Do CA/SA cichlids need trace elements added?

[THQ]

Hi, I tried looking but couldn't find anything posted in the last 6 years or so on this topic.

Specifically, I came across:

Seachem American Cichlid Salt
http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/AmericanCichlidSalt.html

"It contains all physiologically essential elements such as magnesium, calcium, sodium, potassium, and includes trace components such as iron, aluminum, and iodide."

My tap water is pH 7 and extremely soft (kh/gh about 2 drops each on API). I would be dosing for trace element use (1/2 teaspoon per 30 G) rather than aiming at buffering but I guess some buffering will be a welcome side effect.

I have mainly SA cichlids severum, electric blue acara, heckelii, GT and oscar, but also ellioti.

Has anyone had any experiences with this product or something similar? Do you notice a difference? Thanks

 

[joe jaskot]

Hi, I tried looking but couldn't find anything posted in the last 6 years or so on this topic.

Specifically, I came across:

Seachem American Cichlid Salt
http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/AmericanCichlidSalt.html

"It contains all physiologically essential elements such as magnesium, calcium, sodium, potassium, and includes trace components such as iron, aluminum, and iodide."

My tap water is pH 7 and extremely soft (kh/gh about 2 drops each on API). I would be dosing for trace element use (1/2 teaspoon per 30 G) rather than aiming at buffering but I guess some buffering will be a welcome side effect.

I have mainly SA cichlids severum, electric blue acara, heckelii, GT and oscar, but also ellioti.

Has anyone had any experiences with this product or something similar? Do you notice a difference? Thanks

Do they need them? No. Would they be beneficial? Probably.

 

[Frank Castle]

Hi, I tried looking but couldn't find anything posted in the last 6 years or so on this topic.

Specifically, I came across:

Seachem American Cichlid Salt


"It contains all physiologically essential elements such as magnesium, calcium, sodium, potassium, and includes trace components such as iron, aluminum, and iodide."

My tap water is pH 7 and extremely soft (kh/gh about 2 drops each on API). I would be dosing for trace element use (1/2 teaspoon per 30 G) rather than aiming at buffering but I guess some buffering will be a welcome side effect.

I have mainly SA cichlids severum, electric blue acara, heckelii, GT and oscar, but also ellioti.

Has anyone had any experiences with this product or something similar? Do you notice a difference? Thanks

I just use table salt

 

[ehh]

i personally wouldn't bother with it. I'm sure a couple of those fish come from pretty soft water anyways.

Frank Castle i notice that your sig just keeps getting longer and longer haha

 

[Frank Castle]

i personally wouldn't bother with it. I'm sure a couple of those fish come from pretty soft water anyways.

Frank Castle i notice that your sig just keeps getting longer and longer haha

LOL.....the more you feed them, the more they grow .......and there's certainly no food shortage here

 

[duanes]

It is always best to keep the kind of cichlids that match your water.
If you have soft water, that 's what you are dealt with, and there are many species that will be healthy in it, unless you want the expense and hassle of matching parameters.
I believe one of the reasons you see so many cichlids with chronic conditions such as hole in the head, is they are soft water cichlids kept in hard water, or hard water cichlids kept in soft water. (the stress goes both ways)
Sure, you can add salts with every water change, to make up for it with hard water fish, and buy monitors to assure conditions are matched.
Or run an RO system for soft water cichliids, but there are 3000+ species of cichlids that come from every possible water type, it just takes a little research and finding the right match for your local tap conditions.

 

[RD.]

I agree with Duane.

Any trace elements required for overall health can be gleaned from most commercial foods. All pellets and flakes contain a vitamin/mineral premix. If you really feel a need to add something, a bit of natural sea salt will be far less costly than commercial products..

Analysis: Coarse Grey Sea Salt

Chloride: 51%; Sodium: 32%; Water from crystalization: 7%; Sulfur: 1.12%; Zinc: .87%; Magnesium: .50%; Iron: .38%; Potassium: .26%;Manganese: .026%; Copper: .018%; Calcium: .012%; Silicon: .011%; Micro-Elements: Carbon: .034%; Strontium: .009%; Boron: .004%; Hydrogen: .003%; Fluorine: .001%; Nitrogen: .0008%; Argon: .0005%; Lithium: .0002%; Rubidium: .00014%; Phosphorus: .000112%; Iodine: .00007%; Barium: .00002%; Molybdenum: .000012%; Nickel: .000008%; Arsenic: .0000037%; Uranium: .0000038%; Vanadium: .0000024%; Tin: .0000009%; Cobalt: .00000045%; Antimony: .00000035%; Silver: .00000032%; Krypton: .00000024%; Chromium: .0000002%; Mercury: .0000002%; Neon: .00000012%; Cadmium: .000000112%; Selenium: .0000001%; Germanium: .00000007%; Xenon: .00000006%; Scandium: .00000005%; Gallium: .000000035%; Zirconium: .00000003%; Lead: .000000026%; Bismuth: .000000024%; Niobium: .000000023%; Thalium: .000000022%; Gold: .000000019%; Pico-traces of: Helium; Lanthanum; Neodymium; Thorium; Cerium; Cesium; Terbium; Yttrium; Dysprosium; Erbium; Ytterbium; Hafnium; Gadolinium; Prasodymium; Beryllium; Samarium; Holmium; Lutecium; Tantalum; Thulium; Europium; Tungsten; Protactinium.