African Lake Recipe

[darkdep]

kennyman:  The calcium kit is weird, but there is a calculation to take total hardness, and take the calcium hardness to give you magnesium hardness and vice versa...I think you need a gH value with the Ca value to do anything useful.

artw: Wikipedia's article states that they have no reference for that info.

[blizzack1]

artw: Wikipedia's article states that they have no reference for that info.

Isn't that what Wikipedia is all about?

[kennyman]

I just though it might help with your calculation. But now I see that 19.8 ppm ca vlaue you were working with is outrageous. Thats below the threshold of a my Ca test kit!

[darkdep]

kennyman:  Exactly!  Sorry, I typed that post really fast cause I'm in class right now   I have the same Ca test kit I think (Hagen one?).  One of the things I like about it is that it has calculations to figure out Mg levels if you know gH and Ca.

So, right now I have this data...Official numbers (from 1965, granted) that state Ca and Mg numbers indicating the gH of Malawi should be on the order of 2.  But everywhere else (with no actual scientifically recorded numbers) quotes everywhere from 7-to-seemingly-infinity.

Other references state that the Malawi values vary considerably from one area of the lake to another (which is why pH there ranges from 7.6-8. but I simply cannot figure out why everyone states this lake is so hard if, in fact, it is quite soft.

Maybe the country of Malawi has a natural resources government department?  I'd almost be willing to contact them directly to clear this up, it's driving me crazy.

[PaleoFishGirl]

Sounds like we need an OVAS road trip

[artw]

Good luck contacting any government office in Malawi. You'd better off contacting Stuart Grant or Ad Konings or African Diving in Tanzania.
the water in Lake Malawi is nothing special, its not like this magical salty elixir...  it looks, tastes or feels no different than Lake Ontario. there is just no thermocline (which means its the same temperature at 120 feet as it is at the surface).   It tastes like slightly minerally RO water, kinda like Dasani (dasani is RO water remineralized).   you just need to remember to scoop up water from the correct side of the diesel boat (LOL, exhaust, spit, spit!)

[darkdep]

I think I may try to contact Ad Konings.  I know Spencer Jack buys books from him, so he may be able to introduce me so he'll actually answer my emails

See art, you're in the unique position of having been there...what are your thoughts on this thing where the scientific sources say pretty much what you just said (water is similar to lake ontario, not very mineral) but just about every common source says Malawi is full of minerals?

[artw]

My scientific side just says "keep using whatever your fish are comfortable with".  Ad and Stuart will tell you the same. the only reason why I buffered my tanks was to keep the PH from crashing since I generally had my tanks overstocked.  and yes, lake malawi is harder and more alkaline than most softwater tannic lakes and rivers in Ontario such as Ottawa's water source, Ottawa River.

this is of course due to the large presense of limestone rocks in and around the Lake (Malawi)  a quick look at mine or any pics of the lake will tell you this.   Some ontario lakes exhibit this characteristics too,  for example Charleston lake and Big Salmon Lake in Frontenac Park, and to a lesser extent Lake Huron near Tobermory.    31 Mile Lake in Quebec is pretty much all limestone karst, similar to the kart springs and caves in Florida (yay, 19 days!)  these are probably in fact harder and more alkaline than Malawi, I will bring test kits to FL because I am curious.

[darkdep]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not promoting mass water parameter changes.  But now I'm completely curious just from a conversational standpoint.

I WANT HARD DATA!!!

[babblefish1960]

Well APW, instead of the East Coast for a holiday, you could accidently keep flying past and go to Tanzania yourself, (the kids and wife might hardly notice if you construct a close likeness out of sand on the beach), and take some scientific equipment and have a gander on your own. Call it a fact finding mission if you will, you could camp out at Ad's place and drag pegasus along for documentary style photography as well as corraborative evidence of your findings. Heck I'd even chip in $5 if it helps.

[artw]

so come with me in 2008 APW.  I will organise a trip.

[darkdep]

What's a trip like that cost?

[artw]

budget around 5000.  If you dont know how to dive yet add another $1000 for lessons and gear in Ottawa.   Start your scuba training about 6 months prior to your trip.  I will be organising a trip sometime in Sept-Oct-Nov 2008.  Airfares have come down, so I see, London LHR to Lilongwe is $1152 US round trip (which is nothing)  I paid around $2500 CDN from Toronto in 2002.  I am sure you can find a discount Toronto to LHR for under $500 round.
http://www.cichlidpress.com/safari/malawi2005.html
http://www.cichlidpress.com/safari/travelguide.htm