Is My Tank Safe

[victoria]

hi, i have recently set up a rio180 fish tank i have gravel and crushed coral as substrate and 2 pieces of reef rock/dead coral as i was going to stock cichlids upon futher research i decided against it the ph in my tank is 6.8 which is the same as my tap water so it does'nt seem to have raised it, i have decided to have a selection of community tropical fish and am unsure if i need to remove the "coral" items mentioned above and if so whether it would of contaminated the water and filter as i am 2 weeks into cycling the tank. i would be grateful on any advice on ensuring my tank is safe i am thinking of stocking a betta, molly's, swordtail, gourami's and eventualy rams once the tank is more mature and stable, i will also add plenty of wood and plants before stocking, thankyou.

 

[OldMan47]

The betta is not a bad idea along with the gourami and even a ram or two. I am afraid that a pH below 7 is a bit harsh for many livebearers and is especially tough on mollies. Unless you choose to raise the pH, they are probably a poor choice for your water. The crushed coral will affect the pH much more if it is in the filter than it will as a substrate so you could still raise the pH that way. The dead live rock and coral is for salty tanks, not freshwater. If you like that look in a freshwater tank, use the plastic make believe ones instead.