New tank...wanna do it right!

[triballurker]

I just got my 55g tank filled today with water and the filter running on it.

I have a few questions about it though. I haven't decided exactly what kind of cichlids im going to be adding yet but I want to be prepared to make them happy.

I went with painted black sides and a very plain background of a rock wall. The gravel I have is a med-small size polished gravel, natural color. I may add a couple live plants/driftwood as well.

With the gravel ive found mixed ideas on whats suitable. I currently have about 3-4" covering the whole bottom. Some say atleast 3" some say less. Whats right?

I want to add a natural buffer since I don't want to have to be adding chemicals, salts etc every water change. Whats a good rock that can be stacked to make caves and provide help buffering my tank? I have heard that the tufa works well? But also slate?

I currently have a ac110 on the tank, would another be too much flow?

Whats a good algae cleaner/eater? I have 2 huge commons but dont really want to keep them and a smaller chocolate. But would like something that works well in with chiclids.

Thanks for the help of my many questions.

[-DC-]

I'd love too help , bt i have no idea what kind of setup your shooting for, cichlids come from every bio type you could imagine and the answers to every question could change depending on species.

Maybe you could narrow down a bit ? Most popular are (in no specific order) african lake species (haps, vic’stang’sMbuna , peacock), South american (Like convict , jack's, midas, oscar,hero sp.ect), SA dwarfs (like rams), even if you don’t know exactly what your going with if you can narrow down the bio type and it'll be easier too help!

[bingerz]

Ive got an ac110 on my 33g. Doesnt faze my mbunas...they like it.

[triballurker]

Im looking at doing African

[monkE]

I'm also in the process of setting up an african tank.. I don't know much about what kind of stone will help naturally buffer your tank but i do know a great place to buy stone for cheap... i posted it in the "sales" section. As far as flow is concerned I started out with a canister (220GPH) as well as an AC70 and the cichlids didn't seem to mind... i've now moved a second canister onto the tank and removed the HOB. The extra flow in the tank hasn't seemed to cause any kind of issue for the fish.

Can't wait to see how yours turns out.. as this is my first cichlid set-up it's very neat to see how other guys are doing theirs. Post pics when you get her populated!

[-DC-]

well for african's if you want to do it right you'll want to ditch the driftwood idea it'll drive down PH, you'll need smooth stones especially if you go with Mbuna they like to scrape algae off stones.
, pack the tank half full of them lot's of caves and cracks, then add sand, not gravel, Africans like fine sand color's up too you they wont care either way.

Plants might work with vic's, tang's maybe even peacocks, with Mbuna they will get eaten very quickly. So that portion depends on what lake you shoot for in your setup. I keep Mbuna NOTHING lasts in the Mbuna tank, most plants are completely eaten in under an hour in my tank lol.

As for filtration ac 110 is good, i'd add a canister as well, let the canister do the bio the AC regular cleanings for polishing, Africans are messy fish! and it won’t been too much flow, I'd even go so far as to add a couple power heads to add nice current if anything!
For PH, I personally believe it’s best just t stick with your tap’s natural PH for almost all fish species. African cichlids can and will adapt to your local ph and hardness quite quickly and live completely happy and healthy.
However fluctuations of you trying to keep it “ideal” PH/KH is VERY hard on fish . If you still want to buffer a bit go natural I suggest crushed coral in bags in your filter, or oyster shells same idea smash them up bag them sick them in a filter. I Don’t recommend the use of chemicals it’s not worth the risks,

[bingerz]

For PH, I personally believe it’s best just t stick with your tap’s natural PH for almost all fish species. African cichlids can and will adapt to your local ph and hardness quite quickly and live completely happy and healthy.

really? you don't have to use buffers or salts by seachem? you just use tap and dechlor it??

[neven]

I would strongly suggest you read these threads:

Adjusting hardness in your aquarium
Water supply issue in the lower mainland

Putting crushed coral in your filter will only help buffer your water until a certain PH is reached, without co2 injection in a tank, that PH is reached quite fast and little to no hardness has been added to your tank. Further more, you still suffer from hardness swings at every water change relying on this. Using rock in the tank to help buffer does the same thing, only works to an extent. Some will go as far as saying its cruel to not buffer vancouver water for your fishies and you are causing them a slow painful death (or with guppies, a faster death). It may seem unnatural to add stuff to the water, but we're keeping a fish in a glass box in our homes, not very natural in the first place.

Well its true that some fish can survive our tap water without additives (several South American species), some others don't fare to well (Guppies and other livebearers). With all of them, buffering your water properly and responsibly will allow them to thrive and show their best colours. Your goal is an african tank, so therefore adding salts/buffers is a reality you'll have to accept.

[-DC-]

test your water for extremes, but i've had africans for many years and have NEVER lost a fish due to KH/PH problems. Most fish keeps i know who have major tank setup's with most species will say the same. it's easier on you and the fish to let them adapt then too try to constantly adjust.

also depends on the fish, you take a WC fish toss it in water opposite of what it was raised in you'll have problems. but in time i'd be VERY surprised is the KH/PH effected your African cichlids at all. My tap comes out at 6.5, rockwork in the tank keeps it around 7. I use NO salt’s, no buffer’s, just filters rocks and sand. And I have VERY healthy cichlids from fry born every morning up too 6” 5-8 year old adults.

I do agree though IF you choose to buffer you'll want to stick too small frequent water changes over large ones, too avoid that shock when it swings back to the tap side of things.

But in the end, the easiest and arguably best thing for your fish is too let them adjust too a stable PH/KH even if it's not the same as their natural biotype.

Don’t take my word on it, i suggest research lot's of it, lot's of sites looking into the people who give the advice and what they keep . Lot's of opinions online both right and wrong, often both right just different ways of doing it!

[Rastapus]

To quote the heading "wanna do it right" then please do so when it comes to buffering. Proper buffering is essential to fish health, this is not a theory, it is science. African Cichlids originate from some of the hardest water on earth and generally are raised in equally as hard water. If you keep them in our soft acidic pH they will not thrive. although it is true they are also some of the hardiest fish in the hobby, it does not make it right to keep them in the exact opposite water parameters that nature intended. Adding buffers is easy and understanding the buffering system will help you with any aquariums you have in the future.
Africans are susceptible to bloat in soft water as well as other illnesses. To say someone has never Africans to low KH/GH, how would you know? I am sure over 6 years fish were lost, likely due to problems stemming from low hardness. Before we buffered our african systems we did not lose much, now we don't seem to lose anything in those sections and the fish look a lot better then before. Of course until you try you wont likely know what your fish could look like. After 20 years I can personally say through experience here in BC that hard water is crucial to have thriving Africans. IMO