Pseudotropheus Acei (Acei Cichlid) Swimming at the bottom of the tank.

andromaeda

Not sure if this is normal but we just got these little guys and when we move to our new (much larger) house we're going to upgrade the tank. But right now they're babies. We're trying to figure out why they swim at the bottom of the tank.

Also, in the video the darker ones are now lighter like the others. They changed in a few hours (like 4 hours) from the dark blue to that lighter blue.

amberjade

They would appreciate a lot more caves and hidey holes. They are from rocky reefs of lake Malawi. So if you build a nice stack of rock or two, going up as close to the top of the tank as you can, they will be much happier.

Be aware also, if you have more than one male, only the dominant male will display full colour. The rest will be duller like the females.

Is your water hard and alkaline enough for them? That can stress them and make them 'fade out'.
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andromaeda

Yeah the water ph isn't high enough. Everything else is perfect. I'm gonna have to run to walmart in a little while and hope they have the stuff that I need to make the water more alkaline.

amberjade

Use some crushed coral in your filter and add some bicarbonate soda and Epsom salt (1 teaspoon of bicarbonate and 1 tablespoon Epsom salt per 10 gallons). That is a much better, as well as cheaper, way to do it. Don't forget to replace the bicarbonate and Epsom at water changes. I usually change out 15 gallons a week and put a teaspoon of that mix in the fresh water - keeps it nice and stable I've found.
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andromaeda

I can't find any coral anywhere but I have the other two. I went to the pet store and they had some API Proper PH 8.2, it said to put one scoop per 10g. So I did and my readings are still a little low for my taste. (I was hoping for the 8.2 ish pH)

My current readings are:
Ammonia: 0
Nitrate: 10ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Hardness: 75
KH: 180
pH- 7.8

While the pH is better than it was before the buffer hasn't raised it much maybe just by 1.0

Also, the water has become really cloudy and my *gritted teeth* husband put one of the new caves in the tank before washing it (which really angered me) and it turned the water a funky color. Is this bad? If so, help.

amberjade

I don't like the proper ph stuff - it is so unstable. The ph you are reading will be fine. The important thing is to have it stable. The Epsom salts and a calcium source like coral are important because rift lakes have a lot of dissolved minerals. You can also use some limestone rock which will buffer and release those essential minerals.

The cloudiness could just be particles floating in the water. As could the colour. So do small water changes every few days - using the bicarbonate an Epsom salt mix - and keep a close eye on your parameters. And it wouldn't hurt to take the caves back out and give them a good scrub in tank water you've siphoned out.

Let me know how you are going!

Carls
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andromaeda

thank you so much. The tank has since cleared up and so has the color. My fishies are a their vibrant blue again and we just recently got them some tankmates. Really excited to move them to a much larger tank!

amberjade

Great! Really glad it's all settled for you. :)

Rift lake cichlids are so cool - always on the go. I love mine. It's so funny to walk near their tank and see them all up in one corner looking for food. lol
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