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ok i'm a little confused. im setting up a aquarium with lake tanganyika shellies and was told to get crushed coral substrate to help buffer the water.

anyway my question is, that because that acts as a buffer i dont need the lake tang buffer anymore right? but will i still need (or can i still use) the rift lake cichlid salts?

i assumed you could but iv only been told recently (by a credible source) that if i have crushed coral substrate, or any pH buffering substrate for that matter i cannot use either of the seachem rift lake buffer or salts. on the other hand i THINK iv seen aquarium shops and hobbyists used a coral substrate with seachem rift lake salts and buffers...

id like to know what you think because im confused!

Usually buffers and salts are not needed for the fish. I have never used it on my tangs, and neither does breeders I know. Most nutrients for the fish comes straight out of the tap, buffers only help raise the pH and sometimes, if its formulated for tanganyikan fish, contains some trace elements.

Salts are okay, I just use the cheap $2 aquarium salt in a carton.

If the pH is about 7.5 you'll be fine, with frequent water changes (Once or twice a week)

thanks inkodinkomalinko, but the fish are being shipped to me and they are comming from a tank with a pH of 8.2-8.4. they are prob gonna be super stressed already from being shipped so i dont want to risk stressing them out even more by moving them to a 7.5pH tank right away.

ya i know they could prob survive in 7.5, but i was asking if anyones ever heard of their being problems using these salts and buffers with a pH buffering substrate like coral? thanks

there's no problem at all for doing it, my Malawian tank has crushed sea shells as well as those white rocks which leech carbonate. And I am using both Seachem Malawi salt and Malawi buffer..not a problem at all but with a stable ph 8-8.2 environment

its not really a huge issue. i have crshed coral and my ph stays 8.0 all the time. of course it doesnt buffer at all, but again, it hasent been an issue for me. i would rather not add anything to my tanks. for one thing, those additives are expensive and it can get complicated with how much to add every water change. it will also take some trial and error to get the amounts needed correct. i would rather not add any extrea stress to my tanks. my mbuna and haps seem to do better with straight tapwater with crushed coral substrate. seems everytime i try to add something, there is a negative backlash. you situation may be different and if you feel that will be better for your tanks, by all means go for it. every tank is different. and the health of each tank is purely subjective.

right, test ph out of ur tap, if it's 8.0 range your cool. As for salts, alot of people do and don't use them. Some of the local breeders i talked to regarding this and using salt if ur keeping plecos too, and they don't use them, just daily water changes keeps the good health in order.