What is your pH? I would not mess with the ph if I could keep from it. Apistogramma,and Rams would prefer(need) soft acidic water with pH values of 6.0 to 6.8 in my view for their long term health and for breeding activities. The gourami and cherry barbs are not a good fit with the Firemouth compatibility wise, but would fair well in neutral or basic pH values of 7.0 to around 7.8 if acclimated slowly. In my opinion it is always better to keep fish that do well in the water most easily and readily available to you ,as opposed to trying to adjust water to suit the fish. Many ,Many, fish are killed in this often futile effort. Once you gain a better understanding of chemical aspects of maintainig water quality,, then perhaps you can try setting up tank ,or tanks ,for fish who require water other than what you have readily available. I would resist the urge to try the many pH up or down products until I had a firm grasp on how they might affect the fish. Stable ph values are always better than fluctuating parameters for ALL tropical fish. |