Help with Cichlid Lake Salt

[EliteEagleX]

Ok well I my Hardness in my water right now is I think 80PPM and my alkalinity is 300, I add the Lake Salt quite often because the back of my lid taken off because of the Emperror Filters so water evaporates quickly 3% say in two days? Or something like that I notice on the glass that there is what looks like evaporated SALT on it, either it's the bufffer or the salt.. I don't think it could really be anything else, Should I add salt every couple days or just do it at water changes? Thanks P.S. in a measurement of TEASPOONS not 1\3 such as my Malawi's need, How many FULL teaspoons would I put into a 55 gallon?

[Tech Support CH]

As I said in your other post your alkalinity is extremely high and is probably causing your General hardness to precipitate out. You need to do water changes until your alkalinity is closer to the preferred level of 163 ppm for Malawi cichlids. This will allow you to raise the General Hardness the preferred level of 125 ppm. Once you get your alkalinity down to the preferred level I would recommend that you test your General Hardness and add Lake Salt in small increments until you are at the preferred level there. You only need to add buffer when your alkalinity falls below the preferred level or you are changing water. You only need to add the salt when your GH (general hardness) falls below the preferred level.

[EliteEagleX]

LoL I am so stupid... I was dosing it completly wrong I was basically putting 10 gallons worth in my 55gal.. I reread it and am now dosing correctly so my Hardness is 300PPM so is my Alklanity... stupid me.

[Tech Support CH]

Sometimes it is hard to figure out dosage, especially when you are working with Tap water. There are no stupid questions as long as you are learning. Understanding comes from experience and learning by asking. Sometimes it can take a little while to fully understand the chemistry that occurs in our little glass boxes. Good Luck.