Sparhawkleo Posted July 1, 2013 Report Share Posted July 1, 2013 hey so I have been talking to someone and they mentioned that I should be using rift salts in my African tanks. now I have had aftricans for a yr or 2 and they have been looking healthy and loving the tank but maybe I should be using them and give them a more natural environment, its all a bit confusing which brand to go with and how much to pay so anyone that can recommend something and not expensive in the long run would be awesome I have got Malawi's of that helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparhawkleo Posted July 1, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2013 or is there other people out there like me that use treated tap water with super cholr etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch.0 Posted July 1, 2013 Report Share Posted July 1, 2013 Check out Tech Dens site, he is the cheapest I found I use the Aquasonic Rift Lake water conditioner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tutters187 Posted July 1, 2013 Report Share Posted July 1, 2013 I use Seachem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donny@ageofaquariums Posted July 1, 2013 Report Share Posted July 1, 2013 Using salts to achieve the correct GH increases your fishes health over the longterm. Africans can live for a decade in top condition if you match their water with the lake they evolved in. In just dechlorinated tapwater you will likely still get 5 years out of Malawi's. Yes they are tough fish, but if you are going to get attached to a pet.......... you want it to be as tough as possible, so it can live for as long as possible! The aquasonic stuff is my choice because it comes in big buckets........ and I go through a lot lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigPete86 Posted July 1, 2013 Report Share Posted July 1, 2013 (edited) ^^^ yup agree Hard water fish (rift lakes are Hard water) are very inefficient at absorbing minerals from the water & therefore require mineral rich water. Rift lake salts provide the proper minerals said fish require to ensure long term health. Basically, putting hard water fish in a non mineral rich environment will cause deficiencies which generally take a while to manifest but will either cause probs eventually or shorten your fishes lives. Opposite for Soft water fish, they're very efficient at absorbing minerals therefore don't require heavy mineral saturated water. I like the Aquasonic salts aswell but I've used Seachem & Science Products salts before & never had issues with any of them Edited July 1, 2013 by BigPete86 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JB Posted July 1, 2013 Report Share Posted July 1, 2013 Ducking for cover from the start here..... but here goes...... I used to use Seachem Tang Buffer and Seachem Rift Lake Salts for years and years and years back when I had 20 tanks running which would add up to a small fortune spent... then one day found out by asking questions that some of the bigger breeders didn't use the stuff. A light went off realising I could spend that money on fish rather than wasting it on stuff "I" didn't need. I now just use a mixture of epsom salts, bi-carbonate soda and marine salt as my "salts" in some tanks and have noticed no difference in breeding and fish colouration. The water I'm getting out of the tap is about 7.6 and moderately hard anyway. In saying that I've never kept wild caught fish, in which case if your going to be spending $$ on those sort of fish the extra cost of adding the branded salts would be insignificant and I'd use it. Sparhawkleo - you said "my fish are looking healthy and loving the tank"... fantastic enough said I wouldn't do anything! and "can anyone recommend something that's not expensive in the long run".... not doing anything is pretty cheap Have no idea of the setup of your tank or filtration but you could always add some crushed coral or shell grit into the filter or into the tank. Just my 2c and a different take on the pro's and con's of using salts. For me personally I see it as money that could be better spent on other things!! More fish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Tech Den Posted July 1, 2013 Report Share Posted July 1, 2013 You could save a dollar or two make a mix yourself. A lot of it is personal preference and if your time poor like a lot of people and myself you just need to weigh up if it is worth the trouble of getting it in big quantities and usually there is left over ingredients that are a little harder the next time. When you look at the Aquasonic Rift Lake ingredients they are:- Sodium Chloride, Sodium Carbonate, Magnesium Chloride, Magnesium Sulphate, Calcium Chloride, Calcium Sulphate, Potasium Chloride, Potasium nitrate, Lithium Chloride, Sodium Bi-Carbonate and Sodium Thiosulphate. For under $6 a kilo with your QLDAF discount on a 10kg bucket you just have to work out if it is worth it for yourself?? What best suits you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JB Posted July 1, 2013 Report Share Posted July 1, 2013 Wow... now that is a fantastic price! You may have even twisted my arm on that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donny@ageofaquariums Posted July 1, 2013 Report Share Posted July 1, 2013 Yep you gotta go the bucket if you are a breeder. Although the empty 1kg jars are excellent for storing fish food in! At its most basic, to make rift lake water, you need to boost the calcium, magnesium and carbonates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Tech Den Posted July 1, 2013 Report Share Posted July 1, 2013 Wow... now that is a fantastic price! You may have even twisted my arm on that Its a funny hobby. Pretty much everyone I ask - "Why did you get into the hobby" and the answer is usually "to sit back relax and enjoy the beauty them" Strangely there are a lot of hobbyists that are slaves to their fish and end up spending more time caring for them then the intended sitting back and enjoying, MTS (Multiple Tank Syndrome) anyone?... