Cichlids

Lake Malawi is one of the Great Rift Valley lakes on the African continent, and just like the other Great Rift Valley lakes it is famous for its rich wild life. Aquarists appreciate the myriad of different cichlid species than can be found in Lake Malawi. Lake Malawi is a 40,000 year old lake and a lot of the cichlid species have developed in Lake Malawi and can be found nowhere else in the world. Lake Malawi is a large lake and contains several different environments: the rocky shores, the sandy bottom and the large open water areas. Malawi cichlids are found in all these environments and they have developed to fit into each niche. They are fast swimming bright fish which give that wow factor to any aquarium.

Goldfish

Goldfish (Carassius auratus) are ornamental freshwater fish that are commonly kept as pets. Goldfish were one of the earliest breed of fish to be domesticated and are still one of the most commonly kept fish in aquariums and outdoor water gardens.
Goldfish were originally domesticated from the Prussian carp (Carassius gibelio), a dark greyish brown carp native to Asia. It was first bred for color in China over 1,000 years ago. Due to selective breeding, goldfish have been developed into many distinct breeds and are now found in various colors, color patterns, forms and sizes far different from those of the original domesticated carp.

Tropical

Hailing from the warm water latitudes a series of fish species are grouped under the heading tropical. It is therefore the temperature that a fish prefers which determines if a fish is topical or not.

Aquariums suitable for keeping tropical fish must be kept at a certain temperature. The ideal heat will depend on the individual species but it will fall in a range from 22 to 30 degrees Celsius. Any higher than this and the water loses much of it’s ability to hold oxygen. Any lower and the aquarium would be considered coldwater (i.e. suitable for Goldfish).

The temperature required is maintained by use of an aquarium heater. These devices have a heating coil and thermostat which is set at the desired temp and are inexpensive to run.

Tropical fish tend to have faster metabolisms that coldwater varieties and therefore consume more food. Try and break their meals into small amounts over the day where practical.

The beauty of freshwater tropical fish is the variety of colours, shapes and sizes that they come in, each aquarium is unique, based on the variety of fish and the set up. An aquarium filled with freshwater tropical fish can be a real feature for your office environment.