Yogie Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 Just wondering what PH everyone is running their tanks at for Malawi's. Mines currently at 7.4ish, is that too low? Thanks, Johann Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maskedman Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 Yes. That should be up around 8.0-8.5. The fish will survive at that PH but probably won't show thier full colors. To bring it up you can use limestone chips in your filter, washing them thoroghly first. Check your KH as well. If it is low you can raise that with Bicarbonate soda. That will raise your PH as well but only use the Bicarb soda within the KH parameters the fish require. Limestone or shells can be added direct to the tank decor as well to help raise PH & GH, KH levels. The fish certainly won't mind if you put them in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yogie Posted August 18, 2009 Author Share Posted August 18, 2009 i'm using seachem malawi buffer, i might add some more tonight to see if i can raise the ph up a little more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fry_2_buy Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 I'm into the auasonic buffers, "rift lake salt" and also the "Carbonate hardness" buffer. With these my ph is at 8, Gh at about 20-30 and Kh at around 10-12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maskedman Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 I'm blessed with tap water that already has a PH of 8.3, GH 15-18 & KH 5. All I have to do is add the occasional bit of bicarb soda to raise the KH if my limestone & shells aren't quite enough. Never had to do it though. I don't worry about the GH being softer than in Malawi/Tanganyika, the fish don't mind softer water at all so long as the KH is ok. In fact they seem to quite like it. I know most people over here in Perth use even softer water than I do for thier africans. I'd stop wasting my money on salts if I were you guys, unless of course your keeping some of the really delicate spieces. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yogie Posted August 19, 2009 Author Share Posted August 19, 2009 ok i just did a test for my gh and kh i used a hagen test kit i don't know if alarm bells should be ringing but i got these readings: GH - 140ppm KH - 80ppm am i supposed to be dividing these figures by 10? Or are my values super bad?!?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maskedman Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 GH 140ppm is about 8degrees. KH 80ppm is just over 4degrees. The fish will survive in that but will feel much more comfortable if you bring the KH up to at least the 200ppm mark & the GH to at least the same (preferably higher, up to about 400ppm max). The KH is the buffering capacity. Raising the KH will also raise the PH & the GH. The usual way to go would be to use limestone, limestone sand, crushed coral & shells in the decor & sometimes filter to bring the KH up. Raising your KH will also raise your PH & vice versa. It's a bit tricky to get the hang of at first, but after a couple of small adjustments you will soon get the hang of the relationship between the three. It depends exactly on what fish you have as well. Tanganyika has a KH over ten times higher than Malawi. I use a general guide of get the KH to about 14degrees & the PH at about 8.2-8.4. Forget the GH to be honest, Fish don't seem to suffer any ill effects from being in water that's too soft, only water that's too hard. Sorry I don't know the conversion maths for ppm to degrees, I use API tests & they come with a range conversion chart that I used to convert your readings very roughly, (fairly close though). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Link2Hell Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 Try this KH or GH readings in parts per million (ppm) can be converted to degrees by dividing them by 17.86. For example, if your KH tests as 120 ppm, this means your KH is 6.7 degrees. To convert gH/kH to ppm just multiply by 17.86. google is your friend and so is the PCS forums http://www.perthcichlid.com.au - hardness conversion Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maskedman Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 Well there you have it Yogie, ask a simple question & you will get a couple of people (like me) to make it complicated on you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yogie Posted August 19, 2009 Author Share Posted August 19, 2009 Haha it's all good! It's all about learning! At least I know now I have to get my water values up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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