Cichlid substrate ????

[Bgonz]

I'm going to be setting up a 110 high tank for my son and he want to keep a bunch of assorted cichlids. He really likes the yellow labs and wants a few of those plus who knows what ? Whats a good all around substrate to put in the tank ? I see a few LPS used crushed coral ? Some used regular decorative gravel ? Others even use sand ? Whats the pro's and cons's of these choices ? I'd just assume set the tank up for cichlids only so what else do i need to add ? SALT ? What type ? I've got some nice river stone and a big piece of driftwood.


Thanks for the info....


bob

 

[amesbien]

Crushed coral is probably your best bet as it will raise the ph, african cichlids like the yellow lab like a higher ph. And yes salt will be needed. Any kind of aquarium salt can be used. I use the Seachem, cichlid lake salt with a ph buffer for cichlid also made by seachem. I use sand in my tank and my fish love it but regular gravel would work. I wouldnt recommend driftwood because if i rememebr correctly it lowers the ph which isnt good for them. Try collecting some rocks and building a "tower" or two with plenty of holes and caves for them to hide in.

 

[señor_pescados_felices]

crushed coral,aragonite, some people who already have fairly hard water use pool filter sand or the like.I have all three.

If you want the sand look but have water on the softer side maybe a fine grain of aragonite is your best bet.

I would keep driftwood out of the tank because even though some say it takes quite a bit of wood to lower your ph Ive had a fair size peice of wood completely cancel out the buffering effect of my aragonite.

I didnt have any problems taking it out because (while it didnt look bad) it just wasnt "rift" IMO even less than my seashells LOL

 

[señor_pescados_felices]

I would actually recommend not messing with the salts,I dont use them,I dont know many people who do....but those who do use the rift buffer mix usually make their own.

not trying to argue just my $0.02 from my 5 years of messing with africans.

 

[Bgonz]

I have a bunch of used aragonite sand from one of my salt water tanks, will that be ok ??? Its been dried out for a year already. Hose it out and go ???


Thanks for input.....I'm a newbie to the Africans



bob

 

[señor_pescados_felices]

that would be perfect exactly what i did for my first rift tank.