I've had a theory that when fish are in the lake (where it's possibly darker) they tend to be brighter and show their colors off more so they can be seen. I'm sure others have had the same theory but it's something that I've noticed in my tanks. Great video Adam.

You nailed it Adam! Keeping it as natural as possible for the fish is the key to s happy fish which should maximize there colors! Tank looks great like always

Great advice. Turned the lights off in my discus tank immediately. I'm glad I was able to find your channel. Amazing tank.

great info! It makes full sense why my yellow tail acei show more color on the days that I only have the lights on them for a couple of hours vs 6-8! There's even been times where I've came home late at night with pure darkeness in the tank and turned the light on and all 3 of them will be showing great color for about 30-60 mins and then no color again

I view my fish in natural light during the day the fish actually look better in natural light.

Super Super Super crystal clear water It s like fish are flying in the air 👍👍👍👍

99% of cichlids these days are tank bred fish so they are pretty used to lights on 6-8hrs right? Leaving the lights on regularly doesn't hurt them right??

Beautiful setup and fish selection Adam C... Can you tell me what kind of sand is that in your tank?

Great video Adam, when I had my Boesemani their color was stunning right when you turn the lights on, and i would always film in that condition.

Where did you buy your cichlids from and how long did it take for them to get that big ? Again thank u for amazing work

I'm in Canada. Where can I find a 3D background? That's incredible. Also how much are they, a range please. Thanks!

Good points Adam! I will say every tank is different and you know these fish have different behavior but like you said the key point is stress.

Great points on lighting; however, what's your thoughts on lighting time with zero light in the room including the lights in the room almost never on?

Agreed. Stress reduction is everything in fish keeping. No sense keeping lights on in the day when you are at work/ etc. Fish need periods of sleep as well. Keeping your lights on a timer will ensure they go off at night and there is a solid rest period for them. Right before the lights go off at night, all my fish will start hovering near the bottom in their favorite spots. They seem to look forward to bedtime, ha. Having structure for the smaller fish is essential too. In the wild, smaller / less dominate fish can flee when a dominant male chases them out of the area. Not in a tank. The little guys need places of refuge for sure. Good topic, thanks for the video.

I like how the background and substrate blends. it makes the tank look bigger and taller. Great advice Adam! Especially in an agressive tank like Africans.

Great video how many times do you feed them a day and what food you use? Also do you feed them blood worms ?

Beautiful cichlids dude

Great tips,your fish are stunning.Can you tell me the size of your tank please?

well my cichlid tank is a fully planted tank. So I have lights on for a while because my plants need it. I got no algae issues or nothing. Probably around 8- 10 hours a day. I would say that it is not unnatural to have this long lighting because in nature there is a thing called sun...

Adam, we talk alot about maintenance, weekly water changes, ect. Can you please tell me what "daily" maintenance do you do to keep your tank looking crystal clear? I'm finding myself vacuuming waist and skimming the water multiple times pre day. I feed only twice daily. I've got 75 gallon wit 17 juvenile African cichlids. thanks for your time and knowledge! Oohrah!

I have one tank inside the house lights on all day and another outside with no lights and no mayor difference on the fish, they don't die more or color differences. But if that works for you perfect.

Lighting is exactly how I control the moods. I only use the tank lights when I'm feeding, watching them taking pics and vids. Rest of the time they're off. I had noticed lighting always worked them up in a frenzy.

Good stuff Adam. I leave my lights off all day. They don't go one until it gets dark. Tank is looking great as usual my friend.

Great advice Adam.. I have noticed recently that my Africans get weirded out when the lights are on more than an hour or so per day...

Great tip...about the lighting....I've often wondered about that...

I rarely turn my tank lights. I prefer just viewing them with just the room lights on, and when I am not viewing I just have low output LED ceiling lights. My Frontosa tank has really benefited from this and are spawning like crazy

Great Video,I am going to cut the light's down to a couple hr's a day and see how it goes.Thank's for the tip.

good advice! thanks for the info! I've heard if you're running T5s you should change them every 6months to a year in order to help coloration. Is this accurate or is someone trying to sell more bulbs?

