Seachem Cichlid Lake Salt

• Published elemental analysis – you can see exactly what each gram supplies, rather than trusting a claim about "essential minerals"
• Magnesium and potassium led – 11.83% and 10.08% minimum, the two elements a home-made Epsom-salt-and-bicarb mix leaves short
• Lake-specific dose rates – separate rates for Tanganyika, Malawi and Victoria, each with the dGH shift it produces
• Does not buffer – it will not raise pH or carbonate hardness, so it will not fight your buffer or overshoot your target pH
• Trace elements included – iron, aluminium, iodine, zinc and selenium, all declared with minimums
• Four sizes – 250 g for one tank through to 4 kg for a fish room
• Under 1c per litre at 4 kg – dosed for Malawi, the 4 kg pack works out to under 1c per litre of water treated, against 1.6c per litre from the 250 g size

Per 1 g of product, as published by Seachem.

Dose at setup and with each water change. The rate depends on which lake you are replicating, and each rate has a known effect on general hardness.

Those dGH figures are the point of the table. If your tap water already sits at 6 dGH, the Malawi dose takes you to about 10.4 dGH – so measure your starting hardness before you decide how much to add.

How far a pack goes depends on the lake you are dosing for. Litres of water treated per pack, rounded down.

A 300 L Malawi tank changed 30% weekly uses about 90 L of new water a week, or roughly 12 g of salt. On that pattern a 1 kg pack is a bit over a year.

Cichlid Lake Salt raises general hardness only. It does not raise pH and it does not raise carbonate hardness, so on its own it will not give you the high, stable pH Rift Lake cichlids need. Pair it with the matching buffer:

• Seachem Tanganyika Buffer – for a target pH of 9.0 to 9.4
• Seachem Malawi/Victoria Buffer – for a target pH of 7.8 to 8.4

Seachem's position on the common home-made alternative is worth knowing: a mix of Epsom salt and bicarbonate of soda does not replicate the lake water, because it leaves out calcium and potassium.

Suitable for: Lake Malawi, Tanganyika and Victoria cichlid tanks · breeding setups where steady mineral levels matter · anyone on soft tap water keeping Rift Lake fish · use alongside a carbonate buffer.

Not suitable for: soft-water South American tanks such as discus, apistogramma and tetras · planted tanks aiming for low hardness · marine or brackish systems · use as a pH buffer, which it deliberately is not · topping up evaporation, since minerals do not evaporate.

• Keep sealed – the blend takes up moisture and cakes if the tub is left open
• Dissolve in the new water before it goes in, so grains do not sit on the substrate
• Weigh where you can; teaspoon equivalents are approximate and the dGH figures assume the gram weights

• Seachem Malawi/Victoria Buffer – supplies the carbonate hardness and pH this salt does not
• Seachem Tanganyika Buffer – the higher-pH option for Tanganyikan tanks
• Seachem Prime – conditions the fresh water you dissolve it into
• Seachem pH Alert – continuous check that the buffer is holding where you set it
• Seachem American Cichlid Salt – the soft-water equivalent, if you also keep Central or South American cichlids

This product carries the consumer guarantees under the Australian Consumer Law, which cannot be excluded. Contact us if a pack arrives damaged or hardened.

The 250 g, 500 g and 1 kg ship as standard parcels. The 4 kg is a heavier parcel and is charged accordingly. No dangerous goods restrictions apply.

How much Cichlid Lake Salt do I use for a Malawi tank?

5.5 g per 40 litres, which is about three-quarters of a teaspoon and raises general hardness by 4.4 dGH. Dose at setup and with every water change.

Does Cichlid Lake Salt raise pH?

No. It raises general hardness only. For pH and carbonate hardness you need a separate buffer – Tanganyika Buffer for pH 9.0 to 9.4, or Malawi/Victoria Buffer for pH 7.8 to 8.4.

Can I just use Epsom salt and bicarb soda instead?

It will not give you the same water. Seachem's own note is that an Epsom-and-bicarbonate mix leaves out calcium and potassium, which are two of the four main elements this blend supplies.

Is it safe for plants?

Rift Lake hardness is high by planted-tank standards, so most plants suited to soft water will struggle at these levels. Vallisneria, anubias and java fern are the usual choices in hard African tanks.

Do I add more when water evaporates?

No. Minerals do not evaporate. Top up with fresh water only, and dose the salt into replacement water at water changes.

Which lake dose should I use for a mixed African tank?

Use the rate for the most demanding species you keep, and check the resulting general hardness with a test kit rather than assuming your tap water started at zero.