Mbuna Water Conditions

[wolfwolf]

My tap water is pH7.4 kH 3 and gH 10

I used a cichlid buffer and cichlids salt to get my ph to 8.2, kH 5, gH 24. Water temp is 78F. Is that okay for a proper mbuna tank?

 

[lyotim88]

sounds good overall. i think they'd prefer a kH of more like 8

 

[ckulahci]

if u dont have any or enough yet, you may want to add some permanent buffers such as several rock&substrate types as each water change will have a roller coaster effect on the parameters it seems. those numbers are good but u need to maintain them.

 

[dthoffsett]

Actually, unless you are getting wild caught mbuna, or lake tangs, your tap water is just fine. You might consider putting some crushed coral (in a mesh bag) in your filter (be sure to rinse it very well in tap water during filter maintenance to avoid a bio-film building up, thus reducing its effectiveness) or using a buffering substrate (aragonite, crushed coral, or a cichlid specific substrate) just to keep your gh and kh up, which helps avoid ph swings.

The bad thing about buffers (though I'm by no means against them) is that you have to continually add them, and be sure to carefully calculate how much you need. If you are off you can lead to ph swings, just remember a stable ph level is far more important than achieving a "pefect" number.

 

[wolfwolf]

Well as of today my numbers have settled in at pH8.0-8.2 kH 6 and gH 24. My fish seem content although I did find out that they are tank bred so changing the water conditions may have been unneeded. But if I ever did come across an opportunity to buy wild caught I should be set. Honestly I like the challenge of keeping my tank stable. Once the tank is stocked and decor is settled it still gives me a reason to keep interest.