Daffodil Cichlid Care

The Daffodil Cichlid is a small fish that, outside of the tropical fish tank, is found wild in only one lake in the world. This does not make them rare, since the lake to which they are endemic is actually the world's second largest by volume, Africa's Lake Tanganyika in Tanzania, which includes more than 250 species of cichlids, with the daffodil cichlid being just one. The limited range of the cichlid does, however, mean it has more specific requirements for aquarium survival than some species.

  1. Aquarium

    • Daffodil cichlids grow up to five inches in length and tend to be active swimmers, so they need a decent sized aquarium. If keeping just daffodil cichlids, then a tank of 15 gallons or larger is suitable. Mixing in other species requires more space to avoid conflict, so a minimum size of 50 gallons is best for an aquarium. The aquarium should have a layer of either sand or fine substrate on the bottom and have plenty of rocks, caves and hiding places for the fish.

    Aquarium Conditions

    • The aquarium needs an efficient filter to keep the water's oxygen levels high and clean away solid waste. Daffodil cichlids prefer an alkaline water with a pH of over 8 up to 8.5, as lake Tanganyika is somewhat salty, like an inland ocean. If caught from the wild, the cichlids prefer the higher end of the pH range. The fish fare best with a water temperature of between 72 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit and cannot tolerate higher or lower temperatures for long.

    Feeding

    • Daffodil cichlids are omnivores in the wild, and they eat plankton, crustaceans and small invertebrate, as well as some aquatic plants. In captivity, small daily feeds of commercial flaked fish food and occasional live or frozen brine shrimp offer a balanced diet. The fish should not be overfed, as uneaten food can rot and affect water quality.

    Sociability and Breeding

    • The cichlid is a social fish and prefers to be in schools of a minimum of six individuals. The daffodils can be kept with other cichlid species of a similar size without too many problems. They will swim together in a group within the tank and tend to only separate out for the purposes of breeding. If the aquarium has comfortable pH and temperature conditions, the daffodil cichlids will readily pair off and lay eggs in fake caves. A pair can produce up to 100 eggs when they spawn.