Preparing for cichlids

[dlevesque1]

Hello all,

I was wondering what you guys do to prepare your PH for fish that require a higher PH. My tank is just about finished with the cycling process and I want to start with African cichlids once everything is stable. My question is how do you go about getting your PH to the right levels. And once they are at the right level how do you keep it there once you do a water change? My tap waters PH is an even 7.0 I have PH up should I just treat using that?

Thank you!

 

[PNWAquatics]

I keep peacock cichlids and some haps and use the fritz cichlid salts to adjust the GH and KH (I have fairly soft water). I've never used any sort of pH adjustment. What type of African cichlids are you planning on keeping and what is your tank size?

 

[LadfromLondon]

Luckily my tap comes out perfect for Africans. Lots of hardness but 7.4 pH. I don’t change my pH out the tap but maybe my limestone has some effect. I would doubt it since I have 13KH.

I would just add crushed coral or limestone to buffer your tanks up. This would be safe, effective and a long-term plan.

 

[dlevesque1]

I keep peacock cichlids and some haps and use the fritz cichlid salts to adjust the GH and KH (I have fairly soft water). I've never used any sort of pH adjustment. What type of African cichlids are you planning on keeping and what is your tank size?

My tank is a 60 gallon, I was really just looking to get the assorted cichlids you'd find at Petco.

 

[PNWAquatics]

Make sure you stick with either peacocks/haps or mbuna. Mixing usually isn't recommended, especially in a 60 gallon. Personally, since peacocks/haps get fairly large, I'd be hesitant to put them in a 60 gallon and would probably stick with mbuna only. Whatever you decided, some of either type can be more aggressive than others, so I'd do research into exactly what species you want.

I agree with adding crushed coral or aragonite as substrate for buffering purposes. I use aragonite.

 

[awilkinson871]

Most people use the cichlid sand that helps raise Ph and there are specific types of rock that can also raise the Ph and hardness. Crushed coral can help but will only buffer up to a certain point and you never know what that is. I dislike the use of Ph up because you end up chasing a number and the peaks and valleys can be detrimental to the health of the fish. Research any of the fish you are looking at to ensure they come from the same region, have the same temperament, and will not outgrow the tank.