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I've bought a 65 USgal tank to set up as a mbuna tank & am doing a bit of homework before I set it up.
I was wondering about ph buffering. Our water out of the tap is pretty neutral at 7.2 so will have to raise it. I'm still not sure what substrate to use ,but,if I use coral sand,would that alone lift the ph to the required level ?
I would've liked something a bit darker so thought perhaps I could mix some with some dark gravel,but, then would I have to use something like baking soda as an addition ?
The other course would be to try sand( I've noticed on some other forums where people have had good luck using pool filter sand ) The thing is if you used sand would the tank be able to support the same amount of bacterial colonies as if you used gravel ?
I'm planning on using a jebo 819 canister filter.
Thanks....Ash

"if you're goin swimmin,watch out for the noahs"

Hi,

The following methods can help buffer the pH.

1. Use calcium carbonate based substrate like aragonite. U can also mix some coral sand with regular gravel.
2. Use a lot of carbonate based rocks in your aquascaping. Rocks have to go in anyway for mbuna. If they are CaCO3 based, they would serve an extra purpose of holding the pH high.
3. You can use baking soda @ 1 teaspoon/5 gallons. Start with lesser quantity and adjust accordingly to get a stable pH reading. This would raise the KH and buffer the pH at around 8.2~8.4.
4. Add MgSO4 (Epsom salt) at the same rate (1 teaspoon/5 gallons). This would raise the GH to the desired levels.

If u use crushed coral and/or calcareus rocks, you'll have to adjust the quantities of MgSO4 and baking soda accordingly.

-Mughal

Depending on which method(s) you use, be cautious when fooling around with the ph. The thing is, there are several ways to "raise" your ph, and yet not "buffer" it. Using the baking soda will raise it, but not buffer it. In other words, it will eventually fall or lower back down. The ph fluctuating can cause harm, damage, and/or death to many fish, more so refered to as ph burns. Thus, the need/requirement for a buffering compound as well. Most any calcium based product and decor will help to buffer the ph upwards. Such as Aragonite based sand (Aragonite based sands are from the coral sands of the Caribean Islands).

All sand is not created equal! Much of the sand you see for sale, is actually silicone sand, and is inert. By inert, means that it will have no effect on the water you are placing it in. Only the coral based sand(s) will. Sea shells, and pieces of dead coral will also leech calcium into the water helping it to buffer the elevated ph from the normal ph of your water.

One thing you might want to look into, is the salt water department of your local fish store. As the SW requirements for ph and hardness are very nearly the same as the rift lake cichlids. You will find many items here for raising and controlling the ph levels of the aquarium. And they will all work well in FW as well as SW. This is the recommendation I would give for a beginner in playing with controling of the ph. As these products work very well, in both controlling the ph and controlling the buffering capacity at the same time. There is much less error chances using these products, vs using common household items and materials. I would still recommend the use of some type of calcium bases sand, such as Aragonite and such.

_____________________________________________________________

There is always a bigger fish...

Higher KH will buffer pH. If u use those calcareous substrate/rocks and then add baking soda, I think it should provide a pretty stable pH. Some hit-and-trail is required nonetheless.
If u r not confident with this DIYing, there are some prepared salts available for rift lake setups.

-Mughal

Thanks for the input guys...
As I said I'm doing my homework first. I don't want to rush into anything,so I'm trying to glean as much information as I can before I go ahead.
CaribSea make a substrate called African Cichlid Rift Lake
but at $ 43 for 9 kg I'd have to take out a bank loan.

"if you're goin swimmin,watch out for the noahs"

I added whole shells to my mbuna tank to bring up the pH without replacing the substrate.

I hid the shells behind some rocks at the back of the tank. Rocks as decor provide caves for my mbunas. I did not want to introducue shells to the tank decor. I like the appearance of rocks and that is the natural habitat of the mbuna.

The shells are mollusc/oyster shells that wash up on the shores of a river near me. I collect them, sterilise 'em and add them to my tank instead of buying substrate. Seems cost effective so far.

I have been monitoring the pH and it comes up in a matter of days. Why didn't I tink of this earlier?


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~~~ My fish blow kisses at me all day long ~~~

Thanks wish-ga...
sounds like a good idea.
Just wondering...do you have sand or gravel substrate ?
Thanks...

"if you're goin swimmin,watch out for the noahs"

4ft Mbuna
gravel and some purchased shell grit mixed in. Shell grit is old so is no longer buffering. Hence the additon of shells.

1.5ft multi
white sand and whole shells

If you want some whole shells for buffering I can arrange to post you some. Unless of course you have a source and enjoy beachcombing?
Send me a pm if you want to buy some shells for buffering. Sorry I don't have a digital camera or I would upload a pic.

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~~~ My fish blow kisses at me all day long ~~~