Hi all.

Do lake malawi cichlids need sand or can they have gravel?

Thanks

No they don't need sand, they don't need any substrate at all..

Most people use sand as they like to dig in it and spit it around the place (they will still happily dig in gravel) and it is easy to find sands that buffer the water like coral sand etc.

No they don't need sand, they don't need any substrate at all..

Most people use sand as they like to dig in it and spit it around the place (they will still happily dig in gravel) and it is easy to find sands that buffer the water like coral sand etc.

I all ready have gravel in the tank should i put some coral sand in to?

You can add the coral sand if you like, but there are other ways to buffer the water if you don't want to go down that route.. Maybe your tank doesn't even need any buffering at all what are your ph, kh and gh readings?

You can add the coral sand if you like, but there are other ways to buffer the water if you don't want to go down that route.. Maybe your tank doesn't even need any buffering at all what are your ph, kh and gh readings?

Our areas water ph is hard so hopfuly its hard enough for africans. :lol:

have you measured the ph?

some substrates can affect ph

have you measured the ph?

some substrates can affect ph

Will do.

your water will be the same as my water africans will survivve in it but more buffering is neede to bring it up to a more acceptable level i have some of the fine dark grey gravel i have in my cichlid tank left you can have it if you want it will help with buffering , but i suggest you go to redwood and buy a bag of calcite or a few bags of marine mix then you should be sweet

Our areas water ph is hard so hopfuly its hard enough for africans. :lol:

Ph can be high out of the tap but if the KH is low then it will drop very fast as soon as you add it to the tank...