Stocking Help

[divisible by zero]

Ok, so i set up a tank with the intentions of doing Cichlids and now am stuck for stocking suggestions and may just redo the tank. Currently it looks like this : thread
tank is currently cycled and has a few danios cruising around in it.
PH 6.0
KH 40
GH 180

i was leaning towards mbunas and can always go get more rocks i guess.

 

[divisible by zero]

anyone?

 

[Robbo851]

Just keep going with the rocks build it up a bit but i would also use a dark cave that only opens at the front which would be good for shy fish as well as for breeding , you can use up turned flower pots but this doesnt give the natural look i think (by looking at your pictures) your after.Do you have sand or gravel? Also you need to raise your PH to at least 7.6 with 8.0 being optimal. for fish i would go with Pseudotropheus sp. "Acei" Metriaclima lombardoi and Labidochromis caeruleus which would give a mix of light blues dark blues and yellows these also don't grow too big and arn't too aggressive either. You could even have a synodontis catfish which are native to rift lakes they supposedly can even aid in cichlid breeding mbuna n catfish

 

[divisible by zero]

thanks,

I'm probably following this

  Select any 3 species (max 12 fishes):
	•  Metriaclima estherae
	•  Pseudotropheus saulosi
	•  Pseudotropheus sp. "Acei"
	•  Labidochromis sp. "Hongi"
	•  Labidochromis caeruleus
	•  Labidochromis sp. "Perlmutt"
	•  Labidochromis chisimulae
	•  Iodotropheus sprengerae
	•  Cynotilapia afra
	Do not mix any Labidochromis species.

any suggestions on how to raise PH? I have 50/50 crushed coral and aragonite.

 

[PRW1988]

looks good thus far, add some more rocks, mabye some plants aswell for extra coverage, I'd recommend raising the PH to atleast 7.5, there are buffers on the market that you can buy, however I find that a nice coat of argonite mixed into the sand helps out alot, that or some crushed shells (such as those found in a marine section) placed in a bag inside the filter.

Hope this helps, keep us posted.

Ryan

 

[Robbo851]

if you can get your hands on limestone i heard that can raise ph and you can include it into your tank as hiding places, i agree with PRW1988 plants make great hiding places but make sure you get hardy plants and put rocks at the stems so the fish dont dig them up

 

[PRW1988]

I wouldn't even use live plants, I've tried with my afircans, the only one that has ever survived was Java moss, but even that eventually was eatnen away I just use fakes now, much easier and less work.

 

[dthoffsett]

Ok, so i set up a tank with the intentions of doing Cichlids and now am stuck for stocking suggestions and may just redo the tank. Currently it looks like this : thread
tank is currently cycled and has a few danios cruising around in it.
PH 6.0
KH 40
GH 180

i was leaning towards mbunas and can always go get more rocks i guess.

As I said in your other post, you'll definately want more rocks since that's where mbuna set up their territories and breed. Also, are you still using the paper test strips? If so, you'll want to double-check your PH with a liquid test kit since the papers ones are notoriously inaccurate.

If it were me I'd probably go with:
Metriaclima estherae - 1m/3f
Labidochromis caeruleus - 4, m/f ratio doesn't matter
Cynotilapia afra - 1m/3f
That would give you a great mix of colors and personalities.
Good luck, and looking forward to how your tank turns out.

 

[divisible by zero]

thank you so much. I finally purchased a liquid test kit and my PH barely registers at 6.0
I've decided to add some more argonite and rearrange the rocks.

 

[darrel69]

baking soda will solve your ph problem ...

 

[dthoffsett]

thank you so much. I finally purchased a liquid test kit and my PH barely registers at 6.0
I've decided to add some more argonite and rearrange the rocks.

You might consider adding some crushed coral in a filter bag to your filter(s). It helps to buffer your water a little faster/better because it is getting constant water flow.

baking soda will solve your ph problem ...

Baking soda is used up quickly when buffering, so you'll need to add it frequently, so while effective, many people find using an aragonite based substrate along with crushed coral in their filter is less hassle. I know I found it much easier.

Although, if you want to use a buffer, you can make an inexpensive home version that works well.
http/www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/buffer_recipe.php

 

[divisible by zero]

could it be the slate that's lowering it?
i have about a 50/50 mix of argonite/crushed coral now with more argonite waiting to be put in.

 

[dthoffsett]

could it be the slate that's lowering it?
i have about a 50/50 mix of argonite/crushed coral now with more argonite waiting to be put in.

To my knowledge slate is inert, so it shouldn't affect the PH.

 

[divisible by zero]

not trying to be a smart@ss, but is this enough?

 

[divisible by zero]

clearing up nicely.