# help with attaining PH for malawis



## mrvillicus (Sep 5, 2012)

Im a malawi virgin and after a nightmare tropical nitrogen cycle i want to make sure my water is 100% perfect until i add my fish..Now my confusion, using buffers. My water sits consistently at 7.2 PH, it is rated moderately hard. So to reach the right PH, from my research I should use crushed coral in my sand and use a buffer, such as seachem malawi buffer. Is it as simple as that? I have been looking at a DIY buffer as to be honest, most fish products are priced crazily and im a bit of a penny pincher...any advice guys?

Thanks Ben


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

Use crushed coral and no buffer. When you start using buffers and chemicals it gets really easy for things to swing in a bad way. The crushed coral will raise your Ph quite nicely. You can also put it in your filter. Make sure you are still feeding the tank until you put the fish in or you will loose your cycle.


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## mrvillicus (Sep 5, 2012)

*ph*

ah right, thanks for the reply obsidian


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

there are a number of things you can do...
for substreate there is crushed coral or dolomite or crushed oyster shells..you can get the dolomite from your local landscape supply yard or a gravel supplier...look in the book...
for oyster shell you can go to your local feed mill..it is often called turkey grit..these two substrates are really cheap too...i get the dolomite for about $25.00 a ton...the oyster shell is just a few bucks a bag ; but it is super dirty and needs to be rinsed many times...i don't use sand because gas pockets can form and kill the fish..and by the time you notice it ; it is usually too late..

rockwork..... for malawi cichlids you need lots and lots of rocks..enough to almost fill your tank...the best ones to use are texas holey rock or tufa rock....

using these substrates and rocks will maintain a constant PH of about 8.4.....no additives or buffers ever needed...


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

If you want to do it with buffers (say you have a bare tank and no substrate), Mix baking soda, epsom salts, and marine salt mix in a 1:3:1 ratio. 1 tsp/1 Tbsp/ 1 tsp should treat about 5 gallons, but you'd want to check gH and kH, as well as pH. Baking soda ups the carbonate hardness (kH or alkalinity), espom ups the gH by providing Mg+2. 

This is an old tested, but approximate recipe. A "buffering" substrate will definitely keep the water more stable. 

If you have a TDS meter, aim for ~150 ppm.


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## Cory1990 (Jun 14, 2012)

Obsidian said:


> Use crushed coral and no buffer. When you start using buffers and chemicals it gets really easy for things to swing in a bad way. The crushed coral will raise your Ph quite nicely. You can also put it in your filter. Make sure you are still feeding the tank until you put the fish in or you will loose your cycle.


+1 

This is good info, I have two large nylon bags of crushed coral and it keeps my ph up nice.

You can get crushed coral from any pet store and you can get nylons (girls leggings type things) ( or what bad guys put on there faces) at Walmart for like 5$ if your a guy like me exspect a funny look or two when your picking it out and checking out. I bagged the crushed coral in that. And in my other filter I have carbon in some nylons, but you don't need that now. If you want carbon in the tank do it later when it's established. But that's another story.
Back on point crushed coral is what you want.


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

Cory1990 said:


> +1
> 
> You can get crushed coral from any pet store and you can get nylons (girls leggings type things) ( or what bad guys put on there faces)


Hehehe, that's great. My head just goes to like a fish with nylons over it's head robbing the local Greek temple and pirate skull. 

Definitely go for the rocks as well. Cichlids need rocks rock and more rocks.


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## Cory1990 (Jun 14, 2012)

Didn't you know that's how they came up with the treasure chest for fish tanks, that mean old cichlid wanted to stick it to the man sunk there ship took the treasure and buried it down on the sandy shore bottom.


Hmm sounds like a fun kids cartoon haha


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## Cory1990 (Jun 14, 2012)

I'd watch it with my Kids, idk who the heck showed my SON! Dora the explore I hate that show! And spongbob just makes me want to throw the tv out the window. But I don't and I suffer threw it because I want him to stay happy


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## mrvillicus (Sep 5, 2012)

*coral*

thanks for the replies guys, am I the only limey on here?? haha we get spongebob and i too wish he gerts violently murdered by sharky and george


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## Cory1990 (Jun 14, 2012)

Lol I think lime stone works? I'm not sure i have just used crushed coral since I started my cichlid tank and iv never had a problem. I rarely check my ph anymore because I never really have issues with it. Everything always goes pretty well for me. The two things I recomend is crushed coral and as many rocks as you can fit in that thing.

Since your starting a new tank try to buy the cichlids as small as possible. I got mine all at 1/2" and they show no aggression to eachother and now there all at 2"-2 1/2"


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

mrv....there are a number of brit members here...so you are certainly not alone...


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

limestone or dolomite should also work.


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## mrvillicus (Sep 5, 2012)

*limeys*

you guys rule


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