new cichlid behaivor

[Thebluyak]

I got a new cichlid today its a Aulonocara carolinae common name swallowtail peacock, I put him in my tank today and he has been hiding in a rock cave and just sitting there, Im not to concerned as my other fish, Lab's and zebra arnt messing with him. Is this just him getting used to a new enviroment?

PH steady 6.6 because of CO2
amm: 0 PPm
nitrites 0
nitrates around 10ppm
temp is steady around 81
tank is fully cycled and this is in a 36 gallon bow

 

[toddnbecka]

Probably just adjusting to the new tank, but the pH is way too low for African cichlids. It would be a good idea to start adding baking soda to gradually bring it up to about 7.6 for Malawi cichlids.

 

[Thebluyak]

wouldnt my ph get thrown outta line if i buffer it with baking soda and my co2 starts to dimise? loneblue said stability is key *i think it was him* and since my ph isnt normally that high, only around 7.6-7.2 then wouldnt it be better to just keep it stable at 6.6? Would having a lower PH hurt the cichlids? Also is it normal for them, being the labs to occasionally scratch against the substrate? no other fish do it just the one lab i see do it every so often

 

[Zagz]

How long have you had your cichlids? Do you know what the ph was at the lfs? If they were accustomed to the same ph as you have, then a stable ph would be better than adjusting it IMO. All my fish have the same ph in the tanks and I have had my tanks running for over a year and have a range of fish that would have different ph in the wild but they are thriving. A stable ph is always better.

Cichlids do rub against the sand, they also suck up sand and spit it out. Perfectly normal for cichlids. If they were to start flashing against rocks and ornaments regularily, then I would suspect ich.

 

[Thebluyak]

no they dont flash or rub on the rocks, just one likes to nose dive his side on the flourite then swim away, ive had the labs and zebra for about a week and the new one is obviously new. I acclimented them and they seem fine, swim around and eat healthy i just wanted to make sure long run it wouldnt hurt their gills to be in a acidic PH.



OOOH i just walked in my apt and my new cichlid was out swimming around and then saw me and darted back, i think he might be a little scared of me. Do they have wild caught cichlids? Thats the only thing i can think of that he would be scared of me. He is soo beautiful tho I wish i could get a picture of him.

** the ph was different at the LFS which is why I was asking if it would be detrimental to them to change it, but the labs and zebra seem to have made the change fine.

 

[toddnbecka]

Stability is important, but some fish can't tolerate acidic water long-term, and 6.6 is pretty low. Using baking soda will also buffer the pH by raising the KH. I've found it to be easier to raise/buffer pH than to lower it.

 

[DeFeKt]

i'd recommend throwing in some crushed coral or limestone to raise ph and water hardness.
While stable ph is better, keeping it to what they prefer is even better. It is the fluctuation that bothers them.
Your cichlids will be happier with a higher ph and it should really improve comfort levels and consequently their colouring.

 

[Thebluyak]

if i use coral how can I control how high it puts the PH? Since I jsut got them used acclimented to the lower PH wouldnt it be more stressful to raise it so soon? also would I put it in the filter media? Also if I raises the KH wouldnt it screw my co2 absortion up since coy is directly related to KH?

Im new to cichlids but already in love with them! Im trying to learn how to keep them and do it right!

 

[toddnbecka]

Coral will only raise the pH to 7.4-7.6. A handful in the filter will work, and it will take some time for the water chemistry to change, allowing the fish time to adjust.
As for CO2 and KH, I don't know anything about how they are related concerning the absorption rate.
African cichlids aren't usually kept in planted tanks w/CO2 injection, because few plants grow well in the hard, alkaline water they prefer.

 

[Thebluyak]

so If i addd the coral in now it wouldnt raise the ph by the end of the day but do it slowly? How much would I use and can you use to much?
Does the coral ever need to be replaced or can it just be cleaned like the rest of the filter media

 

[toddnbecka]

I'm not sure how quickly it will raise the pH, but it won't be 7.4 by the end of the day. It will dissolve very slowly, over several months or more, eventually breaking down to sand. It will also provide more surface area for bacteria, just rinse it in tank water when you clean the filter.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

As for the crushed coral, i did it in my 75G for a while to buffer it up. It takes about 2 weeks or a little longer to notice changes. It's also the safest way to increase the ph, and more natural. If you are going to raise the ph, then the more natural approach is the best way to go. And yes, stability is the key, but you can also naturally adjust the ph up or down and keep the stability. Crushed coral for up and peat or driftwood for down.

The crushed coral will need to be replaced, yes. But it's maybe every few months. Crushed coral does not work within a day, takes 2-3 weeks to start seeing the effects, which is good for the fish. Slow adjustment is best. And just a handful in the filter would work, or mixed in the substrate.

 

[Thebluyak]

hm ill have to consider that and look into finding some. thanks for all the responses, Ill try to get some pics of my peacock, labs, zebra and brand new stand i built and new bow front tank

 

[Menagerie]

Before you start changing the pH in this established, stable tank, why are you using CO2? Is this tank planted?

 

[Thebluyak]

yeah the tank is planted, few java ferns, some babomba, and some other plant I cant remember off hand and a few dwarf onions. Medium planted not to heavy yet, I picked up a KH test kit and have a KH of 3 and a co2 PPm of about 35. 80W NO lights so about 2.8 wpg, im going to keep it like it is for awhile now, If its not absolutly neccesary I wont alter the PH at all. Surprisingly the africans dont bother the plants, just the big peacock can knock over the dwarf onion sometimes