What To Do?

[TheScottishRift]

Hi guys and girls.

Ok now my tank has been set up for nearly a year now and I think its time for a change of scenery for my fish. Right now I have tufa rock which is nice when its clean and white but algae gets into the little places that my plec cant get to so it just looks awful, spoiling the look of the tank. Now my julie ornatus baby has grown up and is able to look after it self now is the time to change it.

Now this is where I need opinions, do I stick with my tufa rock or change to rocks from the beach or to something completely different. Also what affect will changing the rocks do to my parameters (PH sitting at 8 with crushed coral sand acting as a buffer).

Looking forward to hearing your views

 

[sylvia]

I think you should go ahead and change the rock if that's what you feel is needed. The extent to which it'll effect your pH/hardness depends on what type of rock you add - but chances are it won't make any obvious change. I think large river rocks would look nice but they need to be thoroughly cleaned/boiled (as do any rocks from outisde). As for rocks from the sea - it realy depends on what kind of rock you have where you live. I've lived by the sea on and off all my life - the rock's not the same everywhere Personaly I'd avoid anything calcium/limestone-based as it will increase your pH and possibly make that increase quite steep (which isn't a good thing obviously - even if they are rift lake cichlids). On the other hand, if you replace the rock gradualy and keep up with water changes, you could probably get away with pretty much any type of new rock provided you don't own anything particularly fragile and any changes in pH/hardness come about gradualy.

 

[liv4evrordietryin!]

if you really want to change the rocks, you should, but the algae growth is good in an african tank cuz algae plays a small to big part of african cichlid diet.