# question about buffers/water chemistry for african cichlids



## Mferko (Jun 8, 2010)

ive been using the malawi buffer made by KENT just whenever i do water changes 5mil/10gallons
i dont bother adjusting it much during the week cuz i do 50% changes every weekend, sometimes on wednesdays too, and dont want to stress the fish constantly raising kh and then changing.

I was wondering if there is a different product that will just hold the hardness at the level africans like so i dont have to constantly add the kent stuff and worry about too large of a change at a time?? would api proper ph 8.2 be any better? i heard that stuff can kill plants tho by neutralizing heavy metals... or alternatively, if it is even necessary to be adding the buffers all the time? some forums say to just not fight the ph because a more stable environment is better than a constantly shifting one.

what products do you guys use (if any?) and what kind of WC/buffer/additive regime do you use?


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## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

Most forums don't have our Vancouver water. Adding the appropriate amount of buffer each week with water change is still your best bet. Some people still believe in using crushed coral in your filter or in the aquarium but it will not do much for your hardness if anything. Powdered buffers over liquids tend to go further.
Fluctuating hardness is much safer then Africans in soft water that's for sure.


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## TCR (Jul 13, 2010)

What about soft
water fish in hard water? My tap water is 7.8 and that's multiple test with 2 diff brands of test kits


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## Mferko (Jun 8, 2010)

Rastapus said:


> Most forums don't have our Vancouver water. Adding the appropriate amount of buffer each week with water change is still your best bet. Some people still believe in using crushed coral in your filter or in the aquarium but it will not do much for your hardness if anything. Powdered buffers over liquids tend to go further.
> Fluctuating hardness is much safer then Africans in soft water that's for sure.


can you recommend a good brand of powdered buffer? is it true that the api one neutralizing heavy metals will kill plants?
do you need the cichlid chemistry stuff by kent on top of buffer?

with this kent liquid stuff, if i folow the directions and add the max every night to try and get it up to the 200ppm area, it takes pretty much until i do a water change, and the water change really brings it down ALOT and its like startin all over. i want something better at holding the hardness/ph during water changes if possible.


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## ngo911 (May 19, 2010)

I use Malawi/Victoria Buffer from Seachem Seachem. Malawi/Victoria Buffer to raise KH. For my tank, 1tsp into ~55g will raise the KH by ~1dKH. It will also increase the pH to 8.0-8.2. This is starting from nearly RO tap water, measuring 0dGH and 0dKH.

I also use Cichlid Lake Salt from Seachem Seachem. Cichlid Lake Salt to raise GH. Again, 1tsp into ~55g will raise the GH by ~1dGH.


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## Mferko (Jun 8, 2010)

ngo911 said:


> I use Malawi/Victoria Buffer from Seachem Seachem. Malawi/Victoria Buffer to raise kH. For my tank, 1tsp into ~55g will raise the kh by ~1dKH. It will also increase the pH to 8.0-8.2. This is starting from nearly RO tap water, measuring 0dgH and 0kH.
> 
> I also use Cichlid Lake Salt from Seachem Seachem. Cichlid Lake Salt to raise gH. Again, 1tsp into ~55g will raise the gH by ~1dGH.


didnt realize you had to raise them both separately

my tester tests both? wth

now that i looked back at the kent bottle it only adjusts KH, i guess i need to get the stuff you mentioned.

sucks that my test kit tests for both and not individually

and have u tried this? http://www.bigalsonline.ca/BigAlsCA/ctl3664/cp18146/si1317267/cl0/seachemcichlidtraceelements500ml


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## ngo911 (May 19, 2010)

I had though about getting the Trace Elements but decided against it because many of the elements were in a gH booster I use for my planted tank, so I just put a little bit of that in the tank as well. BTW, JL had the best prices that I could find locally for the Malawi/Victoria Buffer and Cichlid Lake Salt.


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## Mferko (Jun 8, 2010)

ngo911 said:


> I had though about getting the Trace Elements but decided against it because many of the elements were in a gH booster I use for my planted tank, so I just put a little bit of that in the tank as well. BTW, JL had the best prices that I could find locally for the Malawi/Victoria Buffer and Cichlid Lake Salt.


i think i might just order from big als online and get the big containers


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