Have you seen our custom-made 4,500 litre aquarium yet?

The tank is housed with artificial corals to mimic the natural environment of our fish, giving them plenty of places to explore and hide. Cichlids are excellent excavators, so any live plants placed in the aquarium would be dug up and eaten very quickly! This species of fish originates from Lake Malawi, where the environment is high in mineral content and the clarity of the water is exceptional.

There are over 1,000 types of Cichlid fish in Lake Malawi, all of which evolved from one species. African Cichlids make very good parents; they incubate their offspring in their mouth until they are big enough to be released. They are also one of the smartest fish on the planet and often display intriguing behaviour, and can even be personable by swimming towards and greeting their keeper.

In order to maintain the quality of the environment for the fish, a diver regularly visits, entering the tank to clean it to maintain its shine and sparkle. As you can see, it’s quite a big job! The tank can be viewed from the reception area but also from the library, so there is plenty of comfortable seating close by for those who just want to pass the time by admiring these beautiful creatures over a cup of tea or coffee.