African Rift Lake Cichlid Salts- YOUR experience

[StevieTheG]

I’m sure this discussion has been brought up before but… I have been using African rift lake cichlid salt for about a year and a half in my tank now and I wasn’t really sure about it. You always hear mixed reviews about whether or not the salts are necessary along with homemade remedies that people have created to replicate the same function as the salts. Personally, I think my water quality has gone up since using the salts (and yes I know that cichlid salt is not the same as marine salt). Overall the water looks cleaner, clearer, my fish have amazing color, and breeding has increased like crazy.

I want to know what people’s experience is with using any kind of cichlid salt in there aquarium whether it’s good, bad, or had no effect. Thanks!

 

[Metriacliman]

IMO not needed. The fish if you bought them from the LFS were probably raised on near neutral water anyway. I doubt any store will spend a lot of money to raise pH.

 

[ice blue]

All it has done for me was make the male in my tank more aggressive and all the females start spawning with him.

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[swk]

meh....I've used it, and not used it. No real difference IME

 

[a_fin_affair]

It's better if you maturely buffer the water with things like shell gritt or coral rubble in the sump or filter as it is more stable and you don't need to worry about it better to be stable and slightly off than be up and down like a yo yo.
I have 50 kg of coral in my sumps and the water ph is perfect also I add a small amount of eps salts every water change to add a small amoutnt of magnesium to the water works a charm

 

[tiger15]

I don't know of many people add salt to their African tanks anymore. If you start adding salt, you have to keep dosing it with consistent concentraion everytime you do a water change. It's better to use buffering sumbstrate to let the water reach equilibrium with whatever your tap water is than attempt to duplicate the lake water chemistry which you won't be successful anyway unless you start out with deionized water.

 

[f22]

I actually use s small concentration of marine salt and baking soda for my tank, works great.

 

[Spartacus]

I actually use s small concentration of marine salt and baking soda for my tank, works great.

yep, aquarium salt, or morton sea salt

 

[StevieTheG]

yeah i hear that works good but it only adds sodium, chloride, and bicarbonate. it may keep your kh and gh on point but it's missing the extra minerals that african salts can provide. idk, just seeing what others thought about the taboo subject.

and just because the fish were raised in neutral water doesnt change the biological needs of the fish. they may be able to survive but that doesn't mean you're providing the best replicated enviroment you can for them. just my opinion. enjoying the read

I actually use s small concentration of marine salt and baking soda for my tank, works great.

 

[f22]

yeah i hear that works good but it only adds sodium, chloride, and bicarbonate. it may keep your kh and gh on point but it's missing the extra minerals that african salts can provide. idk, just seeing what others thought about the taboo subject.

and just because the fish were raised in neutral water doesnt change the biological needs of the fish. they may be able to survive but that doesn't mean you're providing the best replicated enviroment you can for them. just my opinion. enjoying the read

Haven't had a problem in 12 years. I think it works.


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