Alkaline water!

[Tatya]

Checked the water in Perth - its pretty much the same alkaline water as St A's bah humbug!

So it looks like my Amazon tank is out of the window (splash, smash, AAARRRGGGHHH!!)).

Isn't one of the lakes of Cichlids quite alkaline? Malawi? I can't really remember!

How easy are cichlids to keep? I've now two years experience with my once community now barb tank. Would that be enough?

 

[Davy Reynolds]

Most lake cichlids are from hard waters. There easyish to keep, once you know how. But also if you still want to keep Amazons it won't be that hard to sofen the water

 

[Tatya]

What about gouramis too? Are cichlids and gouramis aggressive outwith their own species? Or would they just fight each other (two males etc)?

What about Clown Loaches - would it be too alkaline for them - they like it slightly alkaline right?

HHmmm sixty questions

 

[adeyc]

you forgot the other 56 questions. lol :laugh: Cichlids, gouramis can be grumpy a lot of it can be down to personality, if there young they can be put in a tank with smaller fish with ver few fataluties but the older ones that aren't used to small fish will be a bit aggressive till they decide on a pecking order. I've had gouramis and angels in a tank with clowns, kuhlis,tetras and various others with no real problems. I can't introduce any small fish now though apart from rummies the seem to get left alone anything else gets eaten or killed.
Most fish will aclimatise to any water but introduce them slowly. ( things might have changed since I read up on this I'll go look see)

 

[Davy Reynolds]

How high is the water readings??

 

[Tatya]

Looked to be just under 8 - but I haven't got a high range pH test kit yet.

I'll get that when I go to UDA on Friday - anyone want anything from there?  

 

[Davy Reynolds]

Na but you can ask him if he wants any Congo Tetras, Plus a few other fish.

just under 8 isnt that high. A bit of peat will bring that down fine

 

[Kenliz]

Tatya i'm suprised Perths what is that High (ph). Could you test the KH and GH to see how hard the water is. What is the ph of the tap water when left over night.

 

[Alien Anna]

Looked to be just under 8 - but I haven't got a high range pH test kit yet.

pH <8 ? I *dream* of a pH that low! Our water around here is between 8.4 and 9.0 - and you have to chew it rather than drink it!

But it is entirely possible to have an Amazon tank by softening you water, by filtering through moss peat. The Marksfish site has some wonderful, simple instructions for how to do it, in the DIY section.

It's like making filter coffee really. On another group, Marksfish explained how you can use garden centre moss peat to save money, but recommended to phone the manufacturers just to make sure it's pure peat.

Alternatively, you could have a Tanganyikan dwarf cichlid tank, but for that you might find your pH is a little too low!  :0

P.S. The Tetra pH tests cover a large range

 

[Davy Reynolds]

Yeah theres plenty of things to do and yes garden centre peat has some nasties so you need to check first.

Boy you guys at at the wrong end my water is so soft just now :grin:

 

[Tatya]

I'll check KH and GH tomorrow - then I'll have water from the right reservoir too

- The water had been left for a while prob 3 hrs at least.

Anna   - do you try to change your water or go with how high it is?

 

[Alien Anna]

Anna   - do you try to change your water or go with how high it is?

Hi, I have been changing my water a lot recently because I've had terrible problems with water quality and have had to do a total tank strip-down, followed by the use of various medications to treat my sick/stressed fish.

Because I have an Amazon tank I am intending to set up a system of filtering water-change water through pond peat, to reduce the pH, but I have to go slowly to avoid shocking my fish. Before the strip-down, pH was less of an issue because the filth that lived in my gravel was quite acidic (which was the only good thing you could say about it ).

For the future, I'm intending to set up an E.African tank, with fish that suit high pH.