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Tanganyika/Malawi/plants/salt mixes
Daniel (1/20) asked about salt making at home:
Roy (1/20) asked if it were possible to maintain high pH w/ CO2
and a kH>8:
Mark (1/21) also asked about Tanganyika ciclhid and plants:
Daniel, I've got a 55G with Neo. brichardi and Labidochromis
caeruleus (yellow labs). The brichardis are Tanganyikans and the
yellow labs are Malawian. I keep my tank at 76F, 10dH, 15dK, pH
8.2-8.3. My tap water is 1 dH and 1dK, so I definetly have to
amend it. From my observations, 1/4 tsp baking soda to 3gal will
give ~3.3dK (60ppm). So I usually add 1 tsp (+ a pinch) /3 gal for
water changes and that sets my alk right. The pH of 1/4-1 tsp in 3
gal is the same at 8.3. I add MgSO4 to get the Mg ~ 30ppm and
CaCl2 to get the Ca ~ 25ppm. Tanganyika has the highest
hardness and alk, so I maximized it for the brichardis, but the labs
love it, too. I think Malawi is about half the values of Tanganyika,
and even lower for Victoria. Tanganyika had more Mg vs. Ca.
MgCO3 is a major player in the Tang. lake makeup. I don't add any
NaCl, I get ~150ppm of Na from the baking soda, and don't want
anymore, and get plenty of Cl- from the CaCl2. Nitrate is never
limited (15ppm), so I add K2SO4 to get my K ~ 20-30ppm.
Roy and Mark, I agree with George Booth about the plants, use
slow-growing, hardy ones. I keep anubias nana and coffeofolia, lots
of Java ferns, and Java Moss in with my Africans. They don't mess
with any of them, and the plants seem not to mind the 'liquid rock'
conditions. I keep small marble chips (1/2 lb) mixed with my gravel,
which is brown Tex blast size (2-3mm). That's the only outside
source of CaCO3 I use. I use compressed CO2 in my soft, acid
plant tank (dH 3.5 dK 4.5 pH 6.6), but I like the slow growing plants
with the cichlids. It's a plus they're tough, too. Be sure to use lots
of flat rocks with many, many caves and hiding places. The more
the merrier, those little boogers spend all day exploring and setting
up territories. Plants are used as a bkg. enhancers or as territory
dividers. Flower pots with holes drilled in the sides (3/4"-1") make
great hide-and-seek spots. Gotta love them African cichlids!
Jamie <"\\\><