What The Tank Style Would Look Like:

 

Are you going with this brand?
I know 2 different people who have bought from these and have been very happy with the quality.

 

What the sump would look like:

 

Type of scape I like but I’d have more wood and would need to experiment with plants with the severums:

 

Just curious.....because all the fish (except African Congo Tetras)(which as also soft water species) are South American soft water neutral to low pH species, that your tap water is soft, and low to neutral pH?

 

My tap water comes out at 6.5 which I think will work well with the planned setup. The amount of wood added may drop that ph also.

For my Africans I buffer with crushed coral and aragonite substrate, pushing it up to 7.0 ish

 

+1 to @dstuer on those source water chemistry parameters you will be filling this aquarium with.
-
Hello.
And, welcome to Cichlid Forum.

Your topic was moved to the South American section of the forum, as you had already breached stocking decisions in your opening post. The aquarium setup section is supposed to be for, well, info and recommendations on the build and setup of aquarium systems.
But no worries! We can cover that stuff (along with those stocking recommendations), right here in the SA section of the forum.
-
So, a starter I have in this discussion is… do you have any detectable Nitrate in the source tap water you will be filling this tank with? If so, have you measured it out to see how much of that stuff you will be dealing with?

 

Oh sorry, new to the group but happy you’ve pointed me in the right direction.

I’m unsure of traceable nitrate direct from my tap. I’ll test it now with my API kit. How would traces directly from the tap impact the tank?

I top up my water changes from tap to bucket then bucket to tank via pump. I add prime to the bucket.

 

2. Where to put the 2 tank inlets from the sump. Do I get holes drilled on the back glass in each corner just below the water line or do I get them coming out of the weir, so more central in the tank? My thoughts are holes in each far corner.

3. Should I get a hole drilled halfway down the back of the tank to assist with easy 50% water change? I’d have the pipe go directly in a drain with a ball valve on. I’d also have a mesh over the hole so no fish can escape through the hole. My thoughts are to go for this but I don’t know anyone else who has this.

My tank has the overflows at the two back corners. At the bottom of each overflow mine has a hole with bulkhead for drain, and a hole with pipe coming up to top of overflow (at the weirs) for returns. I have a hole with bulkhead at left side for quick emptying when doing water changes.

Good luck with your project.

 

2. Where to put the 2 tank inlets from the sump. Do I get holes drilled on the back glass in each corner just below the water line or do I get them coming out of the weir, so more central in the tank? My thoughts are holes in each far corner.

3. Should I get a hole drilled halfway down the back of the tank to assist with easy 50% water change? I’d have the pipe go directly in a drain with a ball valve on. I’d also have a mesh over the hole so no fish can escape through the hole. My thoughts are to go for this but I don’t know anyone else who has this.

My tank has the overflows at the two back corners. At the bottom of each overflow mine has a hole with bulkhead for drain, and a hole with pipe coming up to top of overflow (at the weirs) for returns. I have a hole with bulkhead at left side for quick emptying when doing water changes.

My thought process of having the weir external is that my viewing tank will be totally empty of equipment less 2 black (against a black background) inlets coming from the sump pump.

Do you like the functionality of your hole midway down the tank for your water changes? Do you have some kind of mesh over your bulkhead so no fish escape down the pipe?

 

I would test tap water after 24 hours sitting in a container. With a kh of 7, make sure the pH don't shift on ya.

I like the stock but I would be a bit concerned if you planted anything in the substrate as the goes will dig them up and severums may pick at any ferns or anubias you have on driftwood and/or rocks

 

I’ll give that a go tonight.

Like you I am slightly concerned with regards to plants. If I add any I will glue Anubias and Java fern to wood and see how I get on.

 

I agree with a pH of 6.5, you should be golden.

 

I don't think the ph is 6.5; he said the kh was 7 degree which is pretty high - so there is something off here. I would think kh/gh 7 and 7 would lean towards centrail american fishes.

I have a mix of 8 g. albios and g. ds in a 500 and the digging hasn't been too bad though putting in new plants is all but imposible the established ones are ok.


Also i did not see the species of geophagus mentioned and there is a large variety of behaviors and sizes.

 

Welcome to Cichlid-forum!

 

Thank you

 

Looking good so far….
Be interesting to see what your water chemistry values come up as, once the water has had a chance to sit for 24 hours out of your tap.
Until then….

• I would substitute the Congos with Colombian Tetras. Unless you just have this ‘thing’ about the Congo Tetras, I believe the Blue, Red and Silver Colombians are tougher, faster and will definitely get the job done in regards to that beauty thing for your aquarium.
• As far as the Severum go, it will probably be best if you go with all Heros sp. ‘Rotkeil’, Red Shouldered Severum. And, I would plus those up to a group of five. That species will look and be at their best if kept with more of their own kind.
• For Earth Eaters it may be best to go with more ‘generalist’ tougher/adaptable species that will do well in your source water dechlorinated out of the tap, ‘as is’. Geophagus steindachneri, or Geophagus pyrocephalus, Red Head Tapajos are two such species that would work well. The males of those Earth Eater species are quite aggressive though, so I would stock with a minimum of 4 - 5 females per one male to spread out that spawning aggression more safely in numbers. Similar to starting out with species groups of African Mbuna Cichlids, stocking initially with a group of 8 - 9 juvenile sized fish and then removing excess males as they emerge, is a good way to go.

 

All sounds like good advice. I’ll look into them tomorrow and also see my water results.

I had thought about Colombian so will consider this indeed.

 

Water test results are in and not as I first thought. So glad I’ve done this test now:

Direct From My Tap:
Ph: 7.8
Kh: 3
Gh: 3

Left Out Over Night:
Ph: 7.5
Kh: 3
Gh: 3

Is that my SA plans out of the window?

 

There are a few Geophagines that are suited for higher pH values.
Those from west of the Andes mountain range tolerate less soft water,
and those from southern South America, such as southern Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina.
My previous 7.8 pH and alkalinity allowed me to keep.
Some are below.

There are 3 species of Gymnogeophagus from Uruguay above.
A representative of the Geophagus braziliensus complex below

Another genus from southern South America below is Australoheros, that tolerates higher pH conditions

Normal coloration left, spawning colors right.
One of the perks of keeping Uruguayans, is that they slight require a winter cooldown, so less attention to heating tanks.
I allowed my Uruguayan tanks water temps tp drop into the 60sF (15'C)in winter.

With the realization of your actual water parameters, avoiding soft water, low pH northern S Americans, is probably a good idea.

 

Thank you, I’ll have a look at these options in detail today.

Does my low Kh & Gh impact anything at all?

And how would Heros sp. ‘Rotkeil’, Red Shouldered Severum get on in my water?

 

Yikes!!!
Whew…. Those recommendations I gave you were based on water with a measured PH of 6.5. Your 7.5 PH water DOES change things quite a bit. And while yes, those are a bit lower KH and GH values….. I believe your water is just too hard/alkaline for keeping Amazon Basin originating Cichlids.
Options?

• The southern ‘cool water’ regions of South America have water that is quite a bit harder and more alkaline in chemistry than the central areas. Those Cichlid species recommended by @dstuer above, would be ideal for keeping in your water, ‘as is’ after simple dechlorination.
• Central American Cichlids. With a slight boost to your water with additives for each cleaning/water change, your source tap water will work just fine for keeping those Central American species that live naturally in very hard, highly alkaline water chemistry.

-
Otherwise…. You will be forced to do what a lot of aquarium-keepers do that REALLY want those soft water loving Cichlid species from the Amazon Basin region of South America. That is, to install a large-capacity Reverse Osmosis Filtration System, to strip the minerals and high PH out of your source tap water in support of your (now Blackwater?) aquarium.
Oh, those choices and trade offs, hmmmm?

 

Very helpful and a bit of research for me now. I’ll look into a reverse osmosis system and if not practical for me I’d prefer to change my stocking list than to buffer water each water change.

 

Just to be clear, your water is very soft, and unsuitable for any hard water fish, as is. The pH is alkaline though.

You can harden the water and keep hard water fish, or mix it with RO to bring the pH down and keep soft water fish.

 

Can anyone explain how the RO process would help me. I understand it would bring my Ph down but would it then lower my Gh & Kh? If yes I’d be concerned that my Ph could crash.

Would I need to potentially mix RO water with my tap water or maybe add supplements to the RO water.

I’m thinking of everything I can here so I’d plan to have large pieces of wood in the tank. Would that help at all or am I clutching at straws searching for an answer that I want to hear?

 

I’m still to do another water test in 9 hrs as that will be a full 24 hr period that water has been out of the tap for.

 

Yes RO will dilute everything. You would need to add a little bit of 'salts' (Seachem do a good range) to keep the KH at about 3ish, to keep the pH stable.

 

The genus Heros are generally found pH water below 7, and if accessed from rivers such as the Rio Negro, of Orinoco pH levels between 4 and 5.
If forced to live in higher pH and alkaline conditions they tend to come down with HITH disease as they mature.
If you acquire long bred aquarium strain individuals there is a possibility over 100 years of breeding they have grown a tolerance , and resistance for the hard water bacteria that inflict soft water species in adverse conditions.

As Ichthys said, RO strips everything from the water, and in the process,
RO produces a lot of mineral rich waste water, which could possibly be useful in your African tanks. (to bolster hardness) looking at the bright side.

 

I won’t be putting fish into water that’s not suitable for them so the RO system looks like the way to go for me.

With regards to adding the buffer (Equilibrium/Replenish etc) once I have RO water. Any preference on application? Add RO water and buffer directly into the tank? Or place RO water in a container, add buffer, then add to the tank a few hours later?

 

Add it before you add the water to the tank. The buffers should dissolve quickly... a quick stir then you can add it to the tank.

 

g. sp alto is fine with those water parameters. They are an sa fish and in truth you have soft water - this is what they look like; the males colouring is actually more intense than in the picture and the female is rather plain. They are harem breeders so one of two males with a small group of females. They look mild temp - 75 or so is fine. The one thing i don't like abuot them is wc is not available and there is to my eye a bit of inbreeding. They are not small.

 

Sorry by what is ‘wc’ that you mentioned?

 

In truth if your water is kh 3 and gh 3 any of the common geo would likely work - winemilleri and similar - they just aren't that picky.

 

wc = wild caught... as opposed to fish that have been farmed, where you can't be certain they're not hybrids.

 

Ok, I did think that after I posted.

 

I wanted to make one other comment - there seems to be an inconsistency between your ph and kh value. I would have expected kh degree 3 to have ph closer to 7.

 

I’m testing again 3.5 hrs as that will be a full 24 hrs out of the tap. My reading on the API kit were 7.6 with normal test and 7.4 with high test, I read that that means it’s around 7.5 ph. I even tested with my NT Labs kit and it looked closer to 8 than 7.