What African Cichlids Need
Lake Malawi: pH 7.8–8.6, GH 10–18, KH 6–10.
Lake Tanganyika: pH 8.0–9.0, GH 10–20, KH 12–18.
Lake Victoria: pH 7.2–8.6, GH 10–18, KH 4–10.
Most municipal tap water in soft-water regions tests at pH 7.0, GH 4, KH 2 — far below targets.
Crushed Coral and Aragonite
Adding 1–2 inches of crushed coral or aragonite sand as substrate continuously dissolves calcium carbonate, raising GH and KH gradually.
This works for moderate adjustments (raises pH 0.2–0.5 in soft water) but isn't enough for extreme cases.
Commercial Buffers
Seachem Malawi/Victoria Buffer: targets pH 7.8–8.4, doses by tank volume.
Seachem Tanganyika Buffer: targets pH 9.0–9.4.
Combined with Seachem Cichlid Lake Salt for GH and trace minerals.
Dose during water changes to maintain stable parameters.
DIY Buffer Mix
Per 50 gallons of new water:
1 tablespoon Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) — raises GH.
1 tablespoon baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) — raises KH and pH.
1 teaspoon aquarium salt — provides trace sodium.
Cheaper than commercial buffers, equally effective.
Avoiding pH Crashes
pH crashes happen when KH drops to 0 and tank acids overwhelm buffering capacity. Test KH weekly.
If KH drops below 4, dose buffer immediately and check water change schedule.