marto Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 Hi Everybody, I am trying to get my aquarium water suitable for african ciclids. Ph is 7.4 at the moment. Carbonate Hardness 3.( no fish yet) I added crushed shell to the filter that increased the Ph from 6.4 to 7.4 and the carbon hardnesss to 3 over a period of a week, but it doesn't increase any further. What levels should I be aiming at? I like to get the carbon hardness up to get a more stable Ph. What is best to use? Would love to hear your idea's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smidey Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 we need a bit more info, what substrate are you using? is there any wood in the tank etc? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marto Posted July 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 Thanks no wood in the tank. rocks all so called moss rock. apart from gravel nothing else in the tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Afrikan Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 Sodium bicarb based buffer is good to use to increase. Well this is what we have used without problems, as long as used correctly 8) We run coral rubble in the canisters, and have marble chip or coral sand substrate in tanks. For Africans, they appreciate an Alkalinity of 10-18 KH, GH of 12-20, and a pH of 7.8-8.5.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marto Posted July 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 sorry smidey, filter substrate: some biological stuff as bio balls and ceramic tubes and crushed shell. In the tank that fine pebble type gravel . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marto Posted July 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 Thanks, African, gives me some idea. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjury Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 water quality should be good PH and GH should both be high, however no need to go mental on it maybe 7.5+ should be fine.. Heres some reading for you.. lake article http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/l ... africa.php Buffer http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/buffer_recipe.php Reliable answers to pretty much everything you need to know can be found here but prepare to invest (or waste as my wife say's) a few hours into reading it all.. http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/ Good luck glad to see more african keepers, what size tank have you got and what fish are you planning to stock with? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Afrikan Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 That cichlid forum buffer recipe is what we have used and it is excellent, but very much stick to measured amounts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johannes Visser Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 sorry smidey, filter substrate: some biological stuff as bio balls and ceramic tubes and crushed shell. In the tank that fine pebble type gravel . The buffer recipe should only be used when you really have to. You need to try to run the setup without any extra add-ons. Remove your biological stuff from your filter including the crushed shells as that slows down the water flow and fill your filter with dead coral and lime stone rubble and use that as media. Workout your tank water volume and times that with four (as a min) as water flow thro the filter system. A strong good Healthy water flow thro the dead coral and lime stone rubble will increase your pH. Your pH will be effected by the amount of fish you put into the tank. That what I do with my setups with no add-ons with a water filtration of 7 turn over times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Afrikan Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 The buffer recipe is a choice, here in HB the water we have huge problems with in regards to keeping africans really, we have a Ph of 7.5-7.8 and the KH is 3 or lower :-? We have found no amount of coral in the filter, or substrate buffers the water naturally enough and these are in huge Aquis 2400 canisters which huge water flow. This could be the case in other places too around NZ. If you know what you are doing with the buffers, then they are sweet to use. We run coral rubble in the external canisters, lime stone rocks, coral sand or marble chip and this does nothing in naturally buffering the water here.... so next step... buffer recipe, the fish love me for it 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peanuts Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 call me bad, call me good,call me whateva, since i have been keeping africans (3 1/2 years)all i have done is use limestone rock and coral as cave building materials and scattered on the substrate.,all i know is our water comes out the tap at a ph of 6.8.this i know because billaney gave me an almighty wind up one day saying,how can you reset if you dont know what to reset too!.i don,t use any buffering mix at all.all the fish are happy as no major losses,cept for the odd bash.they have good colour and breed as africans do.all i do is weekly 20%water changes.they are hardy adaptable things very forgiving.as long as they seem happy and are thriving,don't worry.it's time to enjoy your fish but in saying that i think i will do a full range of tests to satisfy my curiosity,will fill you in later glenn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firenzenz Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 As per Johannes. HFF sell small bags of coral pieces for not much. What doesn't fit in the filter chuck in the tank, . Don't buffer-you dont need to. They'll be happy as. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Afrikan Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 It comes down to personal preference in my opinion, I have found my fish do alot better since buffering our tap water... colour wise, alot more active. I would like to think I at least try and provide their requirements Not all of our tanks have been buffered in the past, some in the shed still aren't and I can definately see a difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Afrikan Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 Oh and on another note... I do notice that Tanganyikans appreciate it more so than Malawi species yet, they are more sensitive or have been in my opinion and do a hell of alot better buffered. JMF. What species of fish are you looking at keeping marto? 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doch Posted July 5, 2008 Report Share Posted July 5, 2008 did a big vacumm on mine this morning and a 30% water change all parameters are good i also use baking soda to up the ph but i also have limestome in the sump Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doch Posted July 5, 2008 Report Share Posted July 5, 2008 BTW ryan demisone are at it again more fry in the tank had 6 last time and noticed more little fellows again this morning but i want the peacocks and yellows to get at it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nemines Posted July 5, 2008 Report Share Posted July 5, 2008 i find the best way to keep the kh etc high is to do 50% water changes weekly, gravel siphon, feed less, use coral spheres mixed with gravel and put some limestone material like shells in ur filter. i also have 10x turnover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doch Posted July 5, 2008 Report Share Posted July 5, 2008 i have used crushed oyster and pipi shell in my sump works well and keeps ph stable Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjury Posted July 5, 2008 Report Share Posted July 5, 2008 dohc Glad to hear the dem's are going well im sure the peacocks and yellows wont be too far behind If your water change water has no kh or a low kh level in it then heaps of large water changes will change nothing Thats where the baking soda is helpful.. The best way is to have the media in the tank but if it doesn't work you can try other things, personally if it was over 7 and the fish were happy I would leave it its been ages since I even tested my ph and I don't add anything to my tanks everything is happy, have africans and even dwarf cichlids breeding in tap water.. All africans have a piece of limestone or some crushed coral in their tanks but don't know if it does anything should really calibrate the ph meter.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marto Posted July 5, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2008 Thanks very much ,all of you. Our hobby is well alive and it's great to know that one can tap into all this experience. What I expected came through: different opinions; what works for one doesn't work for others. Never mind with the reference to some very usefull articles I feel I can work something out. Some fish I am planning to have: some electric yellows, sciaenochromis fryeri, possible aulonocara hansbenschi. Haven't made up my mind completely yet. Open for comments! Tank size: 240 ltr. You are a great bunch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doch Posted July 5, 2008 Report Share Posted July 5, 2008 i have done water changes with nothing added fish are quite happy they love the new cold water as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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