The beautiful freshwater fish of this Northern African country are threatened with extinction. Many species can actually be bred and kept in home aquariums - here's how.

Madagascar's fish are some of the most colorful and beautiful freshwater fish on the planet. They are also some of the most threatened species in the world today. Their habitat is being lost due to areas being converted into rice paddies to help feed the people and taking down forests to make room for farming. In addition, the introduction of exotic species such as Snakehead Tilapia has basically destroyed most of the native fish in streams and lakes. Some species are no longer recorded in the wild.

Nile Perch in Lake Victoria

In Lake Victoria, one of the great rift lakes of Africa, native species began to disappear when the Nile Perch was introduced in the early 1950’s by the British government to help aid the economy. Nile Perch grows to 8 feet in length and provides ample food for the local people. At the same time, it has killed off over 500 species of cichlids from the lake and surrounding marshes.

In the next two years, we will most likely lose up to a 100 species of tropical fish from around the world.

For the serious hobbyist, it would do the world a favor to acquire these fish and try to breed them. It is important to do this before these species end up missing from the planet altogether.

Setting Up a Breeding Tank for Madascar Fish

You can set up a Madagascar aquarium tank for breeding fish. The water should have a PH of 7.0 to 8.2, the DH should be somewhere between 7 to 20 and the temperature should be 74 to 86 F. In the aquarium, use a very fine substrate (sand is good), the light should be bright and the tank heavily planted. Drift wood and rocks can be added to suit your liking and to provide hiding places for the fish. Some plant suggestions for your tank would be: Aponogeton Boivinianus, Aponoget Madagascariensis, Lagarosiphon Madagascariensis, and Blyxa Aubertii. These are some of the more common native plants available in larger pet stores.

Choosing a Madascar Fish

You have many types of Tilapia, Cichlids, Killifish, and Rainbow Fish to choose from. If you have achieved the above conditions you will have no problem breeding Madagascar fish in your home aquarium. There are companies around the world that will buy these fish make sure they are sent back to Madagascar to try to repopulate the species in the wild.

It would be a nice thought if our children and grand children would be able to see these wonderful creatures in twenty years time, rather than just looking at pictures. Please do your part.

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