I've been looking into setting up a cichlid tank and have not been able to find any plants that can handle the high ph. Does anyone have any suggestions ? According to most web sites the proprer ph for the majority of plants is 6.5-7.0.
plants for cichlid aquarium
- Thread starter blue demasoni
- Start date
you are after an African (old world) Cichlid tank? New World (South American) Cichlids come from softer, more acidic waters. In which case the number and types of plants that would be good is just huge.
For a higher pH tank think along the lines of; Potamogeton, Anacharis, Elodea, java fern, Najas, many anubias, Egeria, Vallisneria, Some swords, Ceratophyllum and Myriophyllum. These are all plants that should do okay in higher pH environments.
My concern would be diet management with some of the africans in a planed tank.
For a higher pH tank think along the lines of; Potamogeton, Anacharis, Elodea, java fern, Najas, many anubias, Egeria, Vallisneria, Some swords, Ceratophyllum and Myriophyllum. These are all plants that should do okay in higher pH environments.
My concern would be diet management with some of the africans in a planed tank.
Even a couple of the crypt species would do well in higher ph. I'll have to check where I saw that info to know which ones.
Tom Barr(plantbrain) takes a plant expedition to florida and finds crypts growing in the liquid rock spring waters there. My understanding is that there is a wide range in the water paramenters over the range of distribution of crypts.
Tom Barr(plantbrain) takes a plant expedition to florida and finds crypts growing in the liquid rock spring waters there. My understanding is that there is a wide range in the water paramenters over the range of distribution of crypts.
Even without the "proper ph", plants will adjust over time and should not have much issue. I have not had any adverse affects with growing plants in 8.4PH for Africans. They include Onion Plant (gets VERY huge), Red wendtii, anacharis and several types of anubias and some others I cant think of.
In 7.8-8.0 PH I have grown Asian Ambulia (Limnophila sesiliflora), Red Jungle Vals (Vallisneria gigantea v "Red"), Itialian Vals (Vallisneria spiralis), Cardinal Temple (Alternanthera cardinalis), Hornwort(Ceratophyllum demersum), Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia), Amazon Sword (Echinodorus amazonicus). All seem(ed) to do fine.
Something to consider with Africans is they want like hard water - plants really dont. But most plants I try do well - for the most part - in dGH 20+ and dKH 16+.
Further, alot of cichlids are diggers so if you do not account for this, they will uproot plants. Plants that attach are good plus those that develop root systems quickly are good. Stem plants tend to get uprooted a lot. I have underground caves and tunnels and my digging africans do not bother my plants much.
Now if you have SA cichlids, you should have no problem with plants because of the lower PH.
Good Luck
Aries
In 7.8-8.0 PH I have grown Asian Ambulia (Limnophila sesiliflora), Red Jungle Vals (Vallisneria gigantea v "Red"), Itialian Vals (Vallisneria spiralis), Cardinal Temple (Alternanthera cardinalis), Hornwort(Ceratophyllum demersum), Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia), Amazon Sword (Echinodorus amazonicus). All seem(ed) to do fine.
Something to consider with Africans is they want like hard water - plants really dont. But most plants I try do well - for the most part - in dGH 20+ and dKH 16+.
Further, alot of cichlids are diggers so if you do not account for this, they will uproot plants. Plants that attach are good plus those that develop root systems quickly are good. Stem plants tend to get uprooted a lot. I have underground caves and tunnels and my digging africans do not bother my plants much.
Now if you have SA cichlids, you should have no problem with plants because of the lower PH.
Good Luck
Aries