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African Cichlid ph important?

C

cjam93

Gambusia
MFK Member
Hey guys so I am considering doing african cichlids. I have never done them before, but I have done SA and CA a lot in the past. With those I have never worried about the PH, as I was told adjusting the PH would just cause more problems by raising the water hardness when I would use different buffers. So I stopped and just let them adjust to my waters normal ph. I have had no problems doing this.

Is this something I can also do with african cichlids or is that a bad idea? Also is there a lake group that is easier to keep than others for an intro to Africans?
 
It is possible to keep African cichlids at low pH (neutral). I'd advise caution WRT osmotic shock. We've been burned a few times in this regard by rushing acclimation. Many African keepers/sellers (not all) assume their fish need a high pH and achieve a high pH via adding Ca buffers/salts. This activity alters the TDS of your water and will cause osmotic shock in your fish when you try to acclimate them to lower pH and lower TDS water. I would advise drip acclimation.
 
Do you mean Rift Lake African cichlids? Africa is vast and has many different water environments.
And what is your average tap water pH? Most cichlids just prefer stability.
Rift Lake Africans will pretty much do well in neutral pH to raised pH, very similar water to what Central American cichlids have evolved to live in.
Many other African cichlids have evolved to live in soft of neutral pH as many other riverine cichlids, or as many S Americans do. But S America is vast and also has many different water environments.
Your question, as is, is too vague to give a specific answer to.
 
Good point @duanes

My answer is assuming the OP meant rift-lake species.
 
cjam93 said:
Hey guys so I am considering doing african cichlids. I have never done them before, but I have done SA and CA a lot in the past. With those I have never worried about the PH, as I was told adjusting the PH would just cause more problems by raising the water hardness when I would use different buffers. So I stopped and just let them adjust to my waters normal ph. I have had no problems doing this.

Is this something I can also do with african cichlids or is that a bad idea? Also is there a lake group that is easier to keep than others for an intro to Africans?
Click to expand...



African Cichlids from all 3 lakes are not that difficult to keep but suggest doing research prior to impulse buying because some species are highly aggressive Mbuna for example. You also have some that get large and are predator's such as some Haplochromis species and some small like the Shell Dwellers of Lake Tanganyika.
 
I also figured the OP meant rift lake Africans, but.....
Here are some examples of what I mean
The African cichlid genus Stomatepia come from Lake Barumbi mbu in Cammeroon, a tiny soft water lake
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The jewel cichlids Hemichromis, and many other, considered dwarfs, also come from soft water
The genus Alcolapia live a rift lakes that are harder and more saline than the ocean with temps in the 90sF
Coptodon bythobates comes from another tiny lake (Bermin) with neutral water pressure to remain healthy long term
and of course the bread and butter Africans of the Great Rift "prefer" water with higher osmotic
 
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