ugh fish choosing #2 (better explanation)

[Sgooosh]

ok i really need to explain my tank: 75 gallon, a bit of flow from filter, plants growing, not a lot though
ph-high
kh-40ppm-120ppm
a few guppies and 2 swordtails
looking for fish that can live with my current setup bc a 75 gallon is not worth a few guppies

 

[ClownLurch]

ok i really need to explain my tank: 75 gallon, river flow, plants growing, not a lot though
ph-high
kh-40ppm-120ppm
a few guppies and 2 swordtails
looking for fish that can live with my current setup bc a 75 gallon is not worth a few guppies

Seriouslyfish.com

 

[Sgooosh]

Seriouslyfish.com

yeah but like most fish cannot live with guppies lol. i dont really want to search up every fish...

 

[Circus]

What about Molly livebearers? They are larger and need similar water parameters to guppy fish. Or some smaller old world cichlids like hard water, depending on the exact numbers you have.

 

[Essjay]

ph-high
kh-40ppm-120ppm

You've missed out the most important parameter.

What is your GH?

You've said elsewhere that you have soft water, can you tell us what your GH is please. This is the one that matters.

If it is soft, your water is not suitable for guppies or any other hard water fish. If you want to keep hard water fish you need to add something like Rift Lake cichlid salts. And you'll need a liquid GH tester to make sure you add the right amount of salts to get the GH that the fish you want need.

It's easier to keep soft water fish when you have soft water.

 

[Sgooosh]

What about Molly livebearers? They are larger and need similar water parameters to guppy fish. Or some smaller old world cichlids like hard water, depending on the exact numbers you have.

Haha yea ill maybe put mollies i already have platies.

 

[Sgooosh]

You've missed out the most important parameter.

What is your GH?

You've said elsewhere that you have soft water, can you tell us what your GH is please. This is the one that matters.

If it is soft, your water is not suitable for guppies or any other hard water fish. If you want to keep hard water fish you need to add something like Rift Lake cichlid salts. And you'll need a liquid GH tester to make sure you add the right amount of salts to get the GH that the fish you want need.

It's easier to keep soft water fish when you have soft water.

75-150 lowest was 25. I maybe accidentally used a little soft water but yeah normal is moderate to hard watr

 

[Essjay]

75 to 150 ppm is soft water. It is too low for livebearers. Guppies, platies and swordtails need over 200 ppm while mollies need over 250 ppm.

 

[Sgooosh]

75 to 150 ppm is soft water. It is too low for livebearers. Guppies, platies and swordtails need over 200 ppm while mollies need over 250 ppm.

ok, so when i do a water change how much baking soda do i have to add? my guppies seem to be doing fine in the water, they bred a lot and look pretty happy.

 

[Sgooosh]

75 to 150 ppm is soft water. It is too low for livebearers. Guppies, platies and swordtails need over 200 ppm while mollies need over 250 ppm.

should i do a water change to replenish it?

 

[Essjay]

ok, so when i do a water change how much baking soda do i have to add?

None.

Baking soda only increases carbonate. This is not what you need to do. Hard water fish suffer from calcium and magnesium depletion if kept in soft water. You need to add calcium and magnesium. Baking soda does not contain calcium or magnesium.

This is why I've been saying to ignore carbonate (as measured by KH), it's not important. It's GH we need to know, the measure of calcium and magnesium.

You can add calcium and magnesium by adding Rift Lake cichlid salts, but to know how much to add you need to buy a liquid GH tester.

 

[mbsqw1d]

What do you mean by "river flow"? To me that means you'd be after hillstream loach and danios etc?

 

[Sgooosh]

None.

Baking soda only increases carbonate. This is not what you need to do. Hard water fish suffer from calcium and magnesium depletion if kept in soft water. You need to add calcium and magnesium. Baking soda does not contain calcium or magnesium.

This is why I've been saying to ignore carbonate (as measured by KH), it's not important. It's GH we need to know, the measure of calcium and magnesium.

You can add calcium and magnesium by adding Rift Lake cichlid salts, but to know how much to add you need to buy a liquid GH tester.

Ok. Does the salt make the water brackish? Also to point out this is a new tank the old tank had hard water over some months.

 

[Sgooosh]

What do you mean by "river flow"? To me that means you'd be after hillstream loach and danios etc?

No not really it is like there is high water circulatoon

 

[EllRog]

Ok. Does the salt make the water brackish? Also to point out this is a new tank the old tank had hard water over some months.

So you have two tanks, with different hardness, from the same water source?