Q&A for How to Set up a Cichlid Tank

There are a couple of different ways! You can use coral-based rocks, which naturally give off a high pH, or you can use coral-based substrate (which will also increase the pH). There are also pH increasers; generally, the powdered forms are best since they have minerals in them (as opposed to liquid pH increasers, which have no minerals).

Once your tank is set up and running, get a bottle of ammonia, put it in the water, and test for waste (ammonia and nitrites would be the main things to look for). Over the course of a month, you would test on a weekly basis to see where your ammonia and nitrate levels are. After your ammonia is gone, the nitrate will start to go up—and after that, the nitrate is gone. Your cycle typically takes a month, though every tank is a little different. Once you've reached that stage, it's safe to add a couple of starter fish (fish that are hearty and not too expensive).

You clean a cichlid tank the same way you would clean any other aquarium. Once a month, do a 1/4 of a water change using a gravel siphon to clean the gravel or sand. Keep in mind that different cichlids have different water parameters—for instance, South American cichlids like a soft water with a lower pH while African cichlids like hard water with a high pH. Any algae in your cichlid tank can be cleaned off with an algae scraper for the glass, or you might have different fish that eat the algae and help you keep the tank clean.

My cichlid likes flakes, shrimp pellets and algae wafers. The latter being a treat!

Purchase a pH testing kit from your local fish store!

Yes. They are South American cichlids. They do not do well with African cichlids, because they are small and timid. Also they need soft water, not hard.

Use Eheim canister filters and pool filter sand. It's fine for the fish to flush through their gills, because it's rounded.

It helps lower stress for the cichlids by making it feel like it is in a more natural environment. They like it.

Yes, they can live together.

Yes, sand is ideal. Small rocks or gravel can be swallowed by your cichlids, causing problems.

I use the MarineLand Magnum internal canister filter with the polishing option. I just cleared a tank that was very cloudy from sand in a new tank setup using some water clarifier and the polishing canister. Crystal clear in a day's time.

It's not "bad," but cichlids try to uproot plants and destroy them, so I don't recommend adding them to the tank.

Cichlids prefer higher pH, dH and temperatures than other freshwater fish. Parameters of the Cichlid aquarium should include a pH of 7.8 - 8.5.

Females are typically more bland than their male counterparts. I am not certain if this applies to every type of cichlid, though.

Yes, as long as the pots are purely terracotta and are unpainted. It’s a good idea to clean the pot thoroughly before adding it to the aquarium.

No, food doesn't really make them change color. But there are certain species of fish that will change their appearance as they grow from a juvenile to adult. Also, making sure that they have proper water quality and habitat will make them more vibrant.

Yes, there are some species that aren't too difficult to breed. Good ones for starting with could be Pelvicachromis and Microgeophagus genus, and Apistograma cacatuoides