# cichlid lake salt



## cichlidman_404 (Aug 8, 2014)

I was wondering can anybody help me with using cichlid lake salt?

the directions says use a 3/4 teaspoon for every 10 gallons, my problem is I don't have one and cant find one! what I would like to know is, is there another method to use the salt? I have a 1Tbsp measuring spoon but not sure how much salt to use, I have a 150 gallon tank that has 30 Malawi mbuna cichlids I change 50 gallons a week but not sure if im putting the right amount of salt and buffer into the tank! im not sure if im suppose to add the salt for the whole 150 gallons or just for the 50 gallons I replace each week, if anyone can help me with this issue I would be very thankful for the information just want my lil fishes to be in the best environment and healthy as possible
thank you in advance...


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## AlCzervik (Oct 6, 2012)

If you are changing 50 gallons of water a week add enough salt for 50 gallons as you refill the tank. You can dissolve the salt in hot water and add it a little at a time when refilling the tank. Be careful not to add too much as the salinity of the tank would than continue to rise over time. Be consistent.


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## cichlidman_404 (Aug 8, 2014)

have anyone ever had plecos with African cichlids before? I know they don't require the same water parameters but *** seen a lot of ppl keeping them with AC's I was thinking about getting one but it concerns me about the the PH levels and the water hardness in my tank I keep my PH around 8.0-8.2 and my water hardness is around 19ppm if im even saying that right..lol..anyway just wanted some insight on keeping one with AC's if anyone have had experience keeping them with AC's I would love to hear some feedback from you..thanks again


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## cichlidman_404 (Aug 8, 2014)

ok cool that's what I was doing I didn't really think I had to replace for the whole 150 I was using a 1/4 teaspoon putting in like 50 scoops and it would bring my water hardness to 19 but I don't know if that's to much salt or not! do you use cichlid salt also? what do you use to add your salt if you do? sorry about the pleco post im new to this sight still trying to figure out how to make new posts..lol


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## nodima (Oct 3, 2002)

Not sure I've ever seen a 3/4 teaspoon measuring spoon, but they definitely come in 1/4, 1/2, and 1 tsp sizes. Just get a set the next time you are at the grocery store. Even most hardware stores and dollar stores will have them.

From there, basic math will tell you how much to add to n gallons of water. .75 x 5 = 3.75, but 40 and 60 gals will have numbers aligned with common teaspoons - 3 tsp for 40 and 4.5 for 60. All that said, it is not an exact science, as much depends on the starting water parameters you have.


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## cichlidman_404 (Aug 8, 2014)

yea I have never seen a 3/4 teaspoon either I have a teaspoon set with a 1/4 and 1/2 tsp size but wasn't really sure how much salt to use with those sizes, I contacted seachem and they told me I can use a Tbsp- 1Tbsp treats 22 gallons so im planning on using like 2.5 tablespoons this weekend then test the hardness and see how that turns out...


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## nodima (Oct 3, 2002)

So - lets go back to the basics - what are your water parameters out of the tap? pH, hardness etc.

I'm of the mindset that the fewer things we do to modify the water, the better and more stable things tend to be. Stability of water parameters are much more important than getting the water perfect using various additives. Fish will adapt to water conditions within reason - no reason to go crazy trying to obtain "perfect" water.


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## ckkmgreen (Sep 9, 2014)

can you add the salt into hob filter before the filter?


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## chopsteeks (Jul 23, 2013)

nodima said:


> So - lets go back to the basics - what are your water parameters out of the tap? pH, hardness etc.
> 
> I'm of the mindset that the fewer things we do to modify the water, the better and more stable things tend to be. Stability of water parameters are much more important than getting the water perfect using various additives. Fish will adapt to water conditions within reason - no reason to go crazy trying to obtain "perfect" water.


+1 .....


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