How to Create a Cichlid Tank

Starting up a cichlid tank involves making sure that you have enough space for the fish, creating a safe environment for the fish to live in and testing the chemical levels of the tank to ensure that the fish do not end up dying or getting sick due to the water's chemical levels. Establishing a tank for the first time can seem like a slightly intimidating experience, however once your tank is set up it will only need regular weekly maintenance to keep it going.

Things You'll Need

  • 20- to 30-gallon aquarium
  • Heater
  • Filter
  • Thermometer
  • Cichlid water conditioner
  • start right
  • pH tester kit
  • rocks or pebbles for bottom of tank
  • several plants
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Instructions

    • 1

      Fill the tank with the rocks or pebbles for the bottom of the tank. Place the plants in the tank and arrange them to your liking. Place the heater, water filter and the thermometer in the tank. Fill the tank with water and turn the filter on. Allow the tank to remain empty for two to four weeks while the biological environment adjusts itself to become appropriate for cichlids.

    • 2

      Place the appropriate amount of cichlid conditioner and start right tank conditioner into the tank. Read the directions to both these products and supply the recommended amount for your tank size. The amount you put in the tank depends on the size of your tank.

    • 3

      Test the pH levels of your tank before you place cichlids in the tank. The pH levels need to be at 7.8 to 8.5 according to Foster and Smith aquatic. Place some of the water in the test tube that comes with your pH testing kit and drop some of the pH testing chemicals into the test tube. Follow the directions on the amount of chemical to use. Compare the color in the test tube to the color on the chart that comes with your pH testing kit to find out what the level of the pH in the tank is. Adjust the pH in the tank by placing more start right or cichlid conditioner in it.

    • 4

      Check the water temperature of the tank. Ideally the temperature should sit at between 72 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit. Turn the tank heater on to heat the water if the water is not at the right temperature. Keep the heater off if the water is warmer than it should be.

    • 5

      Supply several small cichlids to your new aquarium setup. Two or three species of cichlids can live comfortably in the same tank together and a 20- to 30-gallon tank can support two to four pairs of small fish.