turning community tank into cichlid tank

[WOGGIES]

Hey everyone. I want to turn my current community tank into a cichlid tank. It's only a 40 gallon. So i was thinking of getting 1 bumblebee "hornet" cichlid and 1 blue jack dempsey. Right now the PH is around 7.0 and the tank has been established for over a year. Temperature is around 78 degrees. Before rushing into getting the new fish, i wanted to make sure the tank is set up for them. So my question is what do i need to do? Do i just need to get the PH up to 8.0?

here is a picture of my tank
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[toddnbecka]

To begin with, a 40 gallon isn't the best size for mbuna. Bumblebee cichlids are a large fish when fully grown, and not compatible with South or Central American species in any case. That size tank would be better suited to a mid-size cichlid species with milder temprament like Honduran red points. I have 3m/3f sharing a 38, not even a split fin among them. Not quite as colorful as blue Dempsey's, but much easier to live with.
Here's a link to some potential stocklists according to tank size: [Only Registered Users Can See Links.]
Whatever you decide, research the requirements and compatability of the fish thoroughly before you stock anything. Even then, fish are individuals, so your mileage may vary.

[Fishguy2727]

I think a single breeding group of certain African cichlids could work. Jack dempseys get too big for that tank in general. They also tend to kill most attempted tankmates. I am no longer completely opposed to certain African and new world cichlid mixes, but they have to be done very carefully, from very small size, by an experienced cichlid keeper who can spot problems before they become major injuries, illness, or death, etc. so they are not for the beginner cichlid keeper.

[goleafs]

What are the dimensions of the tank? You would probably want something atleast 3 feet long for a single jack dempsey.

[kaoticice]

Why not pair of convict cichlid? for a more aggressive tank. They look attractive to me, and they breed like hell so its entertaining to a certain extent!! :c12:
for me personally, i'd go for angelfish or discus tank. For the reason that I can add other types of fishes, due to their forgiving nature of compatibility compared with other cichlids.
How about dwarf cichlids like rams and apistogramma's?

In the pH suggestion, i'd like to leave it alone as much as possible. Fishes generally tolerate ranges of pH in my experience. "crushed coral" as a substrate and rocks can naturally increase the pH as well.
Ed