"dc" wrote in message
...
"Adam" wrote in news:wpTgg.2953$Oh1.908
@news01.roc.ny:

curious about thier passions. I was reading about the upcoming ACA
convension in TFH and wondered why people love cichlids so much. For

African cichlids are extremely colourful, readily available, and very
intelligent.

They are popular because the colour of a displaying male can rival that
of some marine fish. You must bear in mind that African cichlids never
look their best in a crowded sale tank at your LFS--that is the biggest
hump for most people when taking on these fish, besides their
aggression. Africans need to be settled and in proper company to see
their real beauty.

There is near infinite variety in species and sub-species to choose
from, all of which come from only two lakes (three if you include the
ecologically devastated Lake Victoria) so it is easy to create a natural
simulated biotope. Wild fish are readily available at reasonable prices
from both these lakes.

Part of the fun of keeping Africans is learning how to identify and sex
the thousands of different species. There is some basic challenge for
the hobbyist in choosing Africans in order to select fish that will not
upset the balance of aggression in your tank.

Besides their beauty and brawn, African cichlids are also very
personable fish. In a well set-up tank there is always something to
watch: nest building, males sparring, territorial displays, brood
rearing.

Africans are intelligent fish, can learn to recognize their keeper, and
will always respond positively to your presence. You'll never see
Africans engaging in the mindless wandering back and forth the tank
typical to livebearers and many other dopey aquarium fish (I know
someone will pipe up here and tell me livebearers are not dopey because
theirs do this and that, but the truth is when compared to most any
cichlid... they really are dopey).

Africans are a very good choice for people with very hard tap water as
their natural environment is also extremely hard.

Africans are ridiculously hardy and stand up well to the worst kind of
neglect one can put them through. A co-worker of mine babies his discus
tank, but hasn't water changed his Tanganyikan tank in months, yet his
fish show no ill effects and still reproduce readily.

These last two points are huge selling points for a lot of people who
don't have the time or resources to keep the more sensitive Amazonian
cichlids.

In short, Africans are tough, colourful, and interesting to watch. Most
cichlids in general can at least in part be described this way, but with
Africans there are an enormous number of different fish to choose from.


A very nice post, indeed. Authorative and concise. This puts the Oscar
Award in a whole new light !