New to cichlids

[Smokefire1]

A bad ich outbreak wiped out my entire community tank I've been wanting to get a cichlid tank for awhile figured it was a good time to switch it's a 65 gallon tank with live plants right now my water is ammonia 0 nitrate around 20ppm nitrite 0 hardness around 200 alkalinity around 130/140 ph is 7.7 right now I have 2 peacocks , a maingano, a female auratus, and a kalingano there is also a grey bichir and a yoyo loach in there for now just looking for any tips or advice I've been trying to soak up as much knowledge as I can

 

[Tifftastic]

Best advice would be to get the bichir and the loach out and start slowly upping the pH to about 8. You can use baking soda to buffer or a cichlid buffer from a shop with a crushed coral substrate. The cichlids can live in a neutral pH, and do really well, but you'll get really great colours and behaviours when the pH is closer to what they live in in the wild.

I'm not familiar with the common name of kalingano, so I can't offer too much advice on your stocking. But the auratus is going to be the boss of that tank in a very short time. I would suggest cramming the tank full of rocks and hiding spots, get as many as you think you need, and then double that. Also, be prepared for fights. Having melafix on hand will be helpful, as it does help speed up the healing process. That's the other reason for getting the bichir out, his fins will likely be shredded in short order.

 

[Smokefire1]

Kalingano is what the lfs had on the tank it's a nimbochromis

 

[dudley]

It is probably a Nimbochromis livingstonii based on the name from the LFS, Kaligono is just the name the local people call it due to its hunting method. Definitely post a pic of the fish for confirmation.

BTW, this fish can get up to 10" long and feeds on smaller fish so you may want to return it to the store!

 

[Smokefire1]

 

[Smokefire1]

Sorry about the pic quality kinda hard to catch him still

 

[dudley]

Pics are good enough, it looks like a Nimbochromis venustus and this fish will still be a problem when mature.

 

[Smokefire1]

I'm hoping I can trade him to a smaller local store next time they get some synodontis cats in hard to find good cichlids locally had to travel to get the ones I have