pH for mbunas?

[mbunaluvr]

I just lost some mbunas due to pH shock from transferring tanks:(

I'm looking forward to getting some more and doing all I can to ensure they will live a long and happy life. I now have an empty tank with a crushed coral/gravel bottom and rocks (cleaned thoroughly). My pH is around 7.5. I've heard that mbunas prefer a pH of around 8. Do I need to raise my pH higher? What do I do if they come from a LFS with a lower pH? Will the normal acclimation process be enough for them to survive the change? I work a lot with trout and know how sensitive they are to pH changes.

Also, does anyone have a good online source for mbunas? My LFS doesn't have much of a selection or much knowlege of these amazing fish! I've been looking at www.liveaquaria.com (http://www.liveaquaria.com) anyone familiar?

Thanks in advance for your help!

[Weezer]

7.5 would be just fine, our's is between 7.5 and 7.7 . I always do a water check on the bag water, normal acclimation, either drip method or add some of your tank water a little at a time for about an hour or so to the bag, a ph of a few tenths wont make any difference, Mbunas like a ph around 7.8-8.2 from what iv read,.Yes that site is very popular...:)

[mee-mee]

:) Mbuna cichlids can have a pH range from 7.8-8.2...we have our pH range at about 7.6...and our mbunas are doing just fine...even when we got new cichlids...acclimation about 45 minutes in the bag in the water and then we put them in the 80 gallon...and they have been doing fine...No you do not have to raise your pH, mbunas will get used to the 7.5 pH...when ya get new cichlids from a LFS...test their pH range water...and if it close to 7.5, the mbunas will adjust...but if it lower than what you have you will have to acclimate the cichlids in the bag they came in with mixing water from the existing tank to the bag...but try and test the bag water first, before you add any water from your tank...about every 15 minutes take some water out and add water from the main tank to the bag....do that for about and hour to an hour and a half...but Mbunas from Lake Malawi can do fine in a pH range of 7.5-7.9...here is a website about Mbunas...
http://www.malawicichlidhomepage.com/aquainfo/malawi10.html

and another about the biotope of Lake Malawi...
the lake article is in the middle of the link..
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/lakes_east_africa.php

and here is another one about Lake Malawi...
just scroll down to the almost bottom of the link and there are a bunch of sites about all the things ya need to know about Mbunas..
http://www.africancichlids.net/links.php

Hope all of this helps...good luck...:) and make sure to test all of your parameters to make sure they are fine==ammonia, rites, rates,...make sure they are fine...I'm sure you already knew that though...

[Ruben Tolon]

some of the 'african cichlid' aquarium substrates will be able to buffer the pH.

[Coler]

as has been said a stable Ph of 7.5 is better than trying to achieve notional perfection, which isn't necessary anyway.

if its 7.5 out of the tap, a good option would a crushed coral substrate which will safely buffer it up quite a bit, perhaps to around 8.

[OgreMkV]

I read that you could add one teaspoon of baking soda per 30 gallons or so to increase the pH and act as a pH buffer.

[jm1212]

you can always add crushed coral to the filter. rockwork also helps, and it is essential to keeping aggression low.