The dosage of Specialized Cantonensis has to be made taking into account that 1 gram in 30 liters of demineralized water raises the Alkalinity by 0.04 dKH (0.04 degrees KH) and the Total Hardness by 1 dGH (1 degree GH).

We recommend the use of Specialized Cantonensis at the rate of 2 grams for every 10 liters of demineralized water.

With this dosage, the remineralized water has the following values:

Total hardness= 6 dGH (German degrees of total hardness)
Alkalinity= 0.25 dKH (German degrees of carbonate hardness)
Conductivity= 250 µS/cm (micro Siemens on centimeter)
Potassium= 4.2 mg/l
Calcium= 30.3 mg/l
Magnesium= 7.6 mg/l
Bicarbonates= 5.5 mg/l
Sulfur= 34.2 mg/l
Chlorides= 2.4 mg/l

These dosages and the resulting values ​​of GH, KH, Conductivity, quantities and ionic ratios are, according to Alxyon's experience, ideal for a tank in which soft water shrimps, such as Caridina cantonensis, are reared.

For the convenience of the user, a measuring spoon (1 ml) is supplied.
Two level spoons of Specialized Cantonensis in 10 liters of demineralized water increase Alkalinity by about 0.25 dKH and Total Hardness by about 6 dGH.

In order to achieve the expected results however, it is necessary, after the first entry, to maintain these values, avoiding unwanted build-ups.

To do this, it is necessary to make regular water changes.
In particular it is recommended to change around 10% of the aquarium water weekly.

During water changes, it is advisable to introduce new water into the aquarium only after remineralizing it in a separate container.
For this purpose, the desired quantity of Specialized Cantonensis is introduced into the bucket containing the new demineralized water and the water is moved until a complete dissolution is obtained.
You can then slowly pour the water obtained into the aquarium in an area with strong movement (eg. At the exit of the filter).

Below you can find a dosage calculator, which can also be used on mobile phones.
Just select the relevant product (Community, Amazonas, Davidi, Cantonensis, Matano, Towuti) from the tabs above, enter the required data and the program will calculate the quantity of product to be dosed.

The need for a remineralizing salt mix

The success in maintaining demanding animal and plant species in aquaria is understandably related to the full satisfaction of their vital needs in the tank.
The first and fundamental step in this direction is the ability of the hobbyst to guarantee water with ideal characteristics (ion balance, pH, conductivity).

In this regard it should be noted that the use of tap water is, except in very rare cases, not optimal or even not suitable for a number of possible reasons:

• Non-optimal values ​​of the main indicators (Alkalinity, Hardness, pH, Conductivity, etc.)

• Not optimal / incorrect mineral balance (not optimal / incorrect relations between the single ions)

• Presence of unwanted ions or contaminants (Silicates, Vanadium, Fluorides, Phosphates, Nitrates etc.)

• Variability of the composition (in particular during certain periods of the year and / or according to the maintenance carried out by the aqueduct and its management of water supply sources).

Although all animal and plant organisms have a certain adaptability (species-specific), it should be noted that anyone who approaches today aquarium keeping in a serious or professional manner cannot do without using deionized water (usually by means of reverse osmosis) with very low conductivity (ideally below 10 microSiemens/cm).

The need therefore arises to reintegrate this pure water with mineral salts in such a way as to reach a water with a stable chemical composition and perfectly suitable for the needs of the organisms bred.

Important parameters for the evaluation of a remineralizing salt mix

The design of a salt mix for the mineral rebalancing of deionized water is subject to various constraints and restrictions, mainly inherent to:

• Ion Balance - Conductivity
The resulting conductivity after the water replenishment assumes a very important character for the absorption and use of the single ions present.
At the same concentration of nutrients the mix of reintegration salts will be much better the lower its conductivity.
This is because in conditions of lower conductivity, the use of water by the plants will be better, the absorption of nutrients will be more efficient, the possibility of interaction and antagonism of the ions will be lower, there will be greater possibility of dosing further nutrients (eg Nitrates and Phosphates) as well as greater time availability before conductivity reaches sufficiently high values ​​to require a water change.
The growth of aquatic plants will be affected as a result.
The level of conductivity achieved (always with the same concentration of nutrients) is therefore the main yardstick in the evaluation of a mixture of salts, or in the comparison between two or more of them.

