What Fish Fits Best With My Tap Water?

[Saver]

I'm in the process of setting up a 48 gallon tank. I'd like for it to be planted and suitable for Discus this summer.

Anyway, I thought I'd post the numbers of my tap water before I get my heart totally set on a certain fish. I used a "Taylor" drop/liquid test kit. (I will be getting an API master test kit for the tank before I get it started.)

-PH 6.8
-ALK 190 ppm
-Calcium Hardness 130 ppm
-TDS (dip stick, not confident in accuracy) 5,000 ppm high

We have a well, so no chlorine to deal with. I tested for calcium harness. Is that what you all are calling "general hardness". I'm assuming not. I do know what have high levels of magnesium and maybe iron. We have to use a sequestering agent when we raise the water in our pool each spring. If we don't, then the metals come out when I shock with chlorine and the water turns brown.

-What fish would be suitable to live in my tap water?
-Do I need to add a "water conditioner" or anything to my water before adding it to the tank when it comes time to do water changes?

I'm a beginner and finding it hard to figure out how to put the whole combination together. What water is suitable for what fish...how much light do they like....what plants will grow in that amount of light...then how much CO2 does everything need. AAAHHH!!!! (Maybe I need to plant the tank and put in plastic fish!) LOL

All I am certain of is that my tank will be 48 gallons, around 96watts of light and pretty well planted. No added CO2 (for now). I have no desire to buy an RO filter thing at this point.

Any advice for a newbie? I sure could use it.

 

[Tessla]

Hello there, looks like your tap water should be good for most tropicals! Your Taylor kit should be fine, it sounds like it's a liquid kit and tests for everything you need so I wouldn't bother buying an API kit. The key is to stay away from dip strips.

Calcium hardness is GH (general hardness) and ALK is KH (alkalinity/buffering capacity), you've got some decent buffering capacity so you shouldn't have to worry much about pH swings and your water is soft, so it should be just about perfect for discus and fine for most everything but some invertebrates and african cichlids. If you did want to keep hard water fish, it's very easy to increase your GH, KH and pH for them, very difficult to go from hard water to soft though. (I'm beginning to envy your water supply, mine has a pH of 8 from the tap, loads of junk dissolved in it and lots of chlorine.)

Unfortunately, your tank is on the small size for discus, I wouldn't go any smaller than 55 gallons but 75+ would be ideal. If you have no chlorine or chloramines to deal with, then you shouldn't need a water conditioner. You will want to fishless cycle before adding any fish, so get yourself a bottle of pure ammonia and read the pinned topic. I'm assuming that your test kit can test for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. If not, get yourself the API kit, you'll need those tests for cycling and fish. While you're cycling, you can check out the planted forums for info on plants and decide what sort of fish you want to keep. If you make up a list, members on the forums would be glad to look over it and let you know what stocking levels would be appropriate.

Good luck with your new tank!

 

[Saver]

Thanks for your reply. I was assuming I had hard water, so I'm glad I asked.

My taylor kit doesn't test for the nitrites and all that.

I'm just going to have to forget the Discus. My LFS has several tanks of different Discus and they're so pretty. I'll pick some other fish that fit the tank better.