questions...

[Ruddy Roach]

Hi,

I'm new to this forum and tropical fish.

At the moment I have got a goldfish & a tench but I am going to make a tropical tank, here are a few (wot may seem stupid) questions...

1) What are chiclids?

2) Whats the deal with PH? Do some species prefer different acidity/alcaline levels or to breed?

3) What is KH???

4) Ummm... I think thats it for now. If I think of any other questions I'll add them here.

Thanks!

Andy

 

[tstenback]

Welcome andy

i am not a cichlid keeper but there are many here who are experts and can explain the ins and outs of these fish here is a link to get you going Cichlid.com
In a freshwater tank the ph is expected to be around nuetral 7.0 plus or minus about a point. Most fish will adapt if kept in this range. Yes different species prefer different ph levels and hardness ie tetras like soft water with a ph in the low 6 range while other fish like hard water 7.5 +. If you have a particular species in mind then just research that species and then find other fish that will tolerate the same levels.
KH is carbonate hardness and is basically the ability of your water to withstand changes in PH. If you have a high KH reading thenit willbe very difficult to change the PH level in your tank using natural or chemical means and a low KH means it should be quite easy to change the PH.

Good luck

 

[Ruddy Roach]

thanks

How do you change the ph???

 

[Nina7777]

hey there,
First of all you don't want to try to change the ph. As long as it is always the same most fish can adapt to a different ph than what they require.

Second, cichlids are a species of fish. Most are extremely aggressive and get quit large. Almost all of them require a species only tank.

You can read lots about them in the new world cichlids section as well as the african cichlid section on this forum.

 

[thecichlidaddict]

I agree with Nina, it's best not to play chemist and start messing around with the water parameters. The fish will be fine in what you provide them.

Cichlids area fascinating group of fish, and there is too much to say about them in one post.