What kind of water treatment should i put into my 40 gallon African Cichlid Tank???

Question

Do they have a ph minuim if so how do you keep the ph where you want it how do change the ph and how find out the ph

Answer 1

i use tap water conditioner only water changes once a month gravel vac every two months started with 5 a year later 45 thats it
put a lot of hiding places they love it

Answer 2

African cichlids require a high pH and I don't recommend using chemicals..they tend to go up and down pretty rapidly and don't provide a stable environment for the fish. Your best bet is to buy some crushed coral and rinse it out very very well and add it to ur tank. It provides a very stable pH and alkalinity level for cichlids which is important for optimal health and longer life expectancies for your fish. Also it would also be good to have cichlid salt added to your tank according to the directions on the package. You can find out the pH by using water testers sold at local stores. Hope all goes well.

Answer 3

Raising or lowering the ph of your water unnaturally will just kill your fish. I suggest you get a natural buffer like some limestone or some live rocks, which will raise your ph just enough. African cichlids like to have higher PH levels, I keep mine at 8.0 or higher, they like to have salt in their water. www.cichlid-forum.com is a great information source.
You need a PH test kit to find out what your PH is, if you didn't know this, I would suggest some easier fish to care for while you learn.

Answer 4

Never use treatments or chemicals to alter the Ph of an aquarium. With most fish they do great in any Ph, but african cichlids are a little different. They need a high Ph, GH, and KH. To get this, add seashells and/or crushed coral. DO NOT ADD CHEMICALS