# Can I use my reef salt?



## GQ22 (Nov 3, 2009)

For Malawi Mbuna cichlid tank? also what should the specific gravity be?


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## smellsfishy1 (May 29, 2008)

Do you mean adding marine salt to the water?
If so, why do you want to add it, what is the reasoning?
I have never really heard anyone being concerned with or measuring specific gravity in freshwater systems.


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## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

Lake Malawi is a freshwater lake... Freshwater has an approx specific gravity of 1.0000 (temperature varies it very very slightly)...

Some people do put some slight measure of salt into fresh water with belief it aids in disease prevention...

"Brackish water" is defined (by at least some sources) as water with a salinity of .5~30... .5 Salinity is about 1.005 specific gravity... with seawter being around 35 salinty or 1.026 specific gravity...

So yes you can use Reef Salt in your freshwater aquarium... There is no amount that you "should" use... but if you want you "could" use a little bit...


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## Danzx6r (Oct 12, 2009)

> one rounded tablespoon per 10 gallons of water


I read this when looking at setting my tank up.... But to be fair it was in dispute, I personally would'nt add any, my LFS doesnt & neither does the breeder who lives down the road.

Here are the other parameters you may need: :fish:

http://www.mchportal.com/aquatic-li...45-lake-malawi-biotopes-water-parameters.html

Dan :thumb:


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## MalawiLover (Sep 12, 2006)

Toby_H said:


> Lake Malawi is a freshwater lake... Freshwater has an approx specific gravity of 1.0000 (temperature varies it very very slightly)...


Not quite true. Pure distilled water has a sp of 1.000 at 4 degrees celcius. the water in the rift lakes contains many componds tha cause the water to hard wjhich raises the specific gravity the harder it gets. I have never actually checked the SpG of my tanks (I only worry about the pH, Gh and Kh measurements, but will check the SpG when I get home out of curiosity ), but when we calibrate our refractometers for medical tests it has to be using distilled water as tap water will throw off the calibrations.



> Some people do put some slight measure of salt into fresh water with belief it aids in disease prevention...


Aquarium salt (different tahn marine salt) can be added as a medicationand is generally not needed, however marine salt is one of the main ingredients in Rift Lake Buffers. Marine salt containes many of the trace minerals and other water hardening molecules needed for proper osmoregulatiry of these fish.

If you are creating your own Rift Lake buffer, then marine salt ( i personally use Oceanicâ„¢ Natural Sea Salt Mix because its inexpensive and the very fine granuals dissolve nicely) is important. But you don't need the salt just for the salt content. If your water is sufficiently hard (Gh and Kh) then there is no reason to add additional stuff.


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## MalawiLover (Sep 12, 2006)

On a whim I brought home a refractometer from work and checked the specific gravity of my tanks. My Malawi tanks (pH 8.2, Gh~200ppm or 11d, Kh~220ppm or 12d) have a SpG of 1.008+/-


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## Number6 (Mar 13, 2003)

MalawiLover said:


> SpG of 1.008+/-


 my hydrometer for my reef tank doesn't even start that low...


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## MalawiLover (Sep 12, 2006)

I had to use a medical refractometer from the vet hospital


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