Tanganyikan Cichlids By Ned Bowers © Ned Bowers 4/19/00

PH 7.5 – 8.5 best to maintain with dolomite, crushed coral, coral base rock &/or oyster shell on either the tank floor or in the filter system

If you prefer you can used prepared buffers such as Kent Cichlid Buffer or Aquarium Systems Sea Buffer….

ATTENTION: Many buffers are extremely strong so use a lighter dose than the directions tell you AND keep away from children

You can use a maximum of 2 teaspoons per gallon of aquarium salt, Instant Ocean, or other forms of regular Sodium Chloride. It is some times preferable to use prepared salts such as Petcetera Aqua stock Rift Lake Salt or Kent Malawi/Tanganyika Salt…..use these products according to manufacture’s directions.

ATTENTION: Salts ONLY come out of the water when you remove water….so when you do your water changes RE-ADD the salt PROPORTIONALLY….

When topping off the tank for evaporation DON’T add extra salt.

Tank size should be appropriate for the species.

Shell dwelling Lamps like Ocellatus and Brevis only need 10 to 20 gallons.

Julies and med size Lamps like Brichardi’s need 30 to 40 gallons.

Frontosas, Tropheus, and giant Lamps like Nkambae should have 75 gallons or larger.

VERY IMPORTANT - see the food paper

Behavior is almost completely unpredictable with almost all species.

I suggest that anyone keeping any kind of cichlid should have at least one small tank also … eventually either a bully, a victim, or a mother will need to be seperated from the community