Stocking Advice

[sumocopter]

Hi,
 
I have recently invested in a Juwel Trigon 190 for a public area at work.  I wonder if anyone fancies sharing their ideas for stocking - something that will catch the eye and entertain people as they wait.  I'm stuck between my old friends the Central Americans and spreading into the world of Malawis.  The tank isn't setup yet so I can do whatever I like with the aquascape but whatever happens I'm avoiding plants.
 
Cheers for any advice.
 
Sumo

 

[KrystaK]

Well as I understand it Central America Cichlids prefer acidic water, while African Cichlids prefer alkaline water. Personally I would test the water at work to see if it's more one way or the other, and if you're like most people you should be between 7 and 7.5. In which case you would have to add crushed coral to make the pH higher, or add peat and bog wood to make the pH lower...
 
As far as what you should put in the tank from either species, I can't help unfortunately.