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Some Oddities In My Tank
by Marc Elieson
This article is an on-going account of the odd happenings in my fish tank. Many of these are common events that are observed by anyone familiar with African Cichlids. Some, on the other hand, are mysteries, and others, are...well, just plain strange. Where possible, I have attempted to document these oddities with original photographs.
In the Habit of Digging
African Cichlids, and especially mbuna, are well known for their tendency to dig. It only takes a couple of hours and a crowd of two or three mbuna to uncover an undergravel filter buried under several inches of gravel. In my tank, the most active diggers are Pseudotropheus elongatus "Likoma Island," Pseudotropheus elongatus "Chailosi," Labidochromis sp. "Perlmutt," and Labeotropheus trewavasae "Red Top." These are the most active, perhaps, because they are perhaps, also the most territorial. By digging the gravel down to the bottom of the tank, they create their own territories, and hopefully, a spawning bed.
by Marc Elieson
This article is an on-going account of the odd happenings in my fish tank. Many of these are common events that are observed by anyone familiar with African Cichlids. Some, on the other hand, are mysteries, and others, are...well, just plain strange. Where possible, I have attempted to document these oddities with original photographs.
In the Habit of Digging
African Cichlids, and especially mbuna, are well known for their tendency to dig. It only takes a couple of hours and a crowd of two or three mbuna to uncover an undergravel filter buried under several inches of gravel. In my tank, the most active diggers are Pseudotropheus elongatus "Likoma Island," Pseudotropheus elongatus "Chailosi," Labidochromis sp. "Perlmutt," and Labeotropheus trewavasae "Red Top." These are the most active, perhaps, because they are perhaps, also the most territorial. By digging the gravel down to the bottom of the tank, they create their own territories, and hopefully, a spawning bed.