Hard high ph tap water on SA cichlids

[duanes]

As said, a few numbers like hardness (either in grains, or ppm/mg/L) and average pH.
If you are getting wild caught, then very hard water might be a chronic problem for some, but if you get locally bred species it shouldn't.
But any of the species from west of the Andes would be fine wild caught or not.
There are th red hump Gets like steindachneri, pellegrini and crassilabrus, the Andinoacara, and any Mesoheros (festae, gephyus, lyonsi) I consider hardware species, and kept most in "liquid rock".
I also consider the Uruguayan species comfortable in hard water.
The Gymnogeophagus, Australoheros, and Crenicichla of that area, would be good candidates.

Mesoheros gephyrus above, Australoheros red cabal below

Gymnogeophagus sp Paso Pache below

There are also Ciclasoma species like dimmerus from Uruguay, and Argentina that work be comfortable in your water.

female festae below

and below some Urugauayan Crenicichla saxtillus

 

[Wharf]

Great, thanks for the reassurance that they will be ok. I will probably get a bunch of driftwood and some regular white sand instead of something like aragonite that will add to the hardness problem. Maybe some peat in microfiber to throw in the built in wet-to-dry.

I really like the Uragauayan species those are nice

What would be a good CA setup for a 180?

 

[duanes]

A 180 is a great tank for any number of Central Americans, but it depends on whether or not you want a community of species, or pair of the predators.
If you are interested in Parachromis, I consider a 180 only large enough for 1 pair.
Or even some Vieja, as adults maybe a trio. I am a bit conservative with space, and others may disagree of course
If however you'd want a community of cichlids, the genera Thorichthys, Cribroheros, Amatitlania, and Cryptoheros (and others) offer species that can live together as shoals, without too much aggression.
If you can provide extra current, the genus Chuco and Rheoheros have interesting species.
Amatitlania cutteri

Chuco micropthalmus
Rheoheros lentiginossa

Cribroheros rostrum

And a 180 might also work for a small shoal of Amphilophines, but aggression can become an issue as maturity and territoriality sets in with these nor bellicose large species.