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Re: cichlid plant tanks

> I just converted one of my planted tanks to an East African Rift tank (Lake
> Malawi) by upping the pH, and KH and putting in more rocks.  Currently the
> pH = 8.0, KH = 14, and GH = 19.  I still inject CO2, though very little can
> be dissolved - 4ppm, max.

What do you mean "little" can be dissolved? To maintain that high pH yes.
But if you added enough CO2 to get the pH to drop to 7.2 to 7.4(this would
give you a nice range for CO2). This fish will be quite fine. Check out the
various pH reading from different parts of the lake. It's not all one pH, it
varies a large amount(some parts drop down to gasp! 7.4 -7.6!). You still
have all the minerals(lots of K+, SO4 etc I hope?) since high GH has little
effect on the plants it's only the pH that affected here. These most likely
are not F0 wild stock but rather tank raised. Some Cypri's,Xeno's, etc and
other Tangy's need a good acclimation period but they do fine and are about
the most touchy of the rift fishes. I've had some F0's in planted tanks.
They faired fine. Ate and got fat with good color. Some are now F2's.
The bigger issue is the GH for those fish and a pH above 7.0.
 
> The plants are doing fine.  The val, swords, and cabomba start to pearl an
> hour after the lights come on.  The anubias and jave fern are the same as
> ever.  The sunset hygro, rotala indica, and ludwigia are doing great.  The
> bacopa monnieri seems to be doing better with the high pH, KH, and GH.
> 
> So far the fish, primarily herbivorous mbuna, have not eaten the plants nor
> uprooted the plants with their digging.  It will be interesting to see if a
> heavily planted tank can also be an East African Rift Tank.

Are they small? Wait awhile:)
 Some plants will be fine but not all of them. I like the non digging fish
and the big Hap predators. Julie's, Lamp's and smaller also make great plant
tank fish. Mbuna are going to trash most planted set ups. Attachment and
pots etc work well but some fish cannot be denied. Floating water sprite is
nice though. Had it in all my old AF tanks before I really got into plants
or driftwood.
Regards, 
Tom Barr
> 
> Best Regards,
> 
> Roger Gordon