Carl Strohmeyer asked:


Question:

One of these days I’m going to write down the chemistry for pH, kH and GH and maybe I will remember it, eventually. But for now I new some advice. I got many good suggestions on my fairly new mbuna tank and thus far it has been going very well but something is amiss with my water. My tap water comes out at about 7.6 pH. I have about 30 pounds of holey rock in there currently. But, for some reason my pH seems to be dropping. Currently it is approaching 7.2

My gH is still pretty high 200 or so, but my kH has also started dropping from around 120 to currently just under 80. Nitrates are between 10 and 20. 0-0 on the bad stuff. I am doing 30-40% weekly water changes. I have 16 fishes in a 55 gal between 1 1/2 and 3″. I may need yet another reminder about water chemistry or could it be my ‘mystery’ substrate. Along with some small tan gravel which I have used in many tanks with no apparent detriment, I also have maybe 15 # of stuff that was given to me a while back along with my first cichlids, a little tank etc. I have no idea what it is but she mentioned it was “supposed to be good for aquarium plants”. It is approximately 1/3 each of black, brick red and tan stone. Though relatively small they are more like little chips than rounded pebbles – fairly jagged and rough on the edges. Then again it may not be this at all. Any ideas?

Thank you.

Answer:

There is probably something producing a heavier than normal amount of acid production. Nitrification will produce acids (nitric acid) and if you have a large amount of organic build up that can be part of your reason.

What are your filter(s)? Some filters such as large canister filters can produce a lot of acid if not cleaned (rinsed) regularly. If you have an Under Gravel filter, make sure you occasionally remove the lift tubes and siphon out the mulm that accumulates under the plate. With ALL filters it is still important to remove as much mulm and other organic debris as possible, an Aquarium Vacuum is the preferred way.

As for your KH & GH, I am a big proponent of keeping an adequate KH and Calcium level for many reasons, one of them is for the problem you are having, the other is that GH is simple way of knowing your calcium levels in FW, and calcium is very important to fish health. Crushed coral or aragonite can help, but in my experience (especially in High ph aquariums such as African Cichlid tanks), they are not always adequate as they do not dissolve fast enough to release the proper amounts of Bicarbonates, Magnesium, or Calcium for KH and GH.

In the closed environment that an aquarium is, I find that outside sources that dissolve or are manually added are often necessary. There are many products available from Sea Chem Marine Buffer which can be used in freshwater (especially for Rift Lake Cichlids) and is preferable to baking soda due to the balance of sodium bicarbonate/ magnesium and other minor elements; to the Wonder Shells that others here know I advocate a lot for.

At the risk of being too commercial, my aquariums are rarely without a Regular Wonder Shell for Calcium control and electrolytes.

As for the plant substrate you were given, this sounds like a product such as Eco Complete or Azoo Plant Grower Bed which will lower your pH.

I have an article about KH, Calcium and electrolytes: “CALCIUM, KH, AND MAGNESIUM IN AQUARIUMS; How to maintain a Proper KH, why calcium and electrolytes are important.”

My point in mentioning GH was that Calcium and Magnesium is part of GH and

both are necessary for proper osmotic processes in fish. If there are problems with KH, many times there are problems with GH (although in this case there does not seem to be a problem). The problem here indicates too much organic decomposition thus reducing the KH.. Again I would check filters for build up too. When I called on customers aquariums experiencing this problem, many times they had a filter with a thick layer of mulch on the bottom. Removing this, then adding a KH stabilizer (which I had better results with a

slow dissolving KH stabilizer), and the problem was solved.

For the article including pictures, please visit this link:

“pH and KH problems in African Cichlid Aquarium”



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Mike Hickmon asked:


When it comes to cichlid care, there is a lot you need to know before you even consider starting your own cichlid aquarium. There are many different species of cichlids and they can grow to quite a substantial size. Cichlid care is a lot like the care of discus fish, they can be difficult to look after and to maintain, but in the end the effort which you put into your cichlid care will be well worth it, especially when it comes to breeding these amazing fish. If you would like to know a few tips on cichlid fish care, then read this article to find out more so that you can get started today!

