How Necessary Is Ph And Water Hardness To Aquarium Fish?

[Ilikefishes]

For some reason alot of the fish I like seem to have soft, acidic water requirements - which my water isn't. I am wanting a nice colourful community tank with various different fish. I really would like a shoal of neon or cardinal tetras and possibly 2 blue ram dwarf cichlids further down the line, but both these fish prefer acid ph levels and soft water.

My ph is 7.4 and the water is fairly hard here in Derby so what I need to know is do you think these fish will be ok in this type water. I would guess that most of the water they are kept in, in my lfs's, is similar to mine, and as they are aquarium fish not wild, that they would have become more accustomed to different water conditions than their natural habitat?

 

[aaronnorth]

you pH is fine. My pH comes out at 8 from the tap and i have kept tetras and all the other common communty fish. it is only necessary if there is a huge difference, or if you are wanting to breed them.

 

[K-Holed]

In most cases, a stable pH is far more important than a specific one. Unless it's something off the scale, I wouldn't worry about it. Anything from 6-8 will be accpeptable for most species.