New 20g Questions

[hockeyplayr6@yahoo.com]

hi, i just set up a 20g tank, i havnt put any fish in to cycle it (which i do actually understand, thats not the issue) but i did an initial water test after adding a water treatment and the ph was 6.5 the gh was 120 ppm and the kh was 0 ppm from my understanding the ph and gh are ok but the kh is really low. how can i fix this problem without messing up the other things. also a have a stocking question. over time i want to have:

brilliant rasboras
neon tetras
german rams

my question is how many of each i should have and if these are ok together, or if there is anything else i could or should add. i know the rams should be kept in a pair which is my last question, i want to get a blue and a orange ram, they are the same species just different color variations but im not sure if they will pair together or not.

thank you very much for your time and any responses will be much appriciated.

 

[OldMan47]

To avoid a pH crash during the fishless cycle, you will need to push up the KH. That can be done by using an exotic chemical called baking soda, also called bicarbonate of soda or sodium bicarbonate. Most kitchens will have some in a box. For a 20 gallon, I would try a simple teaspoon of it and see how much it moves the KH and pH.
Your fish list looks like the type of fish that will not really appreciate the higher pH and KH that you will get from bicarb but as long as you do your big water change before adding fish, they don't really need to be exposed to it The rams and neons are not a very good choice for a freshly cycled tank. They both should go into a more mature tank. Many kinds of rasboras are tough enough to go into a freshly cycled tank but I am not sure what a brilliant rasbora is. It is just a trade name that I have not run into. If I had a fairly fresh cycled tank with those desires I would start with maybe 6 or 7 rasboras. When the time comes for neons, I think they look best if you have 10 or more.

 

[dcarmor927]

That can be done by using an exotic chemical called baking soda, also called bicarbonate of soda or sodium bicarbonate. Most kitchens will have some in a box.

LMAO!!

 

[Ficious]

one pair of rams and 10 neons wouldnt hurt.