Before you purchase your cichlid, or fish of any species, you should first prepare their new environment. Various species of cichlids grow to different sizes, so you should check with your local pet store before purchasing a tank to make sure that you pick a suitable size for your fish. A twenty to twenty seven gallon tank, however, should be sufficient for most sizes of cichlid fish to give them plenty of room to thrive and grow, although if you are planning on breeding them in the future then you might want to think about picking a larger tank.

Your cichlid fish tank should contain plenty of places for your fish to hide and rest. These refuges can include large sections of drift wood, inverted flower pots as well as rock caves. Larger species of cichlids tend to dig up substrate material so you should avoid including plants in a cichlid aquarium. You should also consider the water temperature when it comes to cichlid care. It is important to maintain the correct water temperature for all species of fish, but when it comes to cichlids, they prefer a temperature around the mid seventies.

Before you decide to buy your cichlid, you should also become familiar with the type of diet which they exist on. It should be a varied diet, however you should never over feed fish because it could result in premature death, but cichlids like to eat a mixture of frozen and live food including a staple food of large fish flakes. If you are planning to purchase a larger species of cichlids, then you can also feed them garden crickets, earth worms and even kitchen left over’s! Some species also need an extra diet supplement of plant material such as the geophagus species.



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thegendoikari asked:


Cichlid Breeding Care

While Cichlid breeding can be accomplished easily for some Cichlid species, it can be quite difficult with others, requiring special conditions and care. Cichlid breeding is much easier and produces far greater results when the Cichlids are well taken care of and given conditions similar to their natural habitat. Thus, perhaps the most essential element in Cichlid breeding is keeping the aquarium clean and maintaining the conditions required by that particular cichlid. The fish will be much healthier and it will induce them to mate more readily.

 

Fish Tank:

The most basic of equipment for Cichlid breeding is the fish tank itself. The size entirely depends on the fish, room, budget and preference. Research the Cichlid you are interested in keeping and look at the requirements. Personally, I always go with tanks bigger than what is “required” to give the fish more freedom and comfort.

 

Filtration:

Filtration is a big factor in maintaining good water conditions for Cichlid breeding. Which filter to use for Cichlid breeding entirely depends on the setup, fish and preference. For a pairing, show or grow out tank under 150 gallons a power filter is usually best. I’m a fan of the Penguin BIO-Wheel filters, as they have been the most efficient and easiest to use, not to mention rather cheap. For my 55 gallon tanks I use the Penguin 350, and Penguin 150 for my 20 gallon planted tank. Two Penguin 350s will work great for up to 150 gallon tanks, but anything beyond that you will probably want to look into high-capacity canister filters like the Eheim Pro III. While canister filters are more complicated and costly, they allow customization of the filter media, making the filtration much more adjusted to your specific needs.

 

The pulling force of both power and canister filters might harm or even consume the fry, the water current could also cause severe complications to the developing fry as well. Thus, for a Cichlid breeding/fry tank I would recommend sponge filters, as they are entirely safe for the fry. You’ll need a sponge filter, air pump and airline tubing; I suggest a Whisper Air Pump as they are fairly priced and one of the only air pumps that actually make good on their claim of being near silent. The sponge filter will need to be established, the best way to do this is to run it in a pre-cycled tank for about three weeks. Bacteria will colonize on the sponge and this will help biologically filter the water. If you don’t have another tank and this is a new project, just use the new filter when cycling a tank, once the tank is cycled and ready for Cichlid breeding the sponge filter should be as well. To clean the sponge filter just squeeze it in some old tank water when doing a water change, never clean it with tap water, as the chlorine will kill the beneficial bacteria.

 

Water Conditions:

A fully planted tank will aid in filtration as ammonia, nitrite and nitrate are among the nutrients that plants use. This will help keep the beneficial bacteria levels in check and if something happens to your beneficial bacteria there is a buffer present to minimize the problem. A fully planted tank will also induce spawning as it will replicate their natural environment and also allow for hiding and spawning locations. If you do decide to keep plants I would start with an easy to keep low light plant such as Water Sprite, which grow like a weed pretty much regardless of your setup (it will literally grow out of my tank if I don’t prune it). A stock fluorescent light fixture left on 8-12 hours a day should be enough to grow it in most setups, we’ll be doing a whole guide on starting a planted aquarium in the coming weeks. Nonetheless, I suggest keeping it minimal and focus on Cichlid breeding foremost.