• Hygroscopicity
A good product must have a hygroscopicity that is as low as possible (ideally nothing). This is an extremely important parameter, because the absorption of moisture by the salts makes them difficult to manage because of the compaction and makes the dosage inaccurate due to the alteration of the specific weight.
It can also cause unwanted chemical reactions among the constituents of the mix.

• Solubility
It is correct to state that solubility, in general, arises on a conflictual plane with respect to the correct ionic balance.

Generally in fact a greater (or immediate) solubility can be obtained only by introducing or increasing the use in the mixture of salts with greater hygroscopicity or increasing (beyond their real needs) the share of some useful anions (eg Chlorides) or introducing not necessary (eg Sodium).
Each of these strategies (separately or jointly) inevitably affects the stability of the preparation and, what is worse, its ionic balance and the resulting conductivity (increasing it), consequently, on its nutritional capacities and the results obtainable. A good mixture of salts must therefore represent a good compromise between solubility and good ion balance.

Are two salt mixes, restoring separately GH and Alcalinity, better than one salt mix restoring both of them at once?

Salts or solutions for the separate reintegration of GH and Alkalinity, by their very nature, can not be optimized with regard to the ionic ratio and consequently to the conductivity.
That is, inevitably, a reconstructed water with mixtures of salts that separately raise the GH and the Alkalinity will always have, in parity 'of fundamental cations (Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium), a worse ion balance and a conductivity greater than a reconstructed water with a mixture of salts which simultaneously raises the two parameters under examination.

Since Specialized Cantonensis has been devised for targeting a very specific scope (breeding of soft water shrimps) and for being used by demanding or professional users, it was decided to provide a product with the composition that, from our experience, simultaneously brings all the parameters to the ideal values ​​for this purpose.
This simplifies the task of the enthusiast and reduces the chances of error or removal from the suggested optimal protocol.
This product should therefore be used as it is, as well as diligently following the instructions provided.

Under these conditions there is no need to (indeed, you should not) modify the method of use (or the composition) for any reason (for example to raise or lower the KH separately).

There may be cases in which we may feel we need to act separately on GH and Alkalinity.
For example to compensate for a destabilizing behavior of the tank.
Which may happen if the substrate or the rocks used adsorb or release some cations with a consequent decrease or increase of the GH untied by Alkalinity; Or if they lower alkalinity in a way unrelated to GH; or, on the contrary, if the alkalinity is increased due to the release of carbonates by the substrate or rocks.

In all these cases it is strongly recommended to solve these problems rather than trying to change the ratio between the parameters of the salt mix in order to balance the problem present in the tank.
Cases such as those listed above by way of example can be considered correctly addressed only by following one of the methods listed below:

- Removal of the cause of the problem from the tub (substrate, rocks, etc.)

- Increase (in frequency and quantity) of the routine of water changes to stem the problem.

Of the two, the first represents the optimal and definitive solution, while the second is a sub-optimal situation with regard to the results and the expenditure of time and effort inherent in its implementation.

For this reason, Alxyon suggests to use substrates that do not alter the chemical composition and the correct mineral balance of the water obtainable through Specialized Cantonensis.

The better the solubility, the better the salt mix?

 
We have already answered this question, considering the considerations that, with regard to solubility, we have expressed above.
For Specialized Cantonensis we have deliberately decided instead to privilege above all the search for the perfect balance between ions and the minimization of conductivity.
Secondly we favored the shelf life and durability of the product through the use of very low hygroscopic salts.

Only after obtaining the two results above we have made sure to further optimize the composition to obtain the best possible solubility, without however risking that this would be to the detriment of the fundamental parameters mentioned above.