Who Gives A Fish Forums

I just got a shell dwelling cichlid from Petco - they said he was the last one, as he killed the other one he came in with. I'm wondering if I should try to find a female companion for him. I think he's a male, judging by the golden edge on his dorsal fin - I read that females have a whiter edge. However, I'm not entirely sure, since Petco just labeled him as a "shell dwelling cichlid." Based on my research, I believe he might be a lamprologus ocellatus, but I'm not certain - some pictures show spots, while others appear yellowish. Maybe those are the "gold" variety, and mine is the standard type?

I've read that these fish don't require a lot of space, and some people even keep them in 5-gallon tanks. Our tank is longer than a 10-gallon, but not as deep, holding less than 10 gallons of water due to the 10-inch height. The footprint is 25" by 9", which should be sufficient, but it still seems a bit small to me. I posted this question on a cichlid forum and was told it was fine, but I'd love to hear your thoughts.

He has plenty of shells, by the way. My questions are:
1. Is this likely a lamprologus ocellatus?
2. Should I keep looking for a female companion?
3. Is his tank big enough for him?

Thanks for your input!

I also have a concern about the substrate I'm using. I chose aragonite sand to increase the water hardness, but the grains seem quite large. I've read that shell dwellers like to dig in the sand, which is one of the reasons I picked this type, but so far, my cichlid hasn't shown any interest in digging. Should I switch to regular aquarium sand and use cichlid salts and buffers to adjust the water parameters instead?

I think getting a few would be a good idea, then you can let them sort themselves out and see which ones pair up. That way, you'll have a better chance of finding a compatible mate for your shell dweller. Your tank seems like it would work for a breeding pair, so that's a plus.

I really appreciate the advice. To be honest, I've been searching for almost a year now and this is the only one I've been able to find. I'm starting to think I'll have to look online for a female companion for him, as local pet stores just don't seem to carry them.

I'm still unsure if I've got the ID right - do you guys think he's a lamprologus ocellatus?

I was wondering about the aragonite sand I used to increase the water hardness. The grains are a bit large, so I'm thinking of switching to regular aquarium sand and using cichlid salts and buffers instead. I've read that aragonite is calcium carbonate, which only dissolves when the pH drops below 7, and even then, it only increases the general hardness by about 1 or 2 degrees. It seems to have a bigger impact on the carbonate hardness, about 3 degrees. As it dissolves, it tries to maintain the pH at around 7.

If I want to increase the water hardness further, I've heard that calcium sulfate (gypsum) and magnesium sulfate (epsom salt) are more effective. You can also use calcium chloride and magnesium chloride, but you need to be careful not to overdo it. Seachem offers pre-mixed solutions like Replenish and Mindwave, which can make things easier. I think I might prefer Mindwave since it's the sulfate version, and sulfur is an important nutrient for some plants.

Another option is to buy gypsum and epsom salt separately and mix them in a 4 to 1 ratio. If you know which African lake your fish are from, you can use Seachem's equilibrium cichlid lake salt, which contains other salts found in those lakes. They also provide mixing instructions to help you match the natural water conditions as closely as possible.

shakinStevens wrote: ↑Thu Aug 31, 2023 4:19 am I was wondering about the aragonite sand I used to increase the water hardness. The grains are a bit large, so I'm thinking of switching to regular aquarium sand and using cichlid salts and buffers instead. I've read that aragonite is calcium carbonate, which only dissolves when the pH drops below 7, and even then, it only increases the general hardness by about 1 or 2 degrees. It seems to have a bigger impact on the carbonate hardness, about 3 degrees. As it dissolves, it tries to maintain the pH at around 7.

If I want to increase the water hardness further, I've heard that calcium sulfate (gypsum) and magnesium sulfate (epsom salt) are more effective. You can also use calcium chloride and magnesium chloride, but you need to be careful not to overdo it. Seachem offers pre-mixed solutions like Replenish and Mindwave, which can make things easier. I think I might prefer Mindwave since it's the sulfate version, and sulfur is an important nutrient for some plants.

Another option is to buy gypsum and epsom salt separately and mix them in a 4 to 1 ratio. If you know which African lake your fish are from, you can use Seachem's equilibrium cichlid lake salt, which contains other salts found in those lakes. They also provide mixing instructions to help you match the natural water conditions as closely as possible.

I'm going to assume he's a lamprologus ocellatus for now, so that means he's from Lake Tanganyika and needs a higher pH. I've bought some Seachem cichlid salts, Tanganyika buffer, and cichlid trace to create a better environment for him. I'll be changing his water gradually, so it's not a shock to his system. I'm also switching to regular aquarium sand, since I've read they like to dig and now I'll be using the cichlid salts to adjust his water.

Thanks for explaining how aragonite sand works - it makes sense now why the pet store guy said it pushed his pH over 9, but I've only gotten up to 7.6. I guess it's because my tap water is softer than his.

I'm going to set him up with water that should be better for him, and I'll do it slowly, so it isn't a shock to his system. It's probably for the best, considering how sensitive they can be to changes.

I'd like to clarify something: potassium doesn't have an impact on pH levels. Can you explain the mechanism behind your claim? In a typical freshwater tank, it's the carbonate concentration that buffers the pH, which is measured by KH. This is why only KH, not GH, affects the pH in your tank.

Let's break down the concept of pH and its relation to KH and GH. pH is essentially a measure of how acidic or basic the water is, with 0 being a strong acid, 7 being neutral, and 14 being a strong base. Now, KH is what we call the buffering capacity - it's the ability of the water to counteract acids and push the pH back up.

Now, I know some folks might be thinking, "But what about potassium? Doesn't it affect pH?" Well, here's the thing: when a free potassium ion forms in the water, it quickly reacts with water to form potassium hydroxide, which is a strong base. This can indeed push the pH up, but it's not the primary mechanism at play in most aquariums.

For calcium and magnesium, the reactions are a bit different. Calcium hydroxide, for example, is a base that will react with CO2 to form a carbonate ion, which is what we measure as KH. Similarly, magnesium hydroxide will react with CO2 to form a carbonate ion. These carbonates are soluble below a pH of 7, which means they can react with acids and neutralize them, pushing the pH back up to 7.

Once the pH is at 7, these carbonates are no longer soluble and won't have any further effect on pH. That's why we use the term "pH buffer" to describe a chemical mixture with a precisely known pH - it's often used to calibrate equipment or temporarily adjust the pH of water in an aquarium.

Now, GH refers to the total concentration of salts containing calcium and magnesium. These can include calcium sulfate, calcium nitrate, and calcium chloride, among others. While these salts can affect pH, most of the time they don't have a significant impact. The GH test will detect carbonates, but it's not specific to them - that's why KH is a more important measure when it comes to pH.

It's worth noting that the GH test is often expressed as a function of carbonate, so a GH reading of 100 CaCo3 means that if all the calcium in the water is carbonate, it would be equivalent to 100 ppm of calcium carbonate solution. However, if you add that much dry calcium carbonate to pH 7 water, you'll only get a solution of about 11 ppm calcium carbonate. It's a complex relationship, but understanding it can help you better manage the pH and water chemistry in your aquarium.