Agressive Tank

Question
Hello,  I have a 26 gallon tank with ciclids 2 yellow, 2 orange, 2 african and one other that I am not sure of the name.  This tank is very agressive and recently they ate my alge eater.  I don't believe it was sick but it is hard for me to tell.  It was only 2 years old.  Is there anything that will help with alge in the tank that can live within this agressive enviroment?

Answer
Hi Gail,
African Cichlids must have at least 50 gallons of water with lots of hiding places with rocks, and overturned pots.  You must change your decor every now and then to mix them up so that they will take their mind off killing each other... Kept in a small tank, they will be more aggressive, especially that you have too many of them in your 26 gallon at the moment.  They also are great swimmers, and need place to swim.  (They are fish)  Rocks, and pots take up room in the water, but it is a must for African Cichlids.
I know of know fish that would fit into your tank and not be aggressively attacked.  You will have to clean the algae yourself, which is not very hard to do.  Do water changes of 25% every week, keep your PH at 8.0.
I just want to mention that algae eaters must also be fed.  They do not live on algae alone.  They need sinking pellets, or they starve to death.
I'm sorry to be the bringer of bad news, but when keeping fish we must try and make their life as happy as possible.  We have removed them from their home to make us happy, so the least we can do is make their home a comfortable place to live.
Lynda
Hi Gail,
The african ciclids must have a higher PH.  This can be done in your tank, and keep it stable.  Never use products, as they never work, and make your PH fluctuate which is also bad for fish.  To keep your water alkaline, buy a small bag of crushed coral, and a pair of white nylon stockings.  Rinse the coral well, and pass the nylons under hot water.  Make a small bag with the nylons, and add a small about of washed coral to the bag.  Put the bag in your filter.  The next day, check your PH.  If it is still too low, add more coral to the bag, wait a day, and check again.  Do this very slowly as bringing up the PH to fast could be deadly.  When you reach the right PH it will stay stable.  Africans really need alkaline water, they don't survive in low PH, and this could also add to their aggressive behavior.
I just wanted to add this.