[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Off topic Delete this if you don't want to know about Lake Tanganyikan Chemistry and salts
Hi George
I have a combined Tanganyikan and Malawian system. I keep the pH at ~8.2
with baking soda and pH pucks (cup cakes of plaster of Paris, the home depot
version with calcium carbonate in it), I add Calcium chloride, also home
depot, the white air dryer granules, Epsom salts, and Potassium chloride.
The water volume is large and forgiving when it comes to water chemistry.
When I do a water change I start pitching in hand fulls of the various salts
including NaCl. I usually test the chemistry (pH, kH, GH, and specific
gravity) several hours later after it has had time to circulate and make any
adjustments then.
The thing I have found with tanganikans is that they would much rather
consistent water changes than perfect water chemistry!
Here is a great web site of a like minded aquarist:
http://www.angelfire.com/or2/cichlid102/Tank_chemistry/rift_lake_salt.htm
As to the recipe you are working with I would avoid the sodium carbonate
because it can spike you pH through the roof. Baking soda is much safer and
you can add way to much of it a only get up to 8.2 or so. I would not worry
about the silicates and if you really want it mix your calcium based gravel
with some sand blasting or beach sand. This is the most common substrate in
my tanks because you can get 100 pounds of it for $8 and it is clean and the
fish love it. The other carbonate salts you mentioned are easily obtained
in as chlorides or sulfate and in the case of Epsom's salts it provides the
sulfates naturally present in the lake.
Lets take this off list...
What species are you working with?
Tanks
David
><{{{>-----Original Message-----
><{{{>From: owner-killietalk at aka_org [mailto:owner-killietalk at aka_org]On
><{{{>Behalf Of Morris, Georgec
><{{{>Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2001 5:19 AM
><{{{>To: 'killietalk at aka_org'
><{{{>Subject: Tanganyikan salts
><{{{>
><{{{>
><{{{>Good morning everyone. I've recently received an analysis from the
><{{{>manufacturer of a prepared Rift Lake salt preparation and
><{{{>compared it with
><{{{>the water analysis published in Pierre Brichard's "Fishes of Lake
><{{{>Tanganyika" and found that the proportions of major
><{{{>components don't match
><{{{>very well. The commercial preparation isn't specifically for Lake
><{{{>Tanganyika, so it's not necessarily the manufacturer's f ault but I've
><{{{>started looking into making my own mix. The major components
><{{{>are sodium
><{{{>carbonate, 125mg/liter; sodium silicate,14mg; potassium
><{{{>chloride, 59mg;
><{{{>Magnesium carbonate, 144mg; and calcium carbonate, 30mg.
><{{{>Sodium carbonate isn't a problem, but the silicate isn't very
><{{{>soluble in
><{{{>water and maybe it isn't very important at only 14mg/liter. Potassium
><{{{>chloride is easy to get and dissolve. I think I'll leave out
><{{{>the calcium
><{{{>carbonate since I have crushed coral as a substrate in the tank. I'm
><{{{>wondering what to use for magnesium. Magnesium carbonate is
><{{{>barely soluble
><{{{>in water. Most people use sulfate and Tyrone Ganade
><{{{>recommends chloride. I
><{{{>would appreciate any input I can get from my colleagues out there.
><{{{>Regards,
><{{{>George Morris
><{{{>---------------
><{{{>See http://www.aka.org/AKA/subkillietalk.html to unsubscribe
><{{{>Join the AKA at http://www.aka.org/AKA/Applic.htm
><{{{>
---------------
See http://www.aka.org/AKA/subkillietalk.html to unsubscribe
Join the AKA at http://www.aka.org/AKA/Applic.htm
References: