Cichlid Fry - Aquarium Water Quality

Introduction

Water quality is the single most important thing that you need to get right when looking after any aquarium fish and is critical to raising strong and healthy cichlid fry. You can go deep into the water chemistry and variables involved with water quality however this articles intention is to keep things simple and address only the important variables that you need to understand and test. Today we will look at water temperature and PH and the next article will move onto Ammonia, Nitrate, Nitrite and the natural environment.

Before we go any further and before you are scared off with ‘testing’ if you’ve never done any water testing before I need to let you know this is actually very simple. Water testing kits are available at your local fish store and usually around $50 for a kit that will test everything you need to know. Here are the most important water quality parameters you need to test:

Aquarium Temperature

The temperature of your aquarium should be kept as stable as possible. The average temperature suitable for your fish will vary dependant on the species so do a little research. In the wild, large bodies of water, such as Lake Malawi in Africa have a surface temperature that can vary from 23 to 28 degrees. Keep in mind your tank only has a relatively small quantity of water and unlike in Lake Malawi the fish don’t have the luxury of deciding where to swim. 26 degrees is usually quoted as a safe average. Cichlid fry may benefit from a slightly higher temperature, most agree they will grow slightly faster.

To test temperature you will need a thermometer, a mercury thermometer in a glass tube is cheap and accurate however digital thermometers are safer and still relatively inexpensive. Test the water in a couple of areas to make sure the temperature is consistent throughout your tank. If you find hot and cold patches then you need to increase the movement of water in your aquarium.

Aquarium PH

The PH value of your aquarium should be as close as possible to your fish’s natural environment. The PH value in Lake Malawi, for example, varies between 7.8 and 8.5. And it is important that your aquarium has a similar PH value and that it is consistent. Cichlid fry in particular require a stable PH and they will not thrive in an aquarium with a PH of 7.0. Your test kit will show you how to measure PH and it is as simple as taking a small sample of your aquarium water and adding a couple of drops of chemical then waiting until the water changes colour. You will match the colour to your testing kits colour chart to get the PH value. Also test your tap water to see what PH your local supply provides. Raising and lowering can be done with PH buffers, it is best to have a routine setup where you know you need to add a certain amount of buffer to your water change to keep the PH consistent. If possible do some testing before adding any fish to the tank, significant changes in PH are not good for any fish.

In summary, do a little research into your fish’s natural environment and replicate the temperature and PH as closely and consistently as possible. This will be a big step in ensuring you have strong and healthy cichlid fry.

Good luck and have fun!

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