New To Cichlids

[baker360360]

im thinking of going all cichlid, being doing a lot of research lately of these wonderful creatures and am sure to be setting up soon. I've got a 55gal freshwater setup and have almost rehomed all my fish. the reason im going cichlid is I had a bad outbreak of white spot and lost loads of fish so instead of replacing all the lost fish with the same I've decided to go cichlid.

1) found some stocking ideas, would these be ok?
-12 cyprichromis leptosome (mpulungu)
-pair chalinochromis brichardi
-pair lamprologus tretacephaleus

2) are these fish Tanganyika or Malawi?

3)I have a load of rock that was labled tuffa but it looks more like tuff rock to me, also I have sand substrate and 5kg of coral sand to help keep ph high. what else should I use to get water perfect?

 

[webbie]

Let's start with the length of you tank,if its 4 feet or over it will be fine for cyps,Myself I have never kept c .brichardi,but by all accounts they are quite a peaceful fish,l.tretocephalus one of my favourite tangs (yes all 3 are tanganyikans),but a pair no ,go for a single specimen can be very aggressive to their own kind and tankmates especially if you get a pair m/f and they spawn,sorry but I would give the tuffa rock and the coral sand a miss,the tuffs has loads of little holes which collect all the crap,and has too many sharp edges,local landscape centres sell better alternatives ,yorkstone is quite cheap ,I paid £3.50 for 25 kilos,or Atlantic cobbles,bit more expensive, but very natural looking,pool filter sand a better choice than coral sand which does nothing for your pH,do you know if your water is hard or soft?,if you have soft cheap products can be bought too get your water to the right parameters

 

[baker360360]

Let's start with the length of you tank,if its 4 feet or over it will be fine for cyps,Myself I have never kept c .brichardi,but by all accounts they are quite a peaceful fish,l.tretocephalus one of my favourite tangs (yes all 3 are tanganyikans),but a pair no ,go for a single specimen can be very aggressive to their own kind and tankmates especially if you get a pair m/f and they spawn,sorry but I would give the tuffa rock and the coral sand a miss,the tuffs has loads of little holes which collect all the crap,and has too many sharp edges,local landscape centres sell better alternatives ,yorkstone is quite cheap ,I paid £3.50 for 25 kilos,or Atlantic cobbles,bit more expensive, but very natural looking,pool filter sand a better choice than coral sand which does nothing for your pH,do you know if your water is hard or soft?,if you have soft cheap products can be bought too get your water to the right parameters

Was actually thinking of not getting the chalinochromis brichardi but getting black fin calvus instead. Would ceramic plant pots be a good idea?

 

[webbie]

Calvus would make good tankmates with the other fish you mention,plant pots make good spawning sites but not very natural looking to, my gold head comps spawn in between the rocks anyway no need for any pots.

 

[baker360360]

What would the minimum ph need to be?

 

[webbie]

Tangs do better in water with a pH of 8 plus,but your GH and kh are just as important ,that's the measure of water hardness ,but these can be raised and maintained by adding Epsom salts and baking soda ,where abouts in the UK are you?

 

[baker360360]

Barking ( where east London borders Essex ).

 

[webbie]

Not certain but I believe the water in the London area is pretty hard,you can check your water quality via your local water companies web site

 

[baker360360]

Not the same readings as the water test kits for aquariums. it stats that my area has
100-130 mg/l as Ca range
250-325 mg/l as CaC03

You know what this translates too?

States it's hard/very hard
When I test I get readings of

Ph 6.8
Kh 180
Gh250-500

Straight from tap

 

[DerpPH]

hm... One bet is to put some limestone rock. It will increase your pH, gH and calcium carbonate content

 

[Sophie]

When you tested the pH, did you leave it in a glass over night and then test the pH?
The results can differ drastically.

 

[baker360360]

When you tested the pH, did you leave it in a glass over night and then test the pH?
The results can differ drastically.

No I just tested straight away

 

[Sophie]

Something about something affecting the pH and you have to leave something in it to disperse.. I'm thinking it's something carbon.. I don't know baha. The point is - leave it over night in a glass and then test it.
Leave it towards more 24 hours waiting.

 

[webbie]

Sophie your correct,but its the chlorine in tap water that affects pH ,letting it stand overnight releases chlorine gas ,ever noticed all the tiny bubbles in a glass of water left overnight,that's chlorine gas

 

[Sophie]

I knew somebody would elaborate for me