Cichlid Salts

[Boxcar Muzzdogg]

I recall about a month ago someone made a post telling of how they visited an lfs and the employees told the customer that they needed salt in order to have african cichlids. That of course is bs, but I was looking through an issue of TFH from febuary 2005 and saw in the "Q and A" section a response in which the writer breifly mentioned using special salts in soft water in order to make the water harder for african cichlids. This may be what the lfs was talking about, without properly explaining it.

 

[modernhamlet]

Rift Lake cichlids (particularly Malawis) can generally tolerate a fairly wide range of parameters. However, they do prefer a higher pH, higher KH, and not too low of a GH.

Cichlid salts are basically an expensive way to mimic the chemistry of the lake. This includes trace elements as well, above and beyond salts to adjust the pH, KH, and GH. If you ask most experience cichlid keepers, they'll tell you it's overkill.

If you want to provide something closer to "ideal" conditions than your tapwater can supply, consider a "make your own" cichlid buffer recipe, such as this one: http/www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/buffer_recipe.php

I add a small amount of baking soda, epsom salts, and aquarium salt every water change with good results.