Increasing Fish Stock

[jimlester]

Tanks been running for a couple of months now and i'm wanting to gradually increase my fish numbers. Currently have two cory julii's and four neon tetra's. My tank is only 65 litres so i'm aware of limited space. Was thinking about a pair of dwarf gourami's but have read they contract disease fairly easily. Would also like some shrimpa or crabs. Current PH level is 8 so am currently trying to lower. Would a piece of drift wood help?

 

[moochy13]

crabs wont work. you need at least 2 more cories 4 if possible to make them act more naturally and be happier. they're shoaling fish, a pair will feel intimidated. are tehy real julli's or are they 3 line cories ? whenever ive seen 'julli's' for sale in shops, they've always been 3 line cories instead. very similar, but easier to get hold of. 3 line cories have black marks that are shaped like little squiggles. jullis are spotty.

 

[Aqua Tom]

Dont try to lower your PH, that way lies madness. It is a forbidden science that even our experts steer clear from.

 

[OldMan47]

If you want to have fish that do better at lower pH values, try using a mix of RO water with your tap water. Fish are seldom sensitive to pH itself but those reputed to prefer a low pH really do far better in water that is low in mineral content. If you can determine the mineral content that is best for your fish, you can simply use RO or rain water to drop the mineral content of your tap water to the desired concentration. Once you have the right mineral concentration in your water, you will find that even breeding fish becomes simple.

 

[symon_say]

I saw at my LFS a product that is suppose to lock ph in 7.0, i haven't try it, but the guy in the store (oddly but is really helpful and knowledge) told my he use it in his tank and it works really nice. I can't remember the name but a Google search will help you with this product.

Other member how might now it can give you feedback about the product.

 

[Skins]

I saw at my LFS a product that is suppose to lock ph in 7.0, i haven't try it, but the guy in the store (oddly but is really helpful and knowledge) told my he use it in his tank and it works really nice. I can't remember the name but a Google search will help you with this product.

Other member how might now it can give you feedback about the product.

I would stay clear of bottled products that up/lower pH levels, going by threads on the forum can lead to problems for the fishkeeper.

Keith.

 

[ATK!!!]

would cardinal tetra need lower pH cos mines 8

 

[waterdrop]

While it's true that tetras like cardinals and neons prefer soft, acid water to really thrive, cardinals are also among those fish that are quite hardy in a broad range of normal freshwater tank/hobby conditions. A pH of 8.0 is still more or less in the range of pH we see in the hobby as a fairly average tank and I suspect your cardinals will do just fine in it. If they don't then it might be time to start testing the KH and GH and getting in to the topic further.

Going back to some of jimlester's original questions, you know, I have to say it's a funny thing as time goes by. As a re-beginner, I've ended up giving out a fair amount of advice to other beginners (based often on lot's of reading here on TFF, but occasionally from something I happen to have years of experience in) but for some things it seems to get harder over time instead of easier. Advice about hard and soft water and about altering that hardness or the pH that secondarily results from it is one of those areas!

As your experience in the hobby grows, you realize that doing major alterations to your basic tap water is not necessarily difficult, once you gained the right knowledge. OM47 is a trusted source of good, reliable and easy to understand water hardness knowledge and he's given some up there.

The caution with any sort of chemistry that moves your water away from what you already have from the tap is that it's important to realize the level of commitment. The tap water will no longer be the emergency water within easy reach, it will now need to be properly altered (mixed with RO, for instance) before being used in a water change, even an emergency one. You can read more about this topic in an article Robby and I wrote:

Robby pH/hardness Article

~~waterdrop~~

 

[OldMan47]

The pH buffering chemicals really work on pH. The problem is not that you can't achieve the right pH or even maintain it. The problem is that we use measurements of the fish's natural waters to estimate the kind of water that they prefer and overlook the fact that the pH is almost meaningless in an aquarium setting. I can add enough acids of one or another form to achieve the exact pH of the natural waters but in the process I end up driving the mineral content sky high. Since low pH fish prefer water low in minerals, I have actually made it harder for the fish to thrive. Please leave the chemicals for industrial processes and use pure water to adjust the mineral content to meet your fish's needs.