anyone use buffers, salts, epsom salt, additives?

[eklikewhoa]

tested my frontosa tank today and wasnt really satisfied with the numbers so i decided to add some seachem tang buffer and wanted to know if anyone else here do the same for their cichlids or for any tank. what do you guys use and how has it worked out for you? just wanted some local opinions since most of us start with basically the same water from the tap.

my numbers as of this morning....

ph 7.8
kh  8=161.1ppm
gh  12=214.8ppm
amonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 10ppm


i use aquarium salt in my tanks and today is the first day i dosed with the seachem buffer so i did a little less than half dose to bring the numbers up slower. really worried cause i am really weary about adding stuff to change the parameters and wanted to go with the homemade buffer recipe but opted for off the shelf stuff so i dont mess anything up. hopefully it all goes well cause if it doesnt i think my clown loaches would be first to go.  :(

[Superdave]

Re: anyone use buffers, salts, epson salt, additives?

Hi there,
This is going to sound really unprofessional, but I'll tell you what I do anyway...  I use table salt and baking soda and my fish have been doing great for 2.5 years now.  They breed constantly and look beautiful.  If it didn't work, I'd spend the money on the expensive buffers and salts, but it does work!  My current parameters are pH = 8.2, nitrate, nitrate and ammonia = 0, don't know the water hardness, but it's definitely on the hard end.
My recipe is 1 tablespoon of salt per every 5 gallons of water and 1 tablespoon of baking soda for every 20 gallons of water.
With the salt and pH, you have to do it slowly (I'm talking weeks and months here, not days) so the fish can adjust the salt content in their bodies.  If you do water changes every 2 weeks, then just add it to the new water (should be 20% of the tank capacity, right?) and after several changes the salt and pH will gradual work up to proper levels.

[eklikewhoa]

Re: anyone use buffers, salts, epson salt, additives?

well,,, this is the buffer recipe i was referring to which isnt too far from what you are using other than the table salt.

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/buffer_recipe.php

[ItsDubC]

Re: anyone use buffers, salts, epson salt, additives?

Like u did previously, I only add aquarium salt to mine in the hopes of keeping my fish healthy and happy.  Also, the only rocks I use are Texas Holey Rock, which are supposed to up the pH a bit and stabilize hard water by slowly but continuously releasing calcium carbonate into it.  I was gonna try adding baking soda to up my kH, as I've heard this brings out better coloration in Tangs, but I haven't started that yet.

I know my pH also hovers around 7.8, but I haven't tested the other parameters in a long time.  Maybe I'll put that on my to-do list, along w/ checking how long Jewel of the Rift is like I said I would  

[SCOTT]

Re: anyone use buffers, salts, epson salt, additives?

I also use salt and baking soda. My levels differ slightly from what Dave does, but then I maintain 8.4 rather than 8.2. As far as I am concerned, why waste the money when baking soda is so cheap and effective.
Ps. if using table salt, be sure to use one that has no additives, ie. iodine or anti-caking agents.

[eklikewhoa]

Re: anyone use buffers, salts, epson salt, additives?

Like u did previously, I only add aquarium salt to mine in the hopes of keeping my fish healthy and happy.  Also, the only rocks I use are Texas Holey Rock, which are supposed to up the pH a bit and stabilize hard water by slowly but continuously releasing calcium carbonate into it.  I was gonna try adding baking soda to up my kH, as I've heard this brings out better coloration in Tangs, but I haven't started that yet.

I know my pH also hovers around 7.8, but I haven't tested the other parameters in a long time.  Maybe I'll put that on my to-do list, along w/ checking how long Jewel of the Rift is like I said I would  

its 57mins. i googled it and amazon has some for sale ranging from $37-$60

[Mark]

Re: anyone use buffers, salts, epson salt, additives?

I use table salt (try not to get iodine but dosent seem to harm fish) this might sound stupid but whats the baking soda for.

[eklikewhoa]

Re: anyone use buffers, salts, epson salt, additives?

I use table salt (try not to get iodine but dosent seem to harm fish) this might sound stupid but whats the baking soda for.

i posted a link up above and it pretty much describes whats what. basically its for raising ph.

[eklikewhoa]

Re: anyone use buffers, salts, epson salt, additives?

ok, i started to raise the ph some and the stuff made the tank cloudy but it all settled now and back to crystal clear. i have been keeping an eye on the clown loaches i have in the tank cause i figure if anything in there is going to show side effects then it would be them but the only thing i have notice is a darkening of color!!! all of the fish have darkened in color quite a bit and i noticed it a lot in the julidichromis malieri cause before there was a really dark one and a light one now the dark one is almost black and the lighter darkened where there is black.



monitored it throughout the night and it went from the 7.8 and it is now 8.0 so i think im satisfied with the slight change



so now it reads:



ph 8.0

gh 12dgh  -  214.8ppm

kh 11dkh  -  196.9ppm

ammonia  0

nitirite  0

nitrate 10ppm

[geoff_tropheus]

Re: anyone use buffers, salts, epsom salt, additives?

In Pasadena the water out of the tap is

pH 7.8
KH 6 dh
GH 18 dh
Nitrite 0 ppm
Nitrate 0 ppm
Ammonia 0.25 ppm

I add 5ml (teaspoon) of Baking Soda per 10-15 gallons.

Baking soda alone will put you to about 8-8.2, and you can add as much Bakinsoda you like, I try to keep around 12-18 dH for my KH value.

If you want to have a pH above 8.2 you need to add salts such as Seachem Tang buffer or Kents Tang Buffer.  With these salts you can reach about 9-9.4

It has been my experience that higher pH and harder water does bring out better color of the Tangs.

[eklikewhoa]

Re: anyone use buffers, salts, epsom salt, additives?

thanks geoff,

im using seachem tang buffer right now and slowing trying to get the ph up, i also added epsom salt too. so you keep your trophs/tang at ~8ph?

[geoff_tropheus]

Re: anyone use buffers, salts, epsom salt, additives?

I keep my Tropheus in 8.0-8.2

[eklikewhoa]

Re: anyone use buffers, salts, epsom salt, additives?

i have gotten my water to be a steady 8.2-8.4 and the fish seem to be responding to it really well, the moba's in there almost seem fluorescent/neon blue and the clown loaches dont seem bothered by it.
the yellow calvus i have in there is showing some good coloring as well so i think im satisfied with it now.

thanks for all the replies everyone.