Hard water fish

[@ombomb]

Can anyone gove me examples of fish that thrive in a water that has a pH of 7.8 / 8, which is the acidity of the tap water near me. While I have several fish that prefer more acidic water and are living very happily in my tank, I'm thinking of buying another (approx 30 usg) and would like to stock it with fish that are actually suited to my local water conditions.

 

[CFC]

Cichlids and other fish endemic to the rift valley lakes (Tanganykia, Malaiwi and Victoria) would be most at home in that water though these days most commonly seen community fish will be fine with it.

 

[OohFeeshy]

Yar, in the same situation. I'm in Pompey where all the water is filtered through all the chalk. The main problem is breeding really, things like dward cichlids prefer soft water for breeding in.

 

[@ombomb]

Yeah, the fish I have have adjusted to it no problems, but thought it would be nice to get some that would really thrive on it. Cichlid community perhaps then.

 

[sylvia]

I have the same pH. Like you, I keep mainly soft-water fish and have never ahd problems.

One species I'd reccomend, however, is n. multifasciatus the shell-dweller cichlid. They are so cute, tiny, beautiful, interesting and breed easily as well. They'll enjoy hard water and, with some sand and snail shells, will prove, I'm sure, to be very entertaining. You can keep a small schooling fish in with them to fill in the upper layers if you are getting a tall tank.