Keeping good ph for African chichlids...

[oneball]

Setting up a new tank and I've been told I wanna keep my water around an 8.0-8.2 ph. I was told that, even though I'm set on using pool filter sand as a substrate (how many inches off the bottom btw?) I need to mix in crushe coral and use Texas holy rock. What do you guys suggest?

 

[Aquarium1]

2-2.5 inches for the depth. Have you tested your tap? What pH is it? Btw, I'm using pfs for my 55g tank.

 

[spoonman]

As far as PH goes for Mbuna it is more important to be consistant than to be in a certain range. I have done nothing to change my PH. I have straight PFS with no crushed coral. You can put any kind of rock in the tank. I have lace rock on mine, but other rock is fine. You just dont want alot of jagged edges that the fish can cut themselves on. You can use smooth river rock or any other type of rock. The important thing for cichlids is to have places to hide. I make lots of tunnels and caves and stuff in my tank. Sometimes when I add new fish I re-arrange it so that they all have to stake out new territory and no one has territory already staked out, so they dont fight over previously staked out territory. Also important is to have the rocks sitting on the bottom glass of the tank and stacked sturdy so the fish dont dig under it and make it tip over. Hope this helps....

 

[spoonman]

BTW, AQ1 hit it with the depth...

 

[Aquarium1]

BTW, AQ1 hit it with the depth...

Thank you. And you hit it with the pH.