How can i raise my aquarium pH to 8.2 ?

i have fresh water African cichlids in my 20 gallon tank i have no proper pH changing liquid in any of my nearest stores so please tell me how can i raise my pH to 8.2 locally at home without using any ready made product.How can i raise my aquarium pH to 8.2 ?
Welp, get some pH test strips, keep putting in some acids and some bases until it's 8.2.



Ha ha, don't listen to me. But I think I'm somewhat right there.How can i raise my aquarium pH to 8.2 ?
Using home made products would probably add other chemicals, as well as whatever alkaline solution changes the PH in the tank, so I don't know if that would be safe for the fish?



I think sea water is alkali, maybe you could scoop some of that up :P
You can mix your own African cichlid salt mix.



Baking soda

Epsom salts

Aquarium Marine salt.



This will increase both the pH and hardness of the water to approximate the natural enviroment of your fish.



Details / Recipe here



http://fishandpics.com/2008/07/diy-cichl



Mix up a barrel of that mix, test it to make sure you have them mix right, then start doing your regular water changes with that water



Adding liimestone or crushed coral to the tank will also help buffer the pH and hardness to the correct levels.



Ian
$3.99, at the grocery store there is a product called Mrs wages Pickling lime,

look for it near the masonry jars, this is the same stuff we in the saltwater world call kalkwrasser, we use it to matain calcium and alkalinity,



mix 2-3 teaspons per gallon of water. mix it for an hour and then let it sit for a day or so, there will be a crust on top and a sludge in the bottom but the clear water in the middle will have a ph of 14, slow drip it into the aquarium, use no more than a gallon a day, untill your ph balances out, it sounds more complicated than it is but it is the best and cheapest way to maintain cal alk and ph in an aquarium



make sure to test a day after each use to make sure your not overdoing anything
You could change your substrate to a ';Crushed Coral'; that should do the trick, Its the only way really to get a significant change. Your local fish store should have something of that sort. What it is is a bunch of crushed up sea shells and pieces of rock coral. the salt in the sea shells and the coral as well as the magnesium and other chemicals from the ocean it self is what you need