HELP!!! WATER PARAMETERS FOR AFRICAN CICHLIDS??

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bermudezaa

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Aug 3, 2010
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Hello all.

I am keeping cichlids for the first time and they are doing great, I do weekly water changes and my PH is usually at 8.0 although I keep trying to bring it to 8.2 (which I've read is the ideal). Is this correct?

My water temp is around 80 degrees and I have lots of plants, caves and mopani driftwood.

My tank has no ammonia. The nitrates and nitrites are at the appropriate level. My only concern is the parameters that I'm not familiar with such as "HARDNESS" and the "ALKALINITY".

I am using test strips every other day, but I also have API's FRESHWATER MASTER TEST KIT, which I use to test the ammonia and the PH.

This morning the strip said my HARDNESS was at "VERY HARD" and my ALKALINITY was above ideal, but I dont remember the correct classification.

These strips are not made for African Cichlids, so I am not sure if the high ALKALINITY is dangerous for them. Also the HARDNESS didn't have an "ideal" so I am unsure if the water being "very hard" is detrimental to their health.

Please let me know! THANKS!
 
I think you will be fine with what you have there as that seems to be what ost sites call for with african cichlids and they like the alkiline water. Some even call for ph around 8.6 or higher,
 
Your water is fine at your current levels. The most important thing is that they stay stable at those levels. If you start adding products or playing around with the chemistry you could create "swings" in these levels which could be stressful/harmful to your fish.
 
Cichlids prefer hard water. I have no drift wood and use mineral rock to keep my water hard and my cichlids are doing great.. 80 degree's is also what I have my tank at. I think you water parameters are good for those fish. If i did anything I might take the drift wood out...
 
Seriously dude! You are doing more that 90% of people who keep cichlids successfully.

They are not that fussy. My PH is at 7.5 and my fish are doing brilliantly. I would rather leave it at that level than try and change it and create more problems.
 
the absolute most important thing is to keep it stable and keep up the weekly water changes
 
Your PH at 8.0 is fine, I would not try and change it as you will create more problems and work for yourself. As others have mentioned, consistent parameters are the key to success.
 
Thank you all for your great suggestions. Keeping the parameters stable sounds like the key, so I will just focus on maintaining them the natural way.

Also, I purchased more slate this morning because I read somewhere that the driftwood brings down the PH. Is this true?

Of course, I'm assuming (I must have read it somewhere) that slate helps maintain the PH levels stable. Any truth to that?

Thanks again
 
Great thank you. But driftwood does bring down the PH? and the one I have is Mopani driftwood, which is supposed to be african, so if anything, shouldn't that help maintain my PH at the appropriate levels for African cichlids?
 
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