Fish Health and Systems

Starting Out

Starting in 2016, I began keeping and breeding African Cichlids. After many years of learning about the extensive care which goes into producing the finest fish, I have discovered a recipe for success. This all started with my interaction with a family friend of mine that had introduced me into fish keeping. We had grown up together and I vividly remember going over to his house and seeing a vast expansion of fish tanks all across his room.

Research

I began to do my own research at home through videos, and after about a year of internet study, I decided it was finally time to begin keeping my own fish. However, I soon discovered that research alone doesn’t fully prepare you for all of the challenges you will have within the hobby, and my initial investment of close to $110 worth of freshwater cichlids had caught ick. This is a parasite that will eventually kill all of the fish in the aquarium if left untreated.

My first thought was to make sure to raise the temperature of the tank, which can help with a whole host of health problems and often kills parasites. The next step was to begin adding some aquarium salt to help heal any wounds left from the parasites. This initially got rid of the spots from all but one fish within the aquarium. This remaining sick fish is now starting a heavy dose of Malachite green to ensure survival.

All of the cichlids survived this scary experience and I was a better aquarist because of it. As the years have gone by I have been able to successfully curate a line of Blue Zebra cichlids that are brighter, bigger, and healthier than anything on the market. I plan on selling these species to retail stores across the Knoxville area so hobbyists around here can enjoy the same high quality, robust fish I am used to!

KnoxFish Solution

Through KnoxFish, I have began to eliminate the possibility of introducing disease into my population by keeping all fish on separate closed systems. Rather than introducing new fish into each aquarium, we use existing populations to breed amongst each other to prevent the introduction of any type of outside illness. Each closed system is running on separate filtration, with dedicated fresh water changes twice a week. These closed systems are operating in stark contrast to our online wholesale competitors, who are often times are running thousands of fish on one single system, with new fish regularly being introduced into the population. 

 

The benefit of our isolated systems is the ability to sell product without a quarantine period. This ability to combat disease coupled with speedy local delivery ensures that the order arrives healthy and ready to sell. African Cichlids make an excellent addition to any home aquarium and we recommend you purchase them in groups of five. These fish are hardy and are easily attainable for an entry level fish keeper as long as they are providing the proper aquarium setup for these fish. Learn More Here!

Our line of colorful Blue Zebra Cichlids are available for purchase at our shop!