African Cichlids enjoy alkaline water conditions, South American Cichlids can be found in exceptionally soft and acidic blackwaters, while American Cichlids usually inhabit water ranging from neutral to alkaline. If your water isn’t well suited for African Cichlid breeding you can get African Cichlid pH buffer, which will stabilize the aquarium pH to 8.5 as well as condition the water with elements found in their natural habitat. This can help, but usually isn’t greatly needed. However, for South American Cichlid breeding it is a bit more essential, especially for very delicate fish such as the Discus fish.

Peat moss can be a great way to naturally lower the pH of your aquarium, which I personally use in my planted freshwater Angelfish tank. You can buy some from any garden center for rather cheap, if they happen to not have any you can buy some online, after that put some in mesh bag (cut off panty hose also works) and place it in the compartment where the filter pad sits so water can flow through it.

If you would rather not deal with peat moss, blackwater extract contains natural humic and tannic acids that simulates water conditions of the Amazon River basin created by soil, peat moss and decaying vegetation. It makes for better water chemistry, encourages spawning, aids the hatching process and tints the water a light brownish yellow color just like the Amazon River, which is pretty cool looking.

Regular water changes are critical to maintaining a good water chemistry for Cichlid breeding. How often and how much water to change is quite debatable. For my fully planted tank I do 33% (1/3) water changes every two to three weeks; for a loosely or non-planted tank I would advise weekly water changes. Ultimately this differs for Cichlid breeding according to the species and each breeder has a different philosophy on water changes, so you can experiment with what works for both you and your fish. I am a huge advocate of the Python water siphon, years ago I had to lug around heavy buckets of water to change the water in my aquariums but this makes it incredibly easy and saves a lot of time as well, it is an amazing investment.

 

Temperature:

A heater to maintain consistent water temperature is essential for Cichlid breeding. I prefer Visi-Therm Deluxe heaters as you can set the desired temperature and forget about it. With older heaters it was trial and error until you got the correct setting, but that’s no longer necessary. Quite amazing how aquarium equipment has evolved over the past decade.

 

Diet:

Cichlid breeding also requires quite the diverse diet, many primarily feed on algae and plants while others are primarily carnivorous and prey on smaller fish. With the latter it is important to choose their aquarium mates carefully, more so for Cichlid breeding as that could create quite the debacle. Only healthy fish will readily mate. Furthermore, many female Cichlids such as mouthbrooders do not eat during the incubation, which may in some cases last up to four weeks. Only a fish that is in good health will be able to endure such abstinence from food.

Many foods formulated specifically for Cichlids are available. I personally use Wardley’s Cichlid Advanced Nutrition, it’s higher quality than most common flake foods and seems to hold its own against some of the more expensive foods. Furthermore, it comes in pellet form, which is critical for me. I dislike flake foods for the most part, as they eventually deteriorate into dust and it also creates quite a bit of mess. I find the pellets to be much cleaner and cost effective, the fish also seem to respond to them more as it is easier to see and eat.

Fish should be conditioned before Cichlid breeding, which is to provide a variety of live, dry and frozen foods to get them in top condition for spawning. There is a wide variety of great live foods like tubifex worms, bloodworms, brine shrimp and beef heart. Fish love live foods and they are quite beneficial for them; however, try to feed these carefully to avoid an unbalanced diet. If you would rather not deal with live food, freeze-dried foods are entirely safe, cheap and easy. Feeding your Cichlids a rich varied diet is not only healthier but it will thrive and bring out much better colors.

 

For more information visit this Cichlid breeding guide.



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Sandra Gaffney asked:


Aquariums are a good stress relieving alternative. They give that soothing ambiance when you walk into a room. Aside from the fish tank and the water inside the fish tank, one very important thing that you need to have before you start running your own freshwater aquarium is, of course, none other than the fish themselves. You need to have good freshwater aquarium fish that are compatible with your ability to raise them as a hobbyist. For beginners, there’s a lot of things to choose from.

