New to cichlids

[Saulosi77]

What are everyone's opinions on cichlid lake salts and maliwi/Victoria buffer?  I have cichlid substrate to help keep my ph high.  My tap water is 7.8 and my tank is kept at 8.2.  Any thoughts or advice on these products?

[jcunningham0295]

I maintain around 100 tanks and don't use any buffer.  I did in the beginning, but it got to be too much of a burden and can get you in trouble if mis-used.

[African cichlid Keeper]

What are everyone's opinions on cichlid lake salts and maliwi/Victoria buffer?  I have cichlid substrate to help keep my ph high.  My tap water is 7.8 and my tank is kept at 8.2.  Any thoughts or advice on these products?

I never used a buffer bcause my water ph is 8.2.

[Regalblue]

I don't use it either. Never been a fan of it... most of what we keep was bought from tanks with similar water parameters & even if they weren't - Cichlids are highly adaptable (most species )& unless you're really having trouble getting a certain species to spawn... just give them time.

[Maize-N-Blue-D]

The less you do the better.... Used a buffer once and lost half my fish (Dumb Stupid Dumb)...Never will use it again...

Well water or City water ?

[Saulosi77]

I have city water.  It's 7.8 from the tap I slowly was using the maliwi buffer to bring my ph up to 8.2/8.4 like peruses pets said and lost a few of my peacocks to an ich invasion.  I wish I never used it.   Should I now contine to hold that ph and continue using the buffer?   Can i stop using the buffer and be okay?  Peruses said keeping the ph higher  (8.4)will help the fish color more, any truth in that?  All my fish are doing well now adjusted.

[jcunningham0295]

I would stop using it.  I don't use it and my fish exhibit very nice color and I think my ph out of the tap is around the same as yours.

[Maize-N-Blue-D]

You can naturally buffer the water by putting in some Texas Holey rock or adding crushed coral into your filters.. IMO a much better and less hazardous way to maintain the desired PH in your tank...

[African cichlid Keeper]

I have city water.  It's 7.8 from the tap I slowly was using the maliwi buffer to bring my ph up to 8.2/8.4 like peruses pets said and lost a few of my peacocks to an ich invasion.  I wish I never used it.   Should I now contine to hold that ph and continue using the buffer?   Can i stop using the buffer and be okay?  Peruses said keeping the ph higher  (8.4)will help the fish color more, any truth in that?  All my fish are doing well now adjusted.

I wouldn't use any buffers. peacock ph can be at 7.5

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/peacocks.php

[Saulosi77]

Thank you everyone for the great info and help I'm going to stop using it. 

[Regalblue]

I'd suggest using some Aragonite, if you wanna raise your Ph.

[Steve]

Just within the past 2-3 weeks I asked everyone here about getting my PH back up to a decent level because I had added some extra wood to my tank and it was lowering my PH over the 7-10 days between WC's. I got 7.8 out of the tap and after a week or so it would drop to 6.8...Guys here suggested crushed coral so I bought a 15lb bag and filled up a tray and a half of one of my canister filters with the crushed coral.

I've been keeping tabs on my PH since then just to see what effect it might have (actually bought one of those digital PH testers which is pretty neat). Now my PH is staying around 7.4 even 10 days after a WC. So I'd say what they suggested for me certainly seems to be working so I'd try some crushed coral in the filters like some has suggested.

[Sean]

I don't add anything to the water. I just use some crushed coral that I hide under the gravel in the tank and I keep toufa and lava rock in there. It stays the same every time I change water

[djlamonica]

I swear I said what you all are saying on other sites and groups and just got blasted on many occasions. 

[four_by_ken]

Personal experience...

I messed with buffers and salts, etc...

I killed a lot of fish.

Wish I never touched the stuff.