Treating hard, alkaline water for Crenicichla lenticulata?

[Seedy J]

I'm thinking of getting a pair of Crenicichla lenticulata from my LFS. My tap water is hard with high pH. pH is around 8.2 and doesn't drop over time. I don't remember the exact GH and KH numbers, but GH is fairly high and KH isn't as high. My African cichlids seem to like it, but I understand that these aren't suitable parameters for Crenicichla lenticulata. How can I treat my water for the pikes? Is Neutral Regulator good enough, or should I use something else?

While I've got your attention, is 2 lenticulata in a 135 gallon tank a bad idea? They're around 4" now. Too small to sex according to the LFS, but they're living in the same tank and getting along for now.

 

[kno4te]

Rocksor mrrobxc

 

[mrrobxc]

Your tank is large enough if you have a bonded pair. Otherwise, it could be trouble.

As for water, clean water is all you need. Be careful of nitrate build up.

 

[Rocksor]

The only thing that I would add to your water is tannins. You can use liquid tannin or boil products that release tannins into a 2 gallon pot like peat granules. It really won't soften your hard water, but it will add humic substances that pikes are used to having.

 

[Seedy J]

Great, I'll probably try the pair. I can always rehome one or sell/trade back to the LFS if they don't work out. Any opinions on keeping other decent-sized cichlids (Heros severus Curare or Inirida, or similar) with them? I found an old thread that says this might work: https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/lenticulata-pike-cichlid-mates.525344/

Will driftwood add enough tannins to the water or will I still need to supplement it with something else? Clean water is no problem, I do a ~50% water change on my tanks every week or two. Somehow I don't even get nitrates.

Thanks for the replies.

 

[tlindsey]

It depends on how much you put in. Also dried oak leaves will work as well.

 

[Rocksor]

Great, I'll probably try the pair. I can always rehome one or sell/trade back to the LFS if they don't work out. Any opinions on keeping other decent-sized cichlids (Heros severus Curare or Inirida, or similar) with them? I found an old thread that says this might work: https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/lenticulata-pike-cichlid-mates.525344/

Will driftwood add enough tannins to the water or will I still need to supplement it with something else? Clean water is no problem, I do a ~50% water change on my tanks every week or two. Somehow I don't even get nitrates.

Thanks for the replies.

You just need enough tannins for a light brown tint to your water.

 

[Chefken]

Be careful. I have two Lents in my 120 gallon and the larger female bullies the male horribly. He lives in a cave she cannot reach and pops out to eat. Head pokes out like an eel most times. Mine are 6-9" right now and gorgeous but they are bullies....they mostly butt the SD and angelfish in tank. Everyone still has their fins. They leave the plecos and my Sydont alone. Here is the hiding male and then the strutting female.....

 

[Seedy J]

Nice fish! I decided to just get one pike (if I end up getting one at all)... I've got an all male peacock/hap tank and the aggression stresses me out, so I'd like to keep things relatively peaceful in the new tank. How big are your silver dollars? I just picked up 5 small (2-3") black belt SDs to grow out. They're still getting settled in but they're skittish enough without a big mean pike chasing them around lol.

 

[Chefken]

Nice fish! I decided to just get one pike (if I end up getting one at all)... I've got an all male peacock/hap tank and the aggression stresses me out, so I'd like to keep things relatively peaceful in the new tank. How big are your silver dollars? I just picked up 5 small (2-3") black belt SDs to grow out. They're still getting settled in but they're skittish enough without a big mean pike chasing them around lol.

My SD are from 3.5" to about 6". They are always being chased but they never suffer damage from the pike....they sometimes hurt each other of course!!