a problem occurs with a cichlid aquarium, it is often the aquarist who is at fault for not understanding the fishes' needs and not providing the correct environment for them to flourish in peace.

To increase the chances of success when keeping these wonderful fishes, which include angel fish, the very expensive discus, as well as the stunning Mbuna from Lake Malawi, Dr. Paul V. Loiselle has written "The Cichlid Aquarium". This comprehensive volume contains a vast amount of information on the various cichlids available to fishkeepers, and how to maintain them correctly.

The author, in his preface, explains that the purchaser of the book should be already relatively experienced with keeping pet fish. Often, beginner aquarists learn the hard way when progressing in the hobby; with fish after fish succumbing to nitrogen cycle mismanagement. It is worth getting experience with the hardy tropical fish before risking a tank full of expensive cichlids.

Despite this warning, Dr. Loiselle has included detailed instructions on setting up a cichlid aquarium. The first 140 pages covers the important topics of aquarium selection, heating, lighting, and furnishing the aquarium.

The essential topics of filtration and water chemistry are given extremely comprehensive treatment. Cichlids come from a wide variety of habitats and therefore have differing requirements of their aquarium water. Putting cichlids from a South American 'blackwater' stream into hard tap water is a recipe for disaster, for example. Water conditions can be adjusted and the author shows the reader various techniques for hardening or softening the water.

Cichlids are messy eaters and some can grow extremely large, so efficient filtration is essential. The author explains the nitrogen cycle in great detail, explaining the importance of filtration before discussing the various ways cichlid tanks can be effectively filtered. Following the author's advice here should ensure that the risk of the aquarium being under-filtered is negligible.

If problems do occur, then the advice given in the chapter "Troubleshooting the Cichlid Aquarium" should enable the aquarist to diagnose and resolve the issue with the minimum of delay. The author stresses the importance of careful observation of the aquarium inhabitants in detecting illness or water quality deficiencies as early as possible. The faster a problem is detected, the less the impact will be.

Getting their cichlids to breed is the most enjoyable part of the hobby for many 'cichlidophiles'. Watching a cichlid care for her eggs, fanning water over them to ensure they get enough oxygen, chasing away intruders, then herding and even feeding the young once they've hatched is a joy to behold. The techniques the fishes use are many and varied but include mouth brooding (the female holds the young in her mouth), as well as substrate and cave spawning. The author discusses the various species and has excellent advice to encourage even difficult species to spawn successfully.

The second half of the book discusses each of the cichlid families in turn, giving advice on their care and maintenance, as well as the careful selection of tank mates (get this wrong and an aquatic version of World War III can result!). As there are over 1200 species of cichlid, the book cannot cover them all, but the author discusses a fair selection of them and indicates where his advice may be applicable to similar fishes.

It's here that the gorgeous photographs in the book really capture the reader's attention. Some cichlids are simply stunning and the carefully selected photos show them off to perfection. Flicking through this section will convince many people that cichlids are for them!

Finally, in "Learning More About Cichlids", the author gives a huge list of titles for further reading as well as details of the various cichlid study groups from around the world.

This book is a superb resource for the cichlid keeper. At £24.95 from Amazon, it is not cheap, but with 448 pages of small text, it does represent reasonable value for money. Anyone considering keeping these fascinating fishes should consider getting a copy of this book.

Summary: The most comprehensive guide to keeping cichlids available today