Very interesting video that. I've been keeping fresh water and marines for 18 years now. I've always kept the lights on a cichlid tank for around 6hours a day, but maybe best for even less. From the U.K. Thanks Adam C

Very good topic. I only turn on my lights during feeding, cleanings and my own viewing. The most is 20-30 min a day. Longer when I'm cleaning the tank.

I think the brightness of the light matters...I have a 72 inch light that spans the length of my 150g tank but I turn it on at 8am but at the lower level of brightness...then around 1pm I turn it up to maximum until about 6pm. Then back down till 8pm and blue twilight from 8pm to 9pm which is when I turn it off. My cichlids are very colorful and active.

Great video! I will be doing this from now on. Thanks for the info!

What about blue led light does that cause lots of stress

Thanks for advice for my Malawi cichlids.

💯 right on with the lights. I cut mine to 3-4 hrs in the evening

Very good points, thank you. Fish and tank are looking great.

Yes, it's true. I've got the exact same thing with my paradise fish.

this question was probably answered but what kind of lighting strip do you use? If it is an led, what brand is it? I use florescent bulbs but I have been told led would be better.

Hi, Adam is that a 3D background

I think I am going to stick with a psuedotropheus saulosi species only tank(well, I'll add some clown loaches and a pleco). I had good success with that in the past and the tank was fairly low stress. I seemed to always be fighting a dominance issue with haps and peacocks. Nothing worse than coming home from work and seeing a $25 or more fish killed off! Your tank(s) are awesome though. Enjoying your videos. Keep'em coming!

nice Info! I totally agree, figured it out on my own! lol, ✌

Tnx Adam, i am try to reduce my lightning. Hope my cichlids get more color.

I'm sure you have more than just the two sponge filters right? Are they just for extra filtration? Where did you get your black air hose,pretty cool,awesome set up by the way! Tuna Vic

Great vid ! Great fish bro, super clean tank ....interesting ideas

one of the first things I've noticed being in the hobby was my fish always looked their best when I first turn lights on

what about over night? do you leave the lights on or off? awesome vid btw!

What size of your aquarium?

I have found many of the same things regarding natural light vs LED light. I wonder if the LED moonlight setting also stresses them out or not? Mine seem to be pretty active in that setting too, albeit not as agro as when the white light is on. Thoughts? Experiences? As always, thanks for the great vids.

I love that background where did u get it ,and is that a 75 gallon aquarium

Great tip Adam!!

Nice setup, do you ever have a problems with the haps trying to eat a loach?

looking fantastic and great info !

Hi Buddy... What do you have in there at 3:40?... Is it a Protomelas Lobochilus Hertae or an Eclectochromis Lobochilus Hertae?... Also, is that a Buccochromis Nototaenia you have in there?...

Love the tank and great advice. I just subbed.

ok .Dont wanna put a spanner in the works but I on my lights at 8am and off them at 9pm. I personally have not seen any difference in my fish colours or stress difference by leaving light on for a lesser time. As you can see in my videos my fish are coloured and the tank is calm

Your advice is right on. You might consider putting a few more rocks inside the tank for more of the fish to hide. That way even the largest fish can see some shelter.

wow lovly set up And grant colours in your fish

Did you watch IFGs video today? Talked about getting a generator for a power outage. Did you ever get a generator for your house? Thought that would be ideal for you since you have to work when the power is down....

Hmmm interesting. Nice theory A!

Great vid & Info.

Hello Adam, thank you for all of the great informations you shared on your KZfaq video. This is Cheng, I'm new to the Africa cichlids world. I just started a new 165 gallon Africa Hap tank. I like to ask you, you seem to have a great light on your video and I like to know what type of light you use on your tanks? Thank you

Hi Adam.. excellent information.

