setting up water for south african Cichlid tank

[sonoma2nv]

can some on post a site i can read up on im converting a 55gal to a Cichlid tank.Or post info thanks

 

[Voodoo Chilli]

What type information are you looking for?

 

[sonoma2nv]

i was wondering if you need to check the selanity of the salt?i got some cichlid lake salt and followed the directions and i got a ph buffer. is there anything else i need to know.and do u suggest a good book? sorry i cant spell.thanks

 

[spence0416]

You shouldn't be adding enough salt to the tank for the salinity to be measured (not really necessary to add salt at all)! All you really need to do is to keep the correct PH for the fish you want. Besides that all you need is a tank that fits what you want to keep, and a decent test kit to measure your water params.

 

[sonoma2nv]

ok thanks yeah i got the aquarium pharmaceuticals master test kit for freshwater.So i dont need to add the cichlid lake salt? i got the electric yellow cichlid in a 55gal now the ph is at 8.2. so i should be good.thanks

 

[Menagerie]

the ph is at 8.2

African cichlids like high pH, but I would not add any buffers or extra salts.

What are you using as decor in the tank? Those fish evolved living near rocky caves. I have an 80 gal African cichlid tank with lace rock and Texas holey rock--the fish make use of the caves created for them!

 

[sonoma2nv]

I got some rock from the fish store lots of caves.ok my ph is at 7.8 how do i up the ph with out using buffers?

 

[Menagerie]

A pH of 7.8 is fine also. Unless you are dieing for your fish to breed, they will live a fine life at 7.8. They will probably breed for you too, now that I think of it--they are not very picky.