Cichlid tank kh and GH supplements

[lidder_b]

1) I just wanted to know how many of the cichlid keepers are measuring Kh and Gh on a regular basis?

2) How many are adding buffers and salts with every water change? And if you are which ones work the best.


I have read many of the little treads stating the importance of adding buffer and salts. I have also talked to a few people that doesn't mess with the natural chemistry of their aquariums.


Right now I have in one aquarium aragonite sand and in the other crushed coral.

[Vman]

For my africans I do a mixture that I learned from a known African breeder. It consists of
1Tbsp Epsom salt/10 gallons
1Tbsp Marine/10 gallons
1Tsp Baking soda/10 gallons.
I also use Crushed coral/Aragonite in both tanks.My water is very hard. The water changes I do at 50% weekly.

[Rastapus]

Nothing wrong with saving money but baking soda is not very water soluble and can be unstable when it comes to its effects on pH.

[lidder_b]

what else can be used instead of baking soda?

[mdwflyer]

I check my african water parameters weekly. Add seachem equilibrium/ alkaline buffer/ cichlid salt, same small amount every water change.

[Rastapus]

I check my african water parameters weekly. Add seachem equilibrium/ alkaline buffer/ cichlid salt, same small amount every water change.

Both the Cichlid salt and Equilibrium raise your GH. Unless you have plants in there just using the salt would suffice with the alkaline buffer.

[Rastapus]

what else can be used instead of baking soda?

Alkaline buffer and Aquarium Salt. There are Cichlid specific buffers but a lot of that is just clever marketing. Virtually same products doing the same action.

[rich16]

Ditto with Mark (mdwflyer)...I use Salt and Alkaline Buffer when doing weekly water changes / parameter testing. I also use crushed coral substrate to (slightly) buffer the pH

[hp10BII]

I keep a few different species of Tanganyikan cichlids. I use Seachem products, Cichlid Lake Salt and Tanganyikan buffer. The Tang buffer can raise the pH higher than baking soda or regular buffers, between a range of 8 to 9.

I've used epsom salt, marine salt mixtures before with success, but I just got a new tank of Tropheus juveniles and I want to see if there's much difference to the homemade mixture.

[lidder_b]

anyone know what is in the sea chem buffer? Is it just calcium carbonate?


I to bottles of liquid supplements. One is nutrafin african cichlids conditioner - it says it is for increasing GH ( it has CaCO3 in it)

i have another thing that says KH booster - when you look at the ingredients it also say it has CaCO3 in it.

So would Ca be increasing the gH and the CO3 from this increase the kH?