AFRICAN Malawi CICHLID?
can some one put me on the right track.i have 3 Malawi CICHLIDS.my water conditions are spot on and my ph is 7.9 and my temp is 78f.iv got coral grave next to a sprinkle of normal gravel so the do not cut or damage them self's.i just required to check that i do not add salt to the water.whether some has the same set up could they tell me in attendance set up eg temp,food,ph and do u add anything to the water to make it better for the fish.i hold a fluval 4plus filter in the tank.with 2 white pad and a carbon in the middle.what does the carbon do besides sucking in the medication in the river?thank u.
ok well first off i no they say hi ph fro them but 7.9 is a lil hi try approaching 7.5 mine always have a low ph and there thriving so i mean try that but na use baking soda to up the ph (WAYY cheaper) and also use AQUARIUM salt not table AQUARIUM petsmarts got it it sayd o nthe final how much to add according to gallons but use that it works pretty good and i got one hes the blue one so hes cool but i parsimonious try that but the carbon extends filter life it makes it last longer too so use it
To take the last ask first, carbon absorbs various chemicals from the water and also provides surface nouns for colonization by beneficial bacteria. I assume that you are using a reasonably accurate grade of carbon (such as what comes with the Fluval filter), in which defence it should have no effect on the hardness or pH of the water.
7.9 is an pleasing pH for Malawi cichlids. Ideal is probably about 8.2 to 8.4, but 7.9 should cause no problems.
I don't think you should give regular salt (sodium chloride) to your water, because although Lake Malawi water contains profusely of dissolved minerals, it actually has very little sodium contained by it. There are "Cichlid Lake Salts" or "Malawi Salts" and "Cichlid Buffers" you can buy that provide a more appropriate chemistry for Malawi cichlids. Seachem and Kent are two brands of these that I've used with success. But before you add on anything to the water, find out what the hardness of your tap river is to begin with. If it's at least reasonably hard, you probably don't need to add anything, particularly with your coral substrate, which also has a buffering and water-hardening effect. If you decide to use the cichlid salt, just follow the directions on the label.
As for food, that depends on what species you have. There are hundreds of different cichlid species surrounded by Lake Malawi, so it's hard to generalize. If you have some of the "mbuna," though (rock-dwelling Malawi cichlids), many of them call for a lot of vegetable matter in their diets.
The warmth in Lake Malawi is very stable year-round, because it's such a big lagoon, although there may be some variation according to water depth. About 78 to 80 F is fitting for Malawi fishes.
Answers: Your doing fine, and yes you do need to add salt.
You can use adjectives crushed coral for the gravel it keeps the water just where on earth the africans like it. Also use some limestone for decoration. Go to www.thatfishplace.com and get you some African Cichlid Buffer or Cichlid Lake Salt. It have all of the trace elements found in the rift lakes. They are for the most part vegetarian but do like any type of crustacean. I feed mine frozen saltwater fish food occasionally and frozen brine shrimp, it's much better for them than the dried stuff. Live food is really obedient if you want them to breed.
