Water Conditioners & pH

API Proper pH 8.2

Marine & cichlidsPhosphate-free

API Proper pH 8.2 is the buffer for hard, alkaline systems: reef and fish-only marine tanks, brackish set-ups and the Rift Lake cichlid aquarium. One scoop per 38 litres sets pH 8.2 and holds it there. Unlike the three freshwater Proper pH powders it is a bicarbonate and carbonate buffer with no phosphate, so it raises carbonate hardness directly and stays out of the way of algae and corals. Use it when setting up and at each water change, and dose again whenever a pH test moves by more than 0.2. The tub holds 210 g.

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Live pricing and stock on jungleaquatics.com — purchase through Jungle Aquatics, with delivery across South Africa.

Dosage calculator

Enter your aquarium volume and the calculator works out how much API Proper pH 8.2 to use for each rate on the pack.

Aquarium volume

Measured in

Use the water the tank actually holds, less substrate and decor.

Buffer dose1 scoops per 38 litres
Enter a volumeAt set-up and each water change; repeat if pH drifts more than 0.2

Phosphate-free, so it suits reef, brackish and African cichlid systems.

A guide only — always follow the dosing instructions printed on the pack, and measure with the bottle's cap or a syringe rather than by eye.

Technical details

Product type	Powder pH buffer
Sets pH at	8.2
Pack size	210 g
Dose	1 scoop per 38 litres; repeat when pH drifts more than 0.2
Buffer type	Bicarbonate and carbonate — phosphate-free
Effect on KH	Raises carbonate hardness directly
Suitable for	Marine, brackish and African cichlid aquariums
Safe with	Fish and invertebrates
Made by	Mars Fishcare, USA

Can I use Proper pH 8.2 in a reef tank?

Yes. It is the one Proper pH powder that is phosphate-free, built on bicarbonate and carbonate rather than the phosphate buffers used in the 6.5, 7.0 and 7.5 versions, so it does not add the phosphate that corals and reef algae react to. Dose one scoop per 38 litres when setting up, treat the new water at each change, and re-dose only when pH has slipped by more than 0.2. Because it raises carbonate hardness as it buffers, keep an eye on KH with a test kit rather than dosing by habit.

Built on carbonate, not phosphate

Marine and cichlid tanks need a high, stable pH and a solid carbonate hardness to hold it. Proper pH 8.2 supplies bicarbonate and carbonate, the same buffering system the ocean and the African lakes run on, so it raises KH directly. Because it contains no phosphate it is the only Proper pH powder suited to reef aquariums.

Holds 8.2 through the nightly dip

pH in a stocked marine or cichlid tank falls overnight as CO2 builds up and climbs again under the lights. A proper carbonate reserve damps that swing. Dose one scoop per 38 litres at set-up, treat the new water at each change, and re-dose only when a test shows the reading has drifted by more than 0.2.

Rift Lake cichlids and brackish fish included

Mbuna, peacocks and other Lake Malawi and Tanganyika cichlids are kept at 8.2 or higher, as are brackish species such as mollies, monos and scats. Proper pH 8.2 gives them the alkaline, carbonate-rich water they come from without the guesswork of mixing your own buffer.

Frequently asked questions

Will Proper pH 8.2 raise my KH?

Yes, directly. It is a bicarbonate and carbonate buffer, so every dose adds real carbonate hardness — useful in cichlid and marine tanks, but test KH so you do not overshoot.

Is it suitable for African cichlids?

Yes. Lake Malawi and Tanganyika cichlids are kept at pH 8.2 and above in hard, carbonate-rich water, which is exactly what this buffer provides.

Does Proper pH 8.2 dechlorinate the water?

All the Proper pH powders act as a dechlorinator, so a scoop per 38 litres of new water covers chlorine at a water change. In a marine tank you will be mixing salt into treated water in any case.

Can I use it with live plants?

The plant restriction applies to the phosphate-based 6.5, 7.0 and 7.5 powders. Proper pH 8.2 contains no phosphate, though few aquarium plants thrive at pH 8.2 in any case.

Is API Proper pH 8.2 available in South Africa?

Yes — Jungle Aquatics in Fourways, Johannesburg stocks the 210 g tub and delivers across South Africa; live pricing and stock are on jungleaquatics.com.

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South Africa's leading pet and aquarium store since 2007 — with the API range on the floor in Fourways, advice from people who test water every day, and easy ordering from anywhere in the country.

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