Tank setup

[Malt_Vinegar]

I am finishing setting up an african chiclid tank tonight, the tank is setup, and at 80 degrees atm, what temp should i be aiming for for them?

How do i keep the water soft, i do want to build up the back of the tank with rocks, someone told me i can use certain rocks to keep the PH up over 8? If i do have these rocks, will they maintain the PH without me having to worry about it?

Oh, and what is KH, and how is it relevant?


Is there anything else i should be considering when im setting this tank up?

 

[thecichlidaddict]

For temperature 80 is fine, I aim for high 70's myself.

There are rocks that can help buffer the ph of your water, but they will only be effective if you have relatively alkaline water already. What is your PH and KH right now?

Limestone, Tufa Rock, and Holey rock all have an a buffering effect to some degree. I find lava rock does too, but not as much. This is actually keeping the water alkaline. Soft/hard water are terms used when discussing the GH (general hardness).

KH is carbonate hardness. A higher KH is a buffer in itself, helping to keep the PH more stable.

 

[Exiled]

Here are some good links to articles to about:
Cycling your tank
Water Chemistry for the Rift Lakes
And Aesthetic/Logistical/Healthy African cichlid tank setups


Enjoy.... after months of scouring the net I found these to be the best articles.

--Lee

 

[Malt_Vinegar]

Cheers guys. I shall read up!!

I got an 8.2 treatment today, and just went with slate for tbhe backdrop, will be boiling it and introducing it tonight.

Fingers crossed that should be ok

 

[thecichlidaddict]

I just want to warn you that bottled 'instant water chemistery' products become unstable if you are trying to make anything but the slightest adjustments. Read up on the articles that Exiled gave you (I agree, they are excellent) to learn about the water and how you can adjust it and keep it more stable.

Again, you may not need to even touch your water, and I always advise not messing with it if you don't have to!

 

[Exiled]

Oh, and Malt_Vinegar..... you're going to cycle the tank prior to adding fish right? Fishless cycling is a great idea because by establishing the bilogical filter (bacterial colonies that consume fish waste and toxins) first, means you can stock all at once (theoretically) and that you won't end up with wildly fluctuating pH, and toxic levels of ammonia, and nitrites--leading to "new Tank Syndrome" where all or most of your new fish begin dying off. The process involved in Fishless Cycling may seem like a lot of fuss, but it's a sure fire way to give your fish the best possible, healthy start in your new aquarium.

I have done 3 fishless cycles, and it really isnt as complicated as it may sound in the article I gave you a link to. I have had great sucess with the process and can't reccomend it enough!

--Lee