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what coudl i have with a Neolamprologus brichardi in a 30, also how coudl i raise the ph from 6.7

at the lfs there are ph "buffers(if that is the word)" this will raise ur ph.

i cant help u with small lake tanganyikan fishes, but i have the branchiadi(sry for spelling) with frontosas.

if u are getting these fish from a lfs, many have been "use" to common ph's, like from 7.4-9.

Last edited by bettachris at 17-Sep-2005 18:34

Im not sure but you may be able to have some Neolamprologus brevis & a pleco, but I remember reading that birchadi (sp?) are pretty territorial..
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a breeding pair would look nice

You could certainly have a great colony of brichardi in there, and it would be a fascinating tank.

If you want different species, great - just be sure not to add a second brichardi, as they're tough to sex and pairs are, well, evil incarnate when it comes to other fish in their space.

Good additions:
-A shell dweller species (Any will work, but watch for the already-established bric and smaller individuals, y'know?)
-Another rockdweller that's unlikely to crossbreed with the bric, like Altolamprologus calvus or compressiceps
-Non-tangs, perhaps Tiger Barbs (make sure to have at least 6) or a smaller Rainbowfish species

You have other options, but those are a few.

Definitely get that pH up (I'd suggest a homemade cichlid salt mixture or crushed coral in the filter) - brics are hardy but asking them to live in acidic water is asking too much of a fish whose native lake is around 9.0.

-Molly
Visit shelldwellers.com!

Sorry Import, don't know tangs, but I know one way to naturally raise the pH of a tank is to add Texas Holey Rock; ie. Limestone. This will serve 2 purposes for you. 1. raising the pH, 2. giving hiding places to help distract from aggression...thus giving you more options of being able to add something else, that is just as mean and tough.

I know Cali also mentioned treating a tank with Baking Soda, or was it powder...the stuff in the yellow Arm and Hammer boxbut I don't know what site the information is on...sorry...

heidi

"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

I use coral sand as a substrate for my Malawi/Tang setup - that helps keep the pH up.

Another thing to consider is adding a bag of crushed cockle to your filtration - running water through that will harden it and help raise the pH.

Last edited by Stuart-in-UK at 17-Sep-2005 20:49