Newbie To Africans

[ronald_j]

I'm about to start my

first attempt at African Cichlids and I'm not quite sure what substrate I should use. My tap

water has a ph of about 7.8 and is hard. I'll be setting up a 125 this week and any advise

would be greatly appreciated. For filtration I have 2 Rena XP3's that I can use as well as 3

Penguin 350's. Come on guys help me!!! http://cichlid.ipbhost.com/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif

[bobrfish]

<!--quoteo(post=2447:date=Sep

18 2006, 08:53 PM:name=ronald_j)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ronald_j @ Sep 18 2006,

08:53 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> (index.php?act=findpost&pid=2447)</div><div

class='quotemain'>I'm about to start my first attempt at African Cichlids and

I'm not quite sure what substrate I should use. My tap water has a ph of about 7.8 and is hard.

I'll be setting up a 125 this week and any advise would be greatly appreciated. For filtration

I have 2 Rena XP3's that I can use as well as 3 Penguin 350's. Come on guys help

me!!! http://cichlid.ipbhost.com/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif</div><!--

QuoteEEnd-->
No special substrate is needed. The idea that substrate will dissolve to

increase hardness and buffer pH is not always true. In the case of your water, it most likely will

not work at all.
What you have is OK for Malawi, Victoria and Madagascar. Water is likely OK

for riverine cichlids too, albeit they would prefer something closer to pH of 7 and softer water.


Lake Tanganika fish would probably be OK with water you have but to be sure the water is hard

enough may want to use a calcium carbonate (crushed coral or limestone) filter.
Calcium

carbonate filter is somewhat akin to using calcium carbonate substrates like crushed coral or

ground up limestone. The difference is the calcium caronate is placed in a filter container and

water is forced through the filter. Once a month or so the calcium carbonate is taken out and

washed to expose fresh surfaces for water to dissolve the crushed rock or coral.

Test

this information yourself. Obtain two tanks. Use a calcium carbonate substrate in one tank and

something like sand in the other. Obtain two easy to bred species of African cichlids and see

which does better.

[Lisachromis]

Sounds alot like my

water. Tanganyikans do well in it as well.

What substrate appeals to you?

[ronald_j]

I have about 160 lbs. of a

walnut colored gravel that I could use from an old freshwater tank or I was possibly thinking of

going with pool filter sand or aragonite sand. I want to set this tank up thursday so I don't

have a whole lot of time left!!!

[Lisachromis]

I guess it all comes

down to what you like. Another consideration is what fish are you keeping? Some like to dig in

sand, some really don't care one way or the other. Some people like the look of sand. I use

gravel where possible. I have sand, but personally don't like it much. But that's my

personal preference showing. http://cichlid.ipbhost.com/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif

[RonRoss]

Hi Ron.......I have

basically the same water here in Ohio and I don't use any substrate in my tanks unless I am

trying to raise plants. I find it is easier to siphon off the bottom debris when making water

changes with a bare bottom. I sometimes use a thin layer to attract nitrifying bacteria or put

crushed coral or Dolomite in the filter. I also use a lot of tufa rock (a porous rock found around

Lake Erie) to maintain bacteria. You can always add substrate material later if you don't like

the way it works out. I have found that making regular water changes are more important than gravel

in maintaining African Cichlids. I wouldn't use regular gravel. Have a nice day!

[ronald_j]

For the last couple of weeks

I've been trying to decide which of the African Cichlids that I'd like to keep and I think

I'm going to go with Peacock Cichlids. Thanks to everyone for your input on substrate for my

tank. I believe I'm going to go with 1 to 2 inches of coral sand.

[Marco Arroyo]

i will recommend you to

use sand, the very best, and that works great for me is the one call aragonite, remember that

cichlids likes to dig, so if you use a hard substrate your fish can be harm, good luck