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Buying From Mike's Rifts

Mike's Rifts is a 5 star rated aquatic trader and operates from home premises.
Visits and viewings of our Tanganyikan and Malawi cichlids can be arranged beforehand for a mutually suitable time.
We are available 7 days a week including most evenings.
If you cannot visit to pick up stock then we can arrange for fish to be shipped to you.
Stock enquiries can be made via telephone, email or facebook private message.
Payments can be made using banking/app transfer, debit cards (in person or via phone) or cash.
Mikes Rifts accepts debit card payments

Delivery Information

We offer a GB wide, next day delivery with DX Secure delivery service.
Please note we only ship livestock to England, Scotland & Wales (GB).
Due to the efforts we put into shipping our fish correctly the minimum shipment value is £75.00 worth of live stock.
DX Secure Delivery Truck

Current Delivery Costs
£34.00 for first box on next day before 1pm arrival (Additional boxes £7.00ea)
Due to changes stemming from Brexit we are no longer able to offer delivery to NI & Eire and we do not ship internationally.
Delivery days via DX Secure are Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
Consignments can arrive any time between 8am-1pm and customers must ensure they are at home ready to recieve and unpack the delivery during those times.
Tracking on deliveries can be arranged if customers supply a mobile number and/or email address with their orders and a 2hr delivery window can be given once the consignment is out for local delivery. Our fish are double bagged and packed inside polystyrene shipping boxes.
We use pure oxygen when bagging up stock and during cooler weather heat packs are used to keep the boxes warm (pretty much most of the year!)
All fish are starved for 24hrs before shipping and we require 48hrs notice before orders are shipped.
During cold weather periods we reserve the right to hold back consignments until the weather improves.
DOA Policy
We make every effort possible to ensure that our Tanganyikan and Malawi cichlids are packed to the highest of standards and 99% of consignments arrive on time and in good condition but sometimes events occur that are out of our control.
Any losses incurred during shipping will require notification as soon as the fish are recieved and unpacked.
A photograph of any DOA's in their shipping bag is required as proof before any credit is agreed.
Any consignments that are delivered and left unpacked due to the customer not being present to promptly unpack the fish will void the DOA policy.
Whenever feasible we encourage all customers to visit and collect their fish in person, a drive home with your fish is far less stressful for them than an overnight journey via a courier.

All male Hap & Peacock tanks

We are often unable to supply male only for Hap & Peacock tanks as our fish are supplied to us in a natural ratio of 50/50 males and females so are sold as such. We do not sell far eastern bred fish that have been raised with male hormones so that every fish shows male colouration.

Stocking plans & advice for new customers

Due to the amount of requests we recieve for stocking plans and advice we now require a deposit of £25.00 which can be set against an order before we devise a stocking plan or give out advice on keeping these fish.
This is for new customers only and does not effect exisiting customers.

Useful Information about our Tanganyikan & Malawi Cichlids

Water conditions in our tanks are maintained at a pH of 7.8-8.0 with a temperature of 26C.
Our fish are fed primarily on flake food.

Acclimatisation of new arrivals into your aquarium

When your new Tanganyikan or Malawi cichlids arrive after a long journey it's important not to rush them into their new tank.
We've found that using a container and a slow flow of water from the main tank is the best way to acclimatise fish to their new water conditions.
Whilst in transit the fish will excrete waste products such as ammonia and carbon dioxide which will build up in the water.
This will begin to slowly bring down the pH of the water so that by the time the fish arrive the pH may well have dropped several degrees.
To manage this change back into good water a plastic bucket or container can be used along with a length of airline.
Gently empty the fish into the plastic container with their bagging water.
Remove most of the bagging water and just leave enough to cover the fish.
Take a length of airline tubing and begin to siphon water from the aquarium into the bucket.
Control the flow using an airline clamp or by tying a looped knot in the airline.
Adjust the water flow so it enters very slowly over the space of 30-40mins so that the remaining volume of bagging water is diluted 4-5 times by the new water.
After this time the fish will be ready to be netted and moved to their new quarters.
If the fish begin to look distressed then you can adjust the flow.
If you receive the fish and their bagging water is very cold then you can float the bags before hand in the main tank to warm them before using the above technique.
Do not add the shipping water to your tank as it will contain high levels of dissolved waste!
Once the fish are ready gently net and and release them into their new home.

Quarantine for newly arrived Tanganyikan & Malawi Cichlids

It's always best practice to place any new fish into a quarantine tank before being added to an already stocked and established tank.
Fish that have been moved from one tank to another especially with a long journey in-between can be more prone to illness due to the stress of being handled and moved.
We recommend a quarantine period of 2-3 weeks so that the fish are allowed to rest and recuperate.
Any resulting health issues can then be resolved whilst the fish are away from your main stock tank.
A quarantine tank is just a seperate tank with a heater, filter and cover.
The decor can be sparse and a substrate is not necessary.
Whilst in quarantine your new fish can adjust to your water parameters and feeding regimes so when later introduced to the main tank all they have to cope with is their new tank mates.
This will reduce the amount of stress they are placed under and therefore decrease the risks of any adverse effects on their health.
Once the fish are ready to go into their new tank we also advise to remove and then re-arrange the tanks decor.
This will disrupt any established territorial fish therefore allowing the new fish an easier time settling into their new surroundings.

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DX Secure Overnight Shipping Available