I'm a salty and I want to try my hand at lake malawi cichlids, like peacocks and such. Do you need to buy the salt specifically for african cichlids or can you just use saltwater salt? And if you do, what should the salinity be at? I know the water should be hard and alkaline. I have some buffer and I am planning on buying slate. Good enough? Also should i go sand or gravel? Remember I am set on buying peacocks. I think they are awesome. Post anything and everything you know and your experiences please. I'm getting a 75 for graduation. Also, are there any species of catfish that can be kept with them? At an lfs I saw them keeping a very beautiful tank with peacocks and some catfish I had never seen before. THank YOu!!!
Need cichlid info.
- Thread starter Konrade
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fishylittlenemo
Aquarium Advice Regular
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2006
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- 67
Well I have 3 african cichlids. I don't use any salt, I really never considered using it actually but thought about it. They are dirty fishy that loves to dig. I recommend sand and mix a little bit of little stones in it. They like rocks and caves to. I have a catfish with mine actually..and upside down catfish. They seem to get along with the catfish alright. One of them got the catfish alittle ticked off and it cased the cichlid. It wasn't fatal or anything just alittle chasin sayin stop doin that. lol If i read right...i think the peacocks are agressive fish. You should look on the compatablity chart see if they will be fine. Like go to Foster and Smith's website. You can buy fish from them online and stuff....they have the chart there. You'll be getting a 75 gal....so you'll be alittle better then I am now with my 29gal. lol As for the other stuff I'm not really sure about them. But I hope this big paragraph helps out lol.
Fishylittlenemo
Fishylittlenemo
toddnbecka
Aquarium Advice Addict
I have 4 tanks of africans, mostly Tanganykians, but generally the same requirements as Malawians. I use 1 tsp Baking soda, 1 Tbsp epsom salt, and 2 Tbsp salt/5 gallons water. My tap water is 7.4, the baking soda raises it to 8.2, and the epsom salt buffers it there. I have 13 Synodontis petricola in one 55 community tank, S. multipunctatus are also rift lake catfish. Both are schoolers, best kept in groups. If you prefer a single catfish, S. eupterus, S. nigriventris, or one of the larger (and VERY expensive, since they aren't captive-bred) synodontis from the lakes.
Your best bet is to check these 2 sites for more info:
www.cichlid-forum.com
www.planetcatfish.com
Between them, you can find anything you need to know about peacocks,catfish, and loads of other fish as well.
Your best bet is to check these 2 sites for more info:
www.cichlid-forum.com
www.planetcatfish.com
Between them, you can find anything you need to know about peacocks,catfish, and loads of other fish as well.
Fishyfanatic
Aquarium Advice Addict
Welcome to freshwater Konrad! African Cichlids are very beautiful fish. Since you are interested in Peacocks, you will want an all male tank. Females are drab whereas the males have the vibrant coloration. I advise against purchasing juvi's that have not obtained their coloration yet.
Additives are not needed in an African tank. If you are going to try to raise the pH, use crushed coral or limestone. They are both natural methods and will increase the levels slowly. Chances are you already have hard water with a relatively high pH, correct? If not, just add the crushed coral to the filter. It's a set-it-and-forget-it method. About once every 6 months or so the bag will need to be replaced. I am not saying that the baking soda method is bad, it's just that it is alot more work and the results are instant. By using crushed coral, the pH is slowly increased and you don't have to dose at every water change.
I recommend having a sand substrate. Africans are diggers and will enjoy playing with the substrate. Make sure you choose a smooth sand, such as pool filter sand. It is heavier and will not get pulled into the filter when the Africans dig and spit.
Rock structures are a must. Hiding spots are required for the Africans to feel secure.
Regarding the Catfish, there are a few African catfish species that reside in Lake Malawi (if you are going for a pure Malawi tank). If I remember correctly, there is only one specie that is small enough for a home aquarium. If you wanted to mix the tank by using non-Malawi catfish, you can. If you are interested in the specie of the Malawi catfish, let me know and I'll look it up. I just read it a few months ago in the TFH magazine.
A great site for fish pics is www.malawimayhem.com. They have some info, but the bulk of their knowledge is in the chat forums. The members really know their stuff.
Additives are not needed in an African tank. If you are going to try to raise the pH, use crushed coral or limestone. They are both natural methods and will increase the levels slowly. Chances are you already have hard water with a relatively high pH, correct? If not, just add the crushed coral to the filter. It's a set-it-and-forget-it method. About once every 6 months or so the bag will need to be replaced. I am not saying that the baking soda method is bad, it's just that it is alot more work and the results are instant. By using crushed coral, the pH is slowly increased and you don't have to dose at every water change.
I recommend having a sand substrate. Africans are diggers and will enjoy playing with the substrate. Make sure you choose a smooth sand, such as pool filter sand. It is heavier and will not get pulled into the filter when the Africans dig and spit.
Rock structures are a must. Hiding spots are required for the Africans to feel secure.
Regarding the Catfish, there are a few African catfish species that reside in Lake Malawi (if you are going for a pure Malawi tank). If I remember correctly, there is only one specie that is small enough for a home aquarium. If you wanted to mix the tank by using non-Malawi catfish, you can. If you are interested in the specie of the Malawi catfish, let me know and I'll look it up. I just read it a few months ago in the TFH magazine.
A great site for fish pics is www.malawimayhem.com. They have some info, but the bulk of their knowledge is in the chat forums. The members really know their stuff.
Thanks for the info. So, some crushed coral in a hob with a sandy substrate, and slate would all raise ph, correct? I know that is true in saltwater also. I have some buffer that is for saltwater it would be fine using that if need be.... right?
Fishyfanatic
Aquarium Advice Addict
Yes, the crushed coral would be sufficient. But you may want to re-consider using the hob filter instead of a canister. Africans are very messy fish and require overfiltration. I would use a canister.
