The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Plecos, properly acclimated, will do well in a tank with that pH as well. Giant Danios make great "dither fish" for a cichlid tank and will also do well in 8.2 water. They help keep the cichlids out and moving about. I have a 110 that is going to be an Af Cichlid tank if I can ever find the time to get it set up. Looking forward to seeing pics of yours!
My PH is extremely high as well. I was worried I wouldn't be able to get the fish I wanted until I went into a great LFS that has a sign up that says the PH of ALL their tanks is 8.0 and all the fish have been raised and/or acclimated to the local tapwater. They have the best reputation in town (they've been there for 40+ years) so I trust them.
It makes sense that a good LFS would adapt the fish to the local PH where possible (perhaps they just wouldn't carry anything that CAN'T be adapted, but they have the best selection in town).
For what its worth, Africans are BEAUTIFUL! I can't wait until I get a bigger tank so I can get some.
ooooooo, you are so lucky! 8O I would LOVE to have a tank this size, and if I did, Lake Malawi cichlids would be exactly what i would put in it. I love dolphin cichlids... lemme find the scientific name so people will know what i'm talking about... Haplochromis moorii. I just love their color, big lips and that lump on the heads of the males. Here is some information about them: http://www.cichlidae.com/tanks/t022.html
I had this idea that I thought would be gorgeous, with a tank with dolphin cichlids and a huge school of congo tetra for dither fish. The blues and golds would be amazing. But I was just assuming for some dumb reason that congo tetras liked a high ph because they are from africa. I didn't think of the fact that they inhabit rivers, and therefore prefer low ph. Anyway, just something I was thinking about.
Have fun with your new tank! It's going to be beautiful.