Opinions with general cichlid keeping

[nissky]

This post is purely putting forward some opinions (from my personal

experience), that are bit different from common convention.

Feel free to add your own, ill start

Do not allow direct sunlight on tanks;

For reasons of out my control (for family harmony) i have 3 tanks relegated to

the back verandah. These tanks have filtered sun all day, and full sun all afternoon.

With no ill effects, in fact i think i get better growth than my friend on this forum....i had some blue fry that he took, the ones left in my tanks grew 25% more after 3 months (same sized tanks and similarly stocked).

No i dont have algae problems....i have fat! bristlenose

Keep temperatures stable;

This is related to above, but being in full sun and i can get fluctuations from 22degrees at night to 27degrees on a sunny winters day.

Yes i do pay more for heating, yes i do seem to go through heaters but it means

i get to keep an extra three tanks ...

Although i'll add everything else is rock stable, ph, hardness....

The temperature fluctuation definitely encourages breeding, i get twice the number

of females holding in the outside tanks, with any sunshine having the males doing there courting dances...

[reesy1]

I agree i keep one of my tanks in sunlight and get alot of fry from them they also seem very happy and with temp fluctuations, when i do water changes i fill the tanks up with bore water which is quite cold and drops temp in tanks by up too 4-5 degrees my africans and americans love it they oscars particularly so, every water change they will spend the nxt two days cleaning there slate rock and tail shimmering for each other. I have also just put a few texas in my 8000 litre pond which fluctuates between 23 at night ( 3am ) and 28-30 on really hot days they are having a ball and growing very quickly. I suppose it flies in the face of convention (other peoples ideas of wat is right ) a little but if it works and your fish will soon tell you if it doesnt why not do it, thats wat i reckon anyway :D :D

[Josh]

i would have to agree with both points

:^:

josh and evelyn