[hellocichlid]

I'm getting a Lake Malawi cichlid within the next month...so far I've got a filter, lighting, heater, chiller, gravel, plants and air stone...do I need anything else?

 

[Old Newbie]

I'm getting a Lake Malawi cichlid within the next month...so far I've got a filter, lighting, heater, chiller, gravel, plants and air stone...do I need anything else?

Aquarium?

 

[BlueSunshine]

I'm getting a Lake Malawi cichlid within the next month...so far I've got a filter, lighting, heater, chiller, gravel, plants and air stone...do I need anything else?

Why just one?

Food will be needed also.

 

[hellocichlid]

Food is a given, I meant which technical aspects are necessary...well I want to start off with a single cichlid and see how that goes, if it's all peachy keen, I'll get a couple more

 

[Deeda]

hellocichlid, what is the size and dimensions of the aquarium?

It is unusual to start with just one Malawi cichlid and then add others so it seems you are trying to decide if keeping Malawi cichlids is what you want or you don't have enough money to stock all at once.

The basic set up for Malawi cichlids is to choose a tank that is at least 48" long, a light fixture so you can see the fish, substrate that is either small gravel or sand-like, a filter that is large enough for both the tank and the number of fish stocked and provides proper water circulation and filtration capacity.

An air pump isn't required when using a power or canister filter, plants are hit and miss depending on the species of fish as some will eat or destroy the plants and a chiller isn't often seen on Malawi tanks unless you don't have an air conditioned home.

 

[hellocichlid]

I still haven't bought the aquarium itself yet because I've been researching the sizes to get, but you just helped me a lot, thank you!