Black water/African Cichlids.

[Notophthalmus]

I suspect the reason they recommend against driftwood is because it can release tannins, which will cause some problems with your pH and hardness. If your piece has been in a tank before and didn't stain the water, it should be fine. Anubias and java fern are not floaters; you could use most any plant, so long as you are willing to replace it after your Africans eat it.

 

[Lady G]

I suspect the reason they recommend against driftwood is because it can release tannins, which will cause some problems with your pH and hardness. If your piece has been in a tank before and didn't stain the water, it should be fine. Anubias and java fern are not floaters; you could use most any plant, so long as you are willing to replace it after your Africans eat it.

LOL, yeah...I know they will eat them, I lost a heavily planted tank when I first took some ACs from a cousin of mine. I know some have had luck though with plants like java ferns. As for the driftwood, yes it is a piece from my old 150.
So then what plants are they that ppl have floating with the roots hanging down? I just really love the look of it, wish I could remember whos tank it was. I tried looking through old threads to try and find it but OMG, there are sooooo many!

 

[Notophthalmus]

Could be frogbit, water lettuce, water hyacinth, salvinia, spirodela...

 

[Lady G]

Hmmm, well...I guess I have time to figure it all out. Just trying to jump start some info. I just drained the tank I'll be using...now i have to pull the rock and sand out of it, and clean it really good since it was a SW tank.

Oh, which brings me to another question. I have about a bag of LR still..it says on it, it is good for African Cichlids...would it be ok to mix that with some play or pool filter sand?

 

[Notophthalmus]

You should probably 'kill' the live rock first with bleach and rinse all th detritus away; otherwise you'll just have all those little SW creatures dead and rotting in your tank.

 

[Lady G]

You should probably 'kill' the live rock first with bleach and rinse all th detritus away; otherwise you'll just have all those little SW creatures dead and rotting in your tank.

It is the "dry" bag...so it needs seeded to become live I believe it is the aragonite sand/

 

[Notophthalmus]

Should be fine then. The calcium carbonite in the rock will slowly leach out and help to keep your pH, GH, and KH in the preferred range. Limestone and dolomite will also do this.

 

[Lady G]

Cool...thank you!!

Ok now for my next question for this set up. It says to keep them in slow moving water. I had planned on using my HOB along with my canister for filters..would this be to much?

Oh, btw...I don't think I mentioned this is a 55g tank

 

[Notophthalmus]

I don't think it would be too much. If you don't like the flow, break up the currents with strategically placed rocks.

 

[Lady G]

OK...OMG, I'm gettin all excited now!! I should be able to get the sand Saturday to mix in the tank...I will use the one driftwood cause well, I like it...then have to decide which type of rock I want to get...I'm thinking slate but would love some holey rock...to bad my LR wouldn't work!