{"product_id":"caribsea-african-cichlid-mix-ivory-coast-sand","title":"CaribSea African Cichlid Mix - Ivory Coast Sand","description":"\u003cdiv style=\"background:#E3F2FD;border-left:4px solid #1E88E5;padding:10px 14px;margin:0 0 14px;font-size:0.95em;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIn-store pickup only.\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCaribSea African Cichlid Mix in Ivory Coast Sand is a premium aragonite substrate built specifically for African Rift Lake cichlid aquariums. Its naturally high calcium carbonate content buffers your water toward the high pH and hardness that Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika cichlids thrive in, while a clean, light sand bed makes their colors pop. No paints and no dyes, just an aquarium-safe substrate that doubles as a water conditioner.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStock up for your African tank alongside our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/squeakysaquatics.com\/collections\/fresh-water\"\u003efreshwater livestock and supplies\u003c\/a\u003e and the cichlid care products below.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"margin:14px 0 4px;font-size:1.05em;font-weight:600;line-height:1.25;border-left:4px solid #1E88E5;padding-left:8px;\"\u003eWhy This Substrate\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBuffers for African cichlids:\u003c\/strong\u003e aragonite naturally maintains a high, stable pH and alkalinity, recreating the hard mineral-rich water of Lakes Malawi and Tanganyika.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIvory Coast color:\u003c\/strong\u003e a light, natural sand blend that brightens the aquarium and shows off vivid cichlid coloration.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDigger and sifter friendly:\u003c\/strong\u003e a fine grain that is gentle on barbels and easy for cichlids to shuffle and rearrange.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAquarium safe:\u003c\/strong\u003e contains no paints or dyes. Rinse, add, and go.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"margin:14px 0 4px;font-size:1.05em;font-weight:600;line-height:1.25;border-left:4px solid #1E88E5;padding-left:8px;\"\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ctable style=\"border-collapse:collapse;width:100%;margin:6px 0 4px;font-size:0.95em;\"\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #BBDEFB;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProduct\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #BBDEFB;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003eCaribSea African Cichlid Mix, Ivory Coast Sand\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #BBDEFB;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eType\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #BBDEFB;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003eAragonite buffering substrate\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #BBDEFB;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBest For\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #BBDEFB;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003eAfrican Rift Lake cichlids (Malawi, Tanganyika)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #BBDEFB;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWater Type\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #BBDEFB;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003eFreshwater, hard and alkaline\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #BBDEFB;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBuffers pH \u0026amp; KH\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #BBDEFB;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003eYes\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #BBDEFB;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBag Size\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #BBDEFB;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003e20 lb\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #BBDEFB;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBrand\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #BBDEFB;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003eCaribSea\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #BBDEFB;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePickup\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #BBDEFB;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003eIn-store only\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"margin:14px 0 4px;font-size:1.05em;font-weight:600;line-height:1.25;border-left:4px solid #1E88E5;padding-left:8px;\"\u003eRecommended Pairings\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/squeakysaquatics.com\/products\/fritz-rift-lake-cichlid-buffer-african-cichlid-ph-kh\"\u003eFritz Rift Lake Cichlid Buffer\u003c\/a\u003e to lock in high pH and KH\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/squeakysaquatics.com\/products\/fritz-rift-lake-cichlid-probiotic-salt-african-gh\"\u003eFritz Rift Lake Cichlid Probiotic Salt\u003c\/a\u003e for trace minerals and GH\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/squeakysaquatics.com\/products\/hikari-cichlid-gold-pellet\"\u003eHikari Cichlid Gold Pellets\u003c\/a\u003e for daily feeding\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/squeakysaquatics.com\/products\/hikari-texas-holey-rock-resin-cichlid-cave\"\u003eHikari Texas Holey Rock\u003c\/a\u003e for caves and aquascaping\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStock the tank with African cichlids like the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/squeakysaquatics.com\/products\/brichardi-lyretail-cichlid-neolamprologus-brichardi\"\u003eBrichardi Lyretail\u003c\/a\u003e or \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/squeakysaquatics.com\/products\/electric-blue-johanni-cichlid-pseudotropheus-johannii-freshwater\"\u003eElectric Blue Johanni\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"margin:14px 0 4px;font-size:1.05em;font-weight:600;line-height:1.25;border-left:4px solid #1E88E5;padding-left:8px;\"\u003eFAQ\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow much do I need?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA good rule of thumb is about 1 pound per gallon for a 1 inch bed, or more for a deeper sand bed. A 20 lb bag suits roughly a 20 gallon tank at standard depth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDo I need to rinse it first?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA quick rinse cuts down on initial cloudiness, though aragonite sands settle quickly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill it really raise my pH?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYes. It buffers toward a high, stable pH, which is exactly what African cichlids want. For that reason it is not recommended for soft-water or blackwater fish.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy is this pickup only?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt is heavy, so we keep it on the shelf for fast in-store pickup rather than shipping.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"CaribSea","offers":[{"title":"20 lb","offer_id":48888787566811,"sku":"00223","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0767\/5209\/3403\/files\/image_89df5c50-277a-4d20-92f8-319baa2bb7c0.jpg?v=1781785161","url":"https:\/\/squeakysaquatics.com\/products\/caribsea-african-cichlid-mix-ivory-coast-sand","provider":"Squeaky's Aquatics","version":"1.0","type":"link"}