# TDS meter



## Fishbulb2 (Sep 23, 2008)

Does anyone here use a TDS meter to measure water hardness in their african cichlid tanks? What would be a good target goal for a Malawi tank? I can't find much online about it.

FB


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## MalawiLover (Sep 12, 2006)

Lake Malawi: 125.0 to 170.5 ppm
Lake Tanganyika: 170.5 to 205.0 ppm

if your water is naturally a bit lower, Stabel is much more important than some majic number. If your fish are wild caught they may be a bit more sensative, but cichlids are extremely adapable and when transitioned slowly can thrive in a wider range.


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## trigger (Sep 6, 2002)

i used to measure verything. and try to manipulate things. my tds was just over 200 in my malawi tanks. then i'd have to use reverse osmose water to get that down, because the tap was just that high that was too much trouble to go through, because even my wildcaughts can cope with it. as mentioned, a stable environment is much, much more important than a textbook optimum... Even lake malawi itself has different readings in different places.


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## Fishbulb2 (Sep 23, 2008)

Great. Thanks for the info guys. I have an RO/DI already setup for my old reef tank so I figured, what the heck. I guess I won't really stress it though.


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## MalawiLover (Sep 12, 2006)

If you are going to tbe doing Africans, then the RO/DI won't be very useful. You would just have to buy the buffers to make the water hard again.


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## patricia93032 (4 mo ago)

People often get tricked into thinking that their water quality is pristine or “not so bad” after finding its TDS level, but *TDS meters are known to draw false conclusions about water quality*


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## patricia93032 (4 mo ago)

patricia93032 said:


> People often get tricked into thinking that their water quality is pristine or “not so bad” after finding its TDS level, but *TDS meters are known to draw false conclusions about water quality**,*


the usage of an RO Water cleanser may be the first-class method to lessen ingesting water TDS. RO reduces TDS by way of forcing water via a best membrane with microscopic pores, eliminating even the smallest debris. All that may pass via are atoms smaller than 0.0001 microns. as a consequence, purifying water to the purest form.


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