Africans at 7.0pH

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toehead11183

toehead11183

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Dec 4, 2006
3,538
21
68
Memphis, tn
My question is how much does pH really affect africans. Ive always kept my pH above 8.0 for my africans. Im thinking about removing the buffers and let the pH fall around 7.0. Im doing this for me loaches, catfish and to open the gates for other fish that dont do well with high pH. Ive read that high pH is good for wild caught and fish that were raised in high pH but for those that were bred and raised in neutral pH, neutral is best. Anyone keep african in 7.0 and do well? any bad side effects?
 
I have a 30gal growout I lowered the pH in b/c I had some other fish who needed a lower pH and my africans did fine and show just as much color now as they did in that tank and I would say it was probably somewhere in the 7.0-7.6 pH range. I didnt have any problems.
 
My tank is just above 7 and I think they do just fine. You may have problems breeding at a low ph.
 
i dont have any plans for breeding. if they do breed, i wont have to buy as many feeders.
 
I have a mix of 19 CA/SA and African's in my 180 (I know about the don't mix CA/SA's and African's). Though I do not keep the ph at 7.0, I split the difference and keep it around 7.6-7.8. My fish are the happiest/healthiest you will ever see. Eat like pig's.
 
No, you should not have a problem at 7 i wouldnt want to be lower, and I would say like 7.3 be a good medium- The Ph has an effect on the fry ( sexing ) but the cichlids would be fine. And wont breed that low.
 
I'm at 7.2-7.4 (mostly Tang. except for an White Tail Acei and Yellow Lab.) I have had no problems at all. I need to keep mine a little lower for the CLs, cats, and Plecos. (L104, L191, L066, and dwarf BN). Everybody is super healthy, colorful, and growing. My water is a litle on the hard side which may help, but I do a lot of water changes and don't buffer. My water has always close to neutral.
FYI....I drip any new fish for at least an hour and a half.
 
If you bought them from a fish store they were probably keep in a nuetral ph. Not many places have seperate systems for each tank.
 
As long as the pH is stable and at least 7 it can easily be done. A compromise like sledge suggested is good.
 
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