Peat moss can be a great way to naturally lower the pH of your aquarium, which I personally use in my planted freshwater Angelfish tank. You can buy some from any garden center for rather cheap, if they happen to not have any you can buy some online, after that put some in mesh bag (cut off panty hose also works) and place it in the compartment where the filter pad sits so water can flow through it.
If you would rather not deal with peat moss, blackwater extract contains natural humic and tannic acids that simulates water conditions of the Amazon River basin created by soil, peat moss and decaying vegetation. It makes for better water chemistry, encourages spawning, aids the hatching process and tints the water a light brownish yellow color just like the Amazon River, which is pretty cool looking.
Regular water changes are critical to maintaining a good water chemistry for Cichlid breeding. How often and how much water to change is quite debatable. For my fully planted tank I do 33% (1/3) water changes every two to three weeks; for a loosely or non-planted tank I would advise weekly water changes. Ultimately this differs for Cichlid breeding according to the species and each breeder has a different philosophy on water changes, so you can experiment with what works for both you and your fish. I am a huge advocate of the Python water siphon, years ago I had to lug around heavy buckets of water to change the water in my aquariums but this makes it incredibly easy and saves a lot of time as well, it is an amazing investment.

Temperature:
A heater to maintain consistent water temperature is essential for Cichlid breeding. I prefer Visi-Therm Deluxe heaters as you can set the desired temperature and forget about it. With older heaters it was trial and error until you got the correct setting, but that’s no longer necessary. Quite amazing how aquarium equipment has evolved over the past decade.

Diet:
Cichlid breeding also requires quite the diverse diet, many primarily feed on algae and plants while others are primarily carnivorous and prey on smaller fish. With the latter it is important to choose their aquarium mates carefully, more so for Cichlid breeding as that could create quite the debacle. Only healthy fish will readily mate. Furthermore, many female Cichlids such as mouthbrooders do not eat during the incubation, which may in some cases last up to four weeks. Only a fish that is in good health will be able to endure such abstinence from food.

Many foods formulated specifically for Cichlids are available. I personally use Wardley’s Cichlid Advanced Nutrition, it’s higher quality than most common flake foods and seems to hold its own against some of the more expensive foods. Furthermore, it comes in pellet form, which is critical for me. I dislike flake foods for the most part, as they eventually deteriorate into dust and it also creates quite a bit of mess. I find the pellets to be much cleaner and cost effective, the fish also seem to respond to them more as it is easier to see and eat.

Fish should be conditioned before Cichlid breeding, which is to provide a variety of live, dry and frozen foods to get them in top condition for spawning. There is a wide variety of great live foods like tubifex worms, bloodworms, brine shrimp and beef heart. Fish love live foods and they are quite beneficial for them; however, try to feed these carefully to avoid an unbalanced diet. If you would rather not deal with live food, freeze-dried foods are entirely safe, cheap and easy. Feeding your Cichlids a rich varied diet is not only healthier but it will thrive and bring out much better colors.

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