water change day, too hot to work outside

[Magnum Man]

doing a few things differently… as I constantly over flow tanks adding back hard well water through my 1/4 inch lines… I’ve dedicated a timer on my phone as a water change timer ( now if I can remember to use it )

most of my tanks downstairs are using straight RO water, so in tanks with any kind of turn over… I’ve begun adding some minerals back through my had well water… ie…
in my African tank, most of the fish are doing well, but my congo tetras have been turning over after a few months, so hoping adding back some minerals will help… this tank gets some mild mannered cichlids added next week… ( Anomalochromis thomasi ) and ( Hemichromis exsul ), as all the tetras left are larger sized the exsul, will appreciate a little more hardness to the water…

the well water was run in 1/4 inch lines, when this was set up, not to specifically fill these tanks, that is done with RO, but to add back varying amounts of minerals… so far the asian and south American fish seem fine with pure RO, the African tank seems to most need some minerals added back…

 

[gwand]

My South American and West African tanks get 100% RO water. I add alder cones and Cappa leaves after each water change so the tannins bring the TDS to around 50 ppm. My livebearer and Lake Tanganyikan tanks gets straight well water with a TDS of around 450 ppm.

 

[GaryE]

Rubricatochromis exsul is a beauty, but it likes minerals in its tanks, as you noticed. It's also a mild jewel species, but that's relative. All jewels are ferocious defenders of their young. I got to watch R. guttatus (these fish used to be in Hemichromis til research showed them to be different) in a river, and their fry defence was exactly what it is in tanks. They didn't run away from us and stood their ground.

These Kenyan Cichlids have the same territorial needs as the smaller, softwater Anomalochromis thomasi, but will be much tougher. That's an overlap you'll have to watch.They come from across the continent from exsul and a long way from the Congo.

I know we're veering away from water, but I've tried several species in that fairly recent Genus that were reputed to be milder, and they weren't. They breed like conspiracy theories and like a good fight. I'll be very curious to see if exsul is a good one for you. You'll know before Christmas. But they are beautiful...