how can i start with a cichlid aquarium ?
- Thread starter HASSAN
- Start date
Cichlids are one of the most diverse types of fish in the world , covering everything from Red Terrors and Oscars to Discus and Angels. Most are very hardy and adaptable, but some(discus,rams,etc.) are VERY touchy.
HASSAN;847641; said:i'll start with African cichlid but the point that annoys me most
is how to stablize the ph of the water
and there degree of aggression with each other and how can i over come this ?
there's a couple ways to stabalize ph, in the past i have used buffers,
but i think keeping as many chemicals out of the water as possible is better,
you could try some larger water changes,
or try using a substrate that's composed either partially or entirely of aragonite,
which may help stabalize your ph,
just make sure to get it in the proper range you will need for the african cichlids,
because, i beleive that it varies from that of ca/sa cichlids, which can do fine on 6.8-7.0 range.
and what kind of filtration are you useing on your 70?,
I'm by no means an "expert", but I've kept Africans, Central and South American Cichlids. The only one's I've personally not had much luck with are the Rams. But I only tried them once. And I've never kept Discus, which I understand are truly difficult fish. In my area (Kansas City) I just put water in a big tank (Usually). Add a good filter, a heater, lights, decor. Let that water sit for a bit. Dechlorinate it, etc. Add fish. Voila! Ready to go. When I do water changes, I change about 10-25 percent of the water, vacuum the gravel, then I add dechlorinated cold water fresh from the tap. BOOM!!! Feed appropriate food. Perfect. A lot of folks are probably cringing reading this, but cichlids (most of them) are EASY to keep! Currently I have a Midas/Red Devil (8") a flowerhorn (5"). Each has their own tank. 55 for the Midas and 30 for the FH. I'm looking to get a 125 for them soon. That's if they can keep from killing one another in there. Good luck. Not that you really need any.
I've got African (malawi) cichlids now.
I use crushed coral/arganite in my canister filters to buffer the pH and pool filter sand for a substrate. It keeps my pH around 8.0
I have a 125 gallon and use 2 XP3 canister filters.
I change about 17% of the water a week and vaccum the sand. I also created my own water aging device to the setup that will refill the tank after I do the water change. You can find it on here in the DIY section I think.
I keep the temp at about 75-78 with 2 Stealth heaters.
Other than that, just use a bunch of rock work. I have about 50 lbs. worth of rocks in my tank.
I use crushed coral/arganite in my canister filters to buffer the pH and pool filter sand for a substrate. It keeps my pH around 8.0
I have a 125 gallon and use 2 XP3 canister filters.
I change about 17% of the water a week and vaccum the sand. I also created my own water aging device to the setup that will refill the tank after I do the water change. You can find it on here in the DIY section I think.
I keep the temp at about 75-78 with 2 Stealth heaters.
Other than that, just use a bunch of rock work. I have about 50 lbs. worth of rocks in my tank.