Is pH so important?
- Thread starter Cichlidian
- Start date
No, UNLESS you have wild fish. And let me tell you my opnion on this. Fish these days have become bred so much that they can accept a wide range of Temps, pH...etc...wild fish...well they are only used to wild type water. But homebred fish, nah, they can adapt quite easily. Discus are particular about pH during breeding....but other times i don't think its a big issue.
pH also vaires a lot in the wild. Some of my experiments in Indian waters concluded that pH is higher in morning and lower at nites. Also aerating the tank also pushes the pH up. I mixed 90% RO water (pH-6.0) & tap water (pH-8.0) and aerated it. Within 3 hrs it pumped the pH from 6.5 to 8. Without aeration it was almost stable around 6.8-7.0. Also pH is a wierd phenomenon and when experimented gives unacceptable results.
I've got my discus, angels, rams, neon tetras, bloodfin tetras, rummynose tetras all in a pH of 8.0-8.2 for around a year with absolutely no problem.
I've got my discus, angels, rams, neon tetras, bloodfin tetras, rummynose tetras all in a pH of 8.0-8.2 for around a year with absolutely no problem.
I'd have to argue with C-man here...
I put some F1 alenquers raised in asia - 6.0 ph into a local tank, ph is in the high 7.6-7.8 range, they're doing fine...
Discus adapt quite readily to any pH, but they do require VERY stable conditions... Just in the last few months that I've been using a python - I've had more problems, probably due to the fact that my pH from the tap is up in the 8 range, then natural gas-off + CO2 drops it down to roughly 7. Since I started using the python (instead of prepped water) I've had to dose metro 3 times, and malachite green once... Compared to one dose of metro just after I got them...
Taffy: Bolivian rams do just fine in the 8's - I've got a breeding pair in a tank with african cichlid sand (leftovers). They are fine, still spawn monthly...
Andy
I put some F1 alenquers raised in asia - 6.0 ph into a local tank, ph is in the high 7.6-7.8 range, they're doing fine...
Discus adapt quite readily to any pH, but they do require VERY stable conditions... Just in the last few months that I've been using a python - I've had more problems, probably due to the fact that my pH from the tap is up in the 8 range, then natural gas-off + CO2 drops it down to roughly 7. Since I started using the python (instead of prepped water) I've had to dose metro 3 times, and malachite green once... Compared to one dose of metro just after I got them...
Taffy: Bolivian rams do just fine in the 8's - I've got a breeding pair in a tank with african cichlid sand (leftovers). They are fine, still spawn monthly...
Andy
Stability is important, pH is sometimes. Try to keep rift cichlids in acid conditions and you won't be successful. Try to breed softwater fish in high pH you won't be successful.
Some fish are phsiologically adapted to high pH conditions, some to low. There are always 'exceptions that prove the rule', but for some fish pH is important.
Equally so is Gh and kH. There are certainly fisharound that won't breed and have shorter lives in hardwater like cardinal tetras. Alternatively put mbuna or tropheus into blackwater conditions and see how long they live.
Some fish are phsiologically adapted to high pH conditions, some to low. There are always 'exceptions that prove the rule', but for some fish pH is important.
Equally so is Gh and kH. There are certainly fisharound that won't breed and have shorter lives in hardwater like cardinal tetras. Alternatively put mbuna or tropheus into blackwater conditions and see how long they live.
Yep, I think fish species broadly fall into one of 3 groups. pH tolerant, acidophiles and alkalophiles (spelling?)
pH tolerant is what it implies, the fish will cope with a broad spectrum, but species in the other two groups should not and can not be successfully kept at the opposite extreme, having a narrower band of tolerance.
Whatever your pH, stability is central to good husbandry as it minimises stress.
pH tolerant is what it implies, the fish will cope with a broad spectrum, but species in the other two groups should not and can not be successfully kept at the opposite extreme, having a narrower band of tolerance.
Whatever your pH, stability is central to good husbandry as it minimises stress.
Exactly. Take it if you are trying to breed discus. You aren't going to get much of a hatch rate if your water is of a higher Ph and hardness. Nor will you get much if your conductivity is off the radar. Apistos and discus have done quite well in my tap water.. Ph is around 8.5 and hardness is way up there.
For breeding pairs I use a mix of RO... probably around 3/4 RO and 1/4 tap. Gives me a good PH of around 6.5-6.8 usually and a really low hardness. Eggs most likely that are in my tap will not hatch.
For fry, if i ever get them..(damn fish keep eating the eggs), I'd slowly raise the PH little by little by using more and more tap in my mixture. Actually fry do better with harder water, as it contains necessary elements for their growth.
-Daniel
For fry, if i ever get them..(damn fish keep eating the eggs), I'd slowly raise the PH little by little by using more and more tap in my mixture. Actually fry do better with harder water, as it contains necessary elements for their growth.
-Daniel
In one of my tanks (community barebottom) I have a pair that is laying. Right now they have eggs, but unfortunately they are always eaten by the other discus. If they keep spawning I guess I will move them to their own breeding tank. The other pair in one of my 29 gallons also just laid eggs(spawn spawn.. only around 70 eggs) however, mommy ate them. They are inexperienced though, so I'm hoping they will grow out of it. If not, I'll just move mommy.
The other spawning pair I have will not lay for me right now. I don't really expect them to either. I kinda tried to force that pair, and it doesn't look like it is working, so i might just move them back to a community tank.
I have not yet tried 100% RO, but I use water conditioner for when I add tap, so there is no chlorine.
-Daniel
The other spawning pair I have will not lay for me right now. I don't really expect them to either. I kinda tried to force that pair, and it doesn't look like it is working, so i might just move them back to a community tank.
I have not yet tried 100% RO, but I use water conditioner for when I add tap, so there is no chlorine.
-Daniel