Duradrakon T TH-Plus Hardener salt mixture

Hardener salt combination for Tanganyika tanks - Total hardness

In nearly all freshwater lakes around the world, the calcium ratio is significantly higher than the magnesium ratio. Even at a high carbonate hardness, this limits the upper pH-value, as calcium carbonate (lime) starts to disintegrate at a pH-value of 8.5 - 9 and therefore prevents a further increase.

But Lake Tanganyika has four times more dissolved magnesium than calcium (in mole fractions nearly 6 times as much). As magnesium carbonate only starts to disintegrate at a pH-value beyond 9.5 - 10, the increase of a pH-value even beyond 9 is relatively contrary.

The most important issue when keeping cichlids from Lake Tanganyika, is to maintain the water chemistry by exchanging the water frequently to prevent the pH-value from dropping when too many break-down products occur after feeding. This and too much free CO₂ agrees very badly with the animals.

Basic information

Lake Tanganyika water practically only contains hydrogen carbonates apart from tiny amounts of chloride and hardly traceable amounts of sulphate. If you plan to imitate pure Lake Tanganyika water, you would have to use hardly soluble magnesium- and calcium carbonate as hardener salt contents.

But these salts do not dissolve within an adequate period of time and therefore the desired alkaline pH-values can never be achieved.
The solution is the conception of a 2-component-combination: Duradrakon CH-Plus for the (hydrogen) carbonate in an easily soluble form - Duradrakon T TH-Plus for the corresponding cations is also an easily soluble combination.

Herewith, the desired pH-value and desired hardness is achieved with only a slightly higher total salinity.

Ingredients

33.7 % Chloride, 10.7 % Magnesium, 5.5 % Sulfate, 3.2 % Calcium, 1.0 % Carbonate, 0.9 % Potassium, 0.2 % Lithium, 0.1 % Aluminium, remnant: crystal water

Both components have to be dissolved separately and are only to be mixed directly before adding them to the tank.
They should be diluted as much as possible, so no clouding due to undissolved calcium- and magnesium carbonate can occur.

Dosage

1.7 g / 50 liters of water increase the TH by 1 ° dH