african cichlids w/sea salt?
- Thread starter little_bitt
- Start date
I ask because I went to this guys house that breeds Placidochromis Phenochilus and frontosa for years now, and all he has ever used was sea salt. He told me it seems to bring out there color and make them seem much healthier. But I never heard of africans being brackish before this.
Some cichlids come from very hard water conditions. Some don't so it depends obviously on what you have but sea salt (assuming marine mix) will make the water harder. But it isn't the same thing as brackish water in rivers.
Just to add to what TKOS has said.
MArine mixes are high in Ca and Mg as well as a few other minerals and Sodium chloride. IMHO it would be better to use that than Straight sodium Chloride (Salt, freshwater aquarium salt, Food grade Sea salt, So on and so forth) In any case The cichlids would be better off with a mineral mix designed for their needs. Cichlid Salts are a mix of mineral salts not to be confused with straight sodium Chloride. You can come up with a DIY mix yourself, buy the commercial stuff, or buy one of several substrates designed to provide the necessary minerals.
Many people, Expert and novice alike do not understand salt and water hardness well. Hard water fish prefer (Usually don't need) elevated solids levels in their water. Salt will create this effect and many people use it without any thought to the long term effects, or the real chemistry of the natural waters. This is unfortunately fuel for the Salt myth which runs rampant in the hobby. Earthy minerals and metals will better replicate natural waters, increase solids and allow these fish to be healthier long term.
It has been a while since I ran the numbers, but the Sodium Chloride content in the saltiest of the rift lakes still comes out below 1/4 teaspoon per gallon. The rest of the chemical composition consists mostly of magnesium and calcium with many other trace elements in smaller quantities.
dave
MArine mixes are high in Ca and Mg as well as a few other minerals and Sodium chloride. IMHO it would be better to use that than Straight sodium Chloride (Salt, freshwater aquarium salt, Food grade Sea salt, So on and so forth) In any case The cichlids would be better off with a mineral mix designed for their needs. Cichlid Salts are a mix of mineral salts not to be confused with straight sodium Chloride. You can come up with a DIY mix yourself, buy the commercial stuff, or buy one of several substrates designed to provide the necessary minerals.
Many people, Expert and novice alike do not understand salt and water hardness well. Hard water fish prefer (Usually don't need) elevated solids levels in their water. Salt will create this effect and many people use it without any thought to the long term effects, or the real chemistry of the natural waters. This is unfortunately fuel for the Salt myth which runs rampant in the hobby. Earthy minerals and metals will better replicate natural waters, increase solids and allow these fish to be healthier long term.
It has been a while since I ran the numbers, but the Sodium Chloride content in the saltiest of the rift lakes still comes out below 1/4 teaspoon per gallon. The rest of the chemical composition consists mostly of magnesium and calcium with many other trace elements in smaller quantities.
dave
i think you're confused .. marine salt mix will make 'exactly' what you'll find as 'brackish' water in rivers and estuaries. brackish water is a dilution of sea water. what will NOT make brackish water is straight salt (sodium chloride)
"Sea Salt" is the dried solid from evaporation of sea water from ponds by sunlight. It is used a table salt for flavoring. Due to the irreversible changes and chemical reactions occuring during the brine evaporation process (reactions which will not occur with synthetic marine mixs unless it is reconstituted and then evarorated in the sun), the sea salt is not suitable to support marine or high brackish water creatures. The fact that some folks get away with using sea salt or aquarium salt (a totally undefined and unknown material whose nauture is at the whim of the packager) does not in any way mean such are the correct materials to use if increased hardness/TDS is needed for fish from the Rift Lakes.
The Rift Lakes are hard, not brackish, and each Lake has its own profile.
The Rift Lakes are hard, not brackish, and each Lake has its own profile.
I realize my punctuation left a little to be desired. The last sentance reffered to the first. Rift lakes are not brackish, marine mix will indeed make brackish, but brackish isn't necessarily what you are looking for. RTR and Dave obviously added a little more scientific thought (thanks).liv2padl said:
