Rocks I Bought For New Tank

Hello all,
 
Can i use these rocks in my freshwater tank,
 
I plan on starting a

cichlids fish tank
 
The guy at the fish store said i need this to raise my ph and that they need hiding spots for them.  Is this my best option....  Do i even need these rocks?
 
Thanks

Depends a whole lot on what you mean by cichlids. They have a worldwide spread and are found in all sorts of water conditions. You may be referring to the well known lake Malawi type set up, with African lake cichlids that live in very hard water with a high pH. Those tanks tend to use limestone or ocean rocks as substrates and to make the rock formations. They need a whole load of hardscape to keep the fish happy, they're territorial as a rule and hold territories bounded by the rock structure. If that's what you're after then you will be fine with those rocks, or sensible limestone.

i washed these rocks reallly good and they look good in the tank, bu tthye made it insanely cloudy... how do i get rid of that now.. I put in  acurel F and that stuff has done nothing~!

How long have they been in there for? It should settle down after a few hours IMO.

it has been around 18 hours now.  I put acurel f clear water drops in there. and this has not worked...  The tank is in the cycling process and there is no fish so it is the rocks.  Should i replace the water and clear it up?  I rather not since it cylcing