Angela_96

We've got everything but the rocks to stack.. we decided to go w/ the african cichlids. We will be getting the tank set up in the next couple days, getting the rocks and letting it cycle for a few days (I have to go to the town where the fish store is Thurs.) so I figure I will pick up a pleco and about 1/3 of our starter fish then... If we get the tanks water to the right pH, and so on.. the lady told us they like a higher ph?
Also what species of pleco is compatible w/ the african cichlid? my mother tried about 5 diff that they killed off before buying a diff species that they left alone... (shes out of the home tonight and I can't call her and I am trying to figure out if it has to do w/ being from the lakes where the cichilds come from).
We would have set the tank up tonight and got going but its also my hubbys bday and well, we went out to eat and he had a few to many to drink so no trusting him w/ the heavy lifting of glass til tomm! or assembling the stand.

Cody

a common pleco should do fine with african cichlids as long as the cichlids arent to big

Angela_96

we are buying the cichilds about 21/2 inch long all same size like the man at the fish store suggested today to keep them from getting territorial. I do have another question, will a Zebra Pleco be okay? I have been eyeing them they are so pretty.

Blub

COBettaCouple

I'd try to get them about the same size and check the aggressiveness of the cichlids that you want to put in the tank.

Do you mean L046 or L098 Zebra plecos?!

≈ D ≈

Might be better to cycle the tank completely before adding the fish otherwise you'll get New Tank Syndrome problems; unless you are using BioSpira, in which case the tank should have gone through the Nitogen cycle I think - not 100% sure as I've never used it yet

There is a great product called Eco-Complete for African Cichlids that is great at maintaining the 8.2 pH that African Cichlids like, which removes the need to constantly add chemicals - read more here

When you are ready to purchase the cichlids, getting them at 2½" will indeed help. Plus you get to see them grow to adulthood

Barbrella

People often keep Upside down Catfish ( Synodontis nigriventris)with rift cichlids since they like the same conditions.

Your tank is going to take way longer than a few days to cycle.

Angela_96

When we bought the tank we got a bacteria culture with it to get the good bacteria going in the tank... I have considered since I have a ton of guppies (in fact a guppy farm going) throwing a few in there to let them aid the cycle along first....not to mention before we even start with the water we have to get the rocks to put in it... which will be this week.. slowly but surely we will get it going... I know it will be well worth the wait!