General Good Fish Factors

When choosing your starting fish, you don’t just look at how good the fish looks. It is also important to analyze a number of different things that you still have to consider during the early days of taking care of that fish. Any good fish should be sturdy enough to tolerate many changes that might take place in your fish tank, especially during the startup cycle, where the fish tank is still regulating all of the water chemistry to support life.

It is also recommended that you choose a fish that can tolerate a number of different kinds of food, and have relatively easy feeding methods. This, in order to help the beginner familiarize himself or herself with the responsibility of regularly feeding their fish at proper intervals and at a proper amount.

The fish should also be able to get along well with other varieties of fish. Fish that can actually interact with other fish, or ones that won’t do any harm to the others. They should not try to “bully” other fish, or worse, try to make them their next meal. Keep fish that are a lot less aggressive, and would not attack or pick a fight with others fish easily.

General Fish Types

If giving certain good fish characteristics is not enough, then maybe you can be able to get your choice out of the four major kinds of aquarium fish that are used in aquariums.

Catfish are probably the most commonly used aquarium fish regardless of function and appearance. Although mostly identified as the usual bottom-dweller stereotype, there are actually many fish that fall under this category, and the general characteristic of all catfish is that they don’t have scales. Catfish are quite known because they’re very easy to feed, although there are a few exceptions, like nocturnal feeders. You should also take note of the substrate that you are using in order not to irritate the mouth of certain catfish bottom-feeders.

Cichlids are a type of fish commonly found in Asia, Africa and in the Americas. Their main features are their varied habitat tolerance and use of vibrant pigments in their coloration, which make them good aquarium fish. They are, however, quite hostile when it comes to caring for their young, and should be separated from the main tank during these seasons. The angelfish and other similar cichlids are an exception, because they are sociable enough to mingle with other fish even during those seasons, as long as they’re provided with the right tank conditions.

Labyrinth fish are the prime fish for professionals. They are quite adaptable, despite their smallness in size, and can also mix well with other fish of different species peacefully. As with the other types of fish, there are exceptions, and the fighting fish, as its name suggests, tends to be a little too much of a war freak towards the other fish, picking fights all over, especially with a male fish of the same species.

Cypriniforms are low-maintenance when it comes to socialization with other fish. Some of the fish under this category are considered as the most well known fish in or out of the hobbyist scene, as some of the fish that fall under this category are the goldfish and the koi fish.



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Abhishek Agarwal asked:


The tank and other things are ready and the only thing that remains is getting the fishes. But how and what can you choose? Do you start with big or small fishes? Or maybe you feel like drowning yourself! Do not worry, what you need to do is have a talk with the local fish dealer and what they advice you to do will pretty much resemble mine. Are you planning on making this a real good hobby- in which case go for bigger fishes, or are you just acting on a temporary fad in the case of which go for smaller fishes.

The small fishes can range from angel fishes to tetras, most small fishes have bright colours and like eating fish flakes and not fish meat. Smaller fishes can be used exclusively for decorative purposes because they are shiny and very attractive especially with the right lights on. Small fishes are simple, they have no unique personality and are less fun. They are just decorative and are best suited for those wanting a low maintenance on their tanks.

Larger fishes like African fishes and cichlids however are a lot trickier to keep. But since they are hardy fish you will not have problems of death that is common among small fishes. The issue with cichlids is the fact of them being cannibals, if you have smaller fishes in the tank you might as well bid farewell, because they will sson not be there. They only eat meat of fish and feeding them anything else will not help. There are different kinds of cichlids, all of them do not look similar, they range from Oscars that are a favourite of mine, tiger, albino and red. Then the black belts also the jaguar cichlids and well i can go on . These fishes call for high maintenance in the form of good gravel cleaning and filtering as they produce more waste substances. A breeding pair is highly valuable! These types of fishes in general are expensive and more so than when they are larger. These fishes also love the tank and though you can decorate it the way you would like to, do not expect it to stay the same way! I can talk forever regarding cichlids and it is best to stop now.

Hence the reason for wanting an aquarium should help decide the kind of fish you can get your aquarium. Small and decorated tanks are fit or small and decorative fishes. The bigger tanks require bigger fishes too go ahead put in them some big ones and then they would do all the talking for you!



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