I don't use lights much on my peacock bass tank as it gets light through the glass block. The other 2 tanks are in a pitch black room so I use the lights more.

Love that sand bro is that grey and black? Nice tank nice fish bro

nice vid broski... thanx for sharing...

The best way to maximize the color is to add females

Ok, I’m very new to this stuff. So please tell me what’s the fish with the blue head, purple body with orange fins and big eyes?

Nice tip. Will try that

Great info. Thanks

or it could've been that he came of age or finally felt comfy enough in that tank.

What is the small yellow and black fish ? Also I'm a new sub I like your videos keep it up

Does make sense, apparently that's why neons are so bright due to the dark murky water they live in. Got to say I love your clown loach with the extra blotch. I've never seen that before.

ok now the light stuff is bs i have 2 oscars and 1 jaguar they are happy and rather have the light on when i turn them off they go back to the bottom.

good advice my friend!

Hey, Adam, I have a 500litre cichlid tank, could you tell me if the shark looking fish are clown loach and how they go in a communal tank?

Fossochromis Rostratus would look great in there

I will try that technique

what If you drop good money for something like a current? and what about really dim lighting?

Very informative, thank you. I will try this with my tank 👍😌🐟🦐🐠

Do you turn white lights on only and blues off

Very good tips.

Thanks do you keep lights low when on

makes sense, thanks Adam. Getting ready for TWD later?

Thanx. Bro ima try that for the whole month

Quite honestly I expected to hear more about decor and food.

Bugger all hiding spots for most of the fish. They feel exposed & vulnerable so of course they prefer the lights off. The fish are not behaving naturally due to the lack of cover. That's why they are all just going back & forth (pacing) in the tank. I'm well aware priority for most of these species is swimming space but they also need to feel secure by having at least some hiding places. The smaller species are staying in the hiding spots because they know they are prey to many of the larger fish & they are the only fish that can comfortably fit in those spots. I'm sorry but that's a really bad environment for those fish & I feel sorry for them. You have a hell of a lot to learn.

how much food do you feed your fish each day

Great Info Adam...I really like your Heterotenia...how big is he??

great video, i turn light on in the afternoon for feed them, after 1 hr i turn off

Isn' it stressful to for the south Americans to be in the same water parameters as the africans?

our fish are not wild . They are tank bred with artificial lighting . It doesnt make a difference to them as they are used to artificial light from birth. Only if your fish are wild caught then maybe so.

Beautiful

I don't have my life's on very long at all ....although I have natural sunlight that comes in....its funny how my fish get aggressive when the lites are on to long ...but when I leave the soft blue lite on they seem to really like it and aren't nearly as aggressive......my eyebiter used to be a very cool blue and he used to be my tank boss but I noticed he has lost some color but he's maintaining well he is no longer the tank boss I often wonder why he lost color and never regained it I will try these methods and continue to feed my guys northfin cicchlid pellets and krill pro

Nice

what size tank do you use

What is the fish with the leopard pattern with the down turned mouth?

60 to 90 minutes a day i definitely don't agree with that I've been keeping africans for 40 plus years and that's something i wouldn't do. All living creatures need more light than that. I do however have fluval lights adjusted for less light but not off. Works fine my fish are very colored up aggression is normal and i have about 20 large fish in a 125 gallon. There isn't anything that works 100 percent but in my experieep changing you're tank alot moving around you're decor often or sometimes no decor for awile works also fed well with good food. But only once a day. Alot of surface agitation and water movement is must. One other thing part of having these fish is to enjoy them and for me i wouldn't want to not see them much. That's just my opinion you do you whatever works for you.

You must be talking to me! I am guilty. My house is fairly dark though in my own defense. However I am going to reduce the amount of time that my lights are on. And, I think I'm going to reduce the intensity of the light as well.

I agree Adam my lights are only on when I'm around nobody else brilliant video

How long this tank??? My is10 ft your looks 2ft