Cichlid Essential

[sic0198]

I bought some stuff called cichlid essential, it's by kent freshwater. It's a water conditioner, I think it's supposed to add nutrients etc to the water. Anyway it's for Africans [didn't know this until I got home] anyway I wanna use this for my convicts, can I?

 

[duncs]

As far as I'm aware that stuff just buffers the hardness and possibly pH of your water temporarily. I'm sure it'd be alright with your cons though personally I wouldn't advocate the use of a chemical to do such a thing. You could try using coral gravel as filter media or something?

 

[Colin_T]

you can use it if you like but convicts don't need it. Take it back to the LFS and buy some fish food or get a credit note and use that latter on.

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

I think all those trace element products are useless, and chemical buffers are even worse. If you measure a little wrong, or something goes bad, your Ph can change radically and thus result in dead fish.

 

[sic0198]

I thought it just added things to the water things that;d benefit the Cons.

 

[Aphotic Phoenix]

Convicts are Central American cichlids...and granted they are fairly hardy fish, but using that product won't be doing them any favors. Products like that are designed for fish that come from water with much higher TDS than CA cichlids have evolved to live in. Doing regular water changes (which should be done anyway) will replace minerals unless you have insanely soft water. You'd be doing both you and your fish a favor by returning that product, and spending it on something else.

 

[LosC519]

Get your Cons some NLS food and ClorAm X water conditioner, the best stuff around.