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Has anyone used this stuff in their African cichlid tank with plants. I called the company and they said it will be hard to keep the ph high even with holey rock etc in the tank with it. I have already added the substrate to my tank it hasn't change my ph yet. Will I have any problems cleaning the Substrate will it be like cleaning gravel or not.
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i know tthis is off topic but I was advised before that African cichlids will eat your plants, so they arent recommended to he housed together.
As far as the eco substrate, I never used it but I'm sure someone will chime in on that. -
You could clean it like gravel, but it's unnecessary imo. Why do you need to boost the ph? Are you keeping delicate African fish? Most Africans work well in just plain dechlorinated tap water. Houston tap is usually around 7.6-7.9 depending on where you're located. If you add holey rock, it'll bump it up to 7.8-8.0. That should be plenty enough.
Also as a side note, there are some plants that won't like the high ph. I'd make a list of plants you want and then check their optimal ph range.
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Just like gravel, Eco complete does boost up the Ph slightly and has no acidic buffering effects in my experience. You should be just fine. You can always add some Rift Lake salt to coost up the Ph and associated Hardness, though anything above a 7.8 should be fine for most things from the rift lakes.In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.
Desiderius Erasmus
GHAC PresidentComment
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Almost all cichlids will eat plants. If they don't, they'll dig it up.Originally posted by wesleh View Post
There's also eco complete African cichlid mix. It boosts the ph higher. I think that's why they told you what they did.
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+1 Well said MistahooOriginally posted by mistahoo View Post
The only plants we have been able to keep with Tanganyikans are Anubias, Java Fern, and some vals. From my understanding Malawis are tougher on plants though.In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.
Desiderius Erasmus
GHAC PresidentComment
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Wow lots of comment some how I'm not getting post sent to my email for some reason. My ph usually runs about 7.8 to 8.0 which if it stays like that it will be great. I have had plants in this tank about a yr. I change to Eco complete planted because I figured it would be better suited for plants. My cichlids don't bother them. I do have just started having problems with the heater getting to hot about 82/83 and its causing my bulb plants to rot and die. Is there anyway to keep from doing this I don't want my temp to low I like to stay about 79/80 I do not like having ick in my tank due to cold water.Last edited by Crazyforpeacocks; 04-27-2013, 03:16 PM.Comment
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Ditch the heater. It shouldn't run hotter than what you set it to. Eheim jager, any titanium heaters, or aqueon pro (I'm not too fond of this brand, but a lot of people like it). There's other good brands, but these will be the most reliable (IME), titanium heaters being the best.
If your tap is 7.8-8.0, you don't need to bump up the ph. It'll be fine. Saves you money as well. Plus you won't have to stick with holey rock and go with some nicer stuff if you want.
Also, cold water does not cause ich. I have a cool water tank (68-76F) right now and the fish are loving it. Improper care, stress factors, and low immune systems cause a fish to be prone to ich.
Sent from my spaceship using Tapatalk 2.Last edited by mistahoo; 04-27-2013, 03:20 PM.Comment
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I think the heater I have is a ViaAqua Quartz Heater. So ick doesn't come from cold water I was always told that. I have a UV sterilizer in this planted tank so I should pickup any ick in it I wouldn't think.Originally posted by mistahoo View PostComment
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I had a ViaAqua but it always stayed on. Seemed like I needed to plug it into a temp controller. The UV will probably keep the ich at bay, but it's still possible to get it. Just make sure your fish is eating, not stressed out and they won't get ich.
The cold water giving fish ich is partly false information. If the fish has been acclimated to and has been living in temps in the 78-82F range, having that fish in cooler temps like 65-70 will definitely stress them out which then may cause ich.
It's like putting discus in 65-70F water. If they do manage to survive, they'll definitely be stressed and might possibly get ich.
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The tank has been switched out I put the temp at 79 it seams to be ok now so farComment
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