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JB Posted July 1, 2013 Report Share Posted July 1, 2013 Well I just did some quick maths thanks to Woolworths online and comparing prices of my home made salts to the prices you have quoted... I'm not going to bother wasting my time anymore when you way up cost/convenience/ease of use! Your preaching to the converted...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ageofaquariums Posted July 2, 2013 Report Share Posted July 2, 2013 I have been selling the 10kg buckets of Rift lake & carbonate hardness Generator from Aquasonic for 10 + years. We sell the majority of it to sydney / melbourne etc.. Takes a long time for the locals to pick up on certain things * no pun intended * Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JB Posted July 2, 2013 Report Share Posted July 2, 2013 <------------ sitting in the guilty corner! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparhawkleo Posted July 3, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 3, 2013 Anyone want to go halves in a in a 10kg bucket from Age of Aquariums cause i probably wont need 10kgs to myself 5 would last me a while hopefully pm me Dean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparhawkleo Posted July 31, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2013 so ingot a 10kg bucket and it says one teaspoon to 7 Lts so in my 3ft tank of 120lts so 17 teaspoons or 1/3 of a cup. now question it also says not to redose without a water change so should I do a water change and add the salts and then when I do a water change do I just add the amount equal to the water I am replacing or the total volume ???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparhawkleo Posted July 31, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2013 [MENTION=1338]The Tech Den[/MENTION] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
efc Posted July 31, 2013 Report Share Posted July 31, 2013 I would only buffer the water you are replacing each water change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PETFISH Posted July 31, 2013 Report Share Posted July 31, 2013 you dose for the volume of water your changing,i mix it and s/chlor in a 200 litre drum and test ph and kh before using it to do w/changes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod Posted July 31, 2013 Report Share Posted July 31, 2013 I have been selling the 10kg buckets of Rift lake & carbonate hardness Generator from Aquasonic for 10 + years. We sell the majority of it to sydney / melbourne etc.. Takes a long time for the locals to pick up on certain things * no pun intended * Perhaps it's just their tap water is softer.....certainly is in Melbourne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod Posted July 31, 2013 Report Share Posted July 31, 2013 (edited) so ingot a 10kg bucket and it says one teaspoon to 7 Lts so in my 3ft tank of 120lts so 17 teaspoons or 1/3 of a cup. now question it also says not to redose without a water change so should I do a water change and add the salts and then when I do a water change do I just add the amount equal to the water I am replacing or the total volume ???? If you do a 30% water change...30% of 120= 36 Therefore 36 divided by 7= 5 teaspoons I like to do a 100% water change twice a year.....full dose again NOTE...that dose probably assumes you are starting with pure water I'd back off a bit.....and don't add full dose at once Edited July 31, 2013 by Rod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparhawkleo Posted July 31, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2013 yeah i thought it would be just the water change percentage but just like to be sure (all i could think of was the argument about water changes do u does the whole tank or the percent changed) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Tech Den Posted July 31, 2013 Report Share Posted July 31, 2013 you dose for the volume of water your changing,i mix it and s/chlor in a 200 litre drum and test ph and kh before using it to do w/changes. Sorry for the delay getting to you Superhawkleo. Petfish has it down pat and notice how he still tests Ph and Kh - I am guessing but would expect why he does that is what comes out of the tap today maybe a little different tomorrow. Looks like the members have been really helpful and given good advise on it too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cichlidbro Posted August 7, 2013 Report Share Posted August 7, 2013 WOW! 100% water change?! Never heard that before! People always talk about not wanting to shock the fish thus the reason to keep things at a 50% change or less. Guess you can make your own rules in this hobby 'cause what works for one might not for the other. I was able to breed Mel. Chipokae in a 46 gallon tank. successfully(FINALLY!) and now the same female is clutching again while I still have the fry from the last clutch in a seg. tank. Didn't knw they bred so often! If you do a 30% water change...30% of 120= 36Therefore 36 divided by 7= 5 teaspoons I like to do a 100% water change twice a year.....full dose again NOTE...that dose probably assumes you are starting with pure water I'd back off a bit.....and don't add full dose at once Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod Posted August 7, 2013 Report Share Posted August 7, 2013 (edited) If you assume your fish are adding toxins to a tank(not just nitrate but other organic waste)....then a 50% water change only removes half....over time the toxins will gradually build The BEST way to remove them all is a 100% water change....A spring clean....no different to adding New fish to a tank Obviously best to remove fish and acclimatise them similar to newly bought fish to minimise stress Sure there are products that claim to remove toxins, nitrates etc, but they wouldn't fix a built up of salts.....but nothing better than New water Try it just as temps get warmer....and get ready for lots of spawning works for me! Edited August 7, 2013 by Rod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
