High Ph - Which Fish Are Suitable?

[Ch4rlie]

Am in process of doing a fishless cycle and have now found that my tap water (left in glass overnight and tested) and tank pH are at quite a high level of pH - 8.2 

 according to my API Master Test Kit.
 
I have not yet tested the GH or Kh of my tap water as don't have those test kits yet.
 
According to my research I believe that its much easier just to find fish that are suitable for my pH level as it is very steady at that level of 8.2 rather than trying to use any chemicals such as pH Down or using distilled water which would prove rather expensive or changing to RO.
 
Also believe that in constantly trying to change levels of pH with fish in tank may prove to be too stressful to any fish and resulting in unnecessary fish deaths.

 
Think would be ultimately a losing battle trying to keep tank/tap water at a steady lower level of pH 

 
So, would much appreciated if anyone can help with suggestions as to which fish would be happy at 8.2. 
 
BTW not really interested in doing any Marine or Malawi type tanks yet as am very much a novice at this even though pH at 8.2 is pretty good for this I believe. Maybe one day in future I may be tempted to do this but not at the moment though! 

 
Tank is a Fluval Roma 90L (23 US Gal) with live plants for your info.
If anyone need any further details, just give me a shout! Thanks in advance

 

[TwoTankAmin]

If your water is hard enough as well, look into lake Tanganyika shell dwellers.
 
http/www.shelldwellers.com/shelldwellerbasics.php

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Malawi are fine beginner fish, especially if your pH is naturally in this range.  The problem with some folks and Malawi are that they need to mess with the pH to get a suitable environment for them.
 
 
Some other fish that appreciate a higher pH would include many Rainbowfish, livebearers and even some gudgeons.

 

[KirkyArcher]

throw one or two peat moss balls in the tank that'll drop the ph and it's all natural

 

[Ch4rlie]

eagle - Really? 

Rainbowfish and livebearers? I thought all were generally down the scale of pH, around 6.8 to 7.5 
 
Was really despondent earlier and thought would have to start afresh despite all my efforts and money on setting up my first tank.
 
I did not want to do Malawi to start off with, wanted to get tropical fish first then at a later date may consider having Malawi.
 
You have really given me some hope,

 would you happen to know which sort of livebearers and rainbowfish that would not mind waters at 8.2
 
Thanks
 
KirkyArcher - peat moss balls? would that help keep pH levels down consistently? I thought that trying to lower pH consistently is pretty hard, even for expeirenced keepers, I read a thread from 2Tank earlier that this is quite a hard task.
 
Of course since am a newbie, could completely and utterly wrong. Will need to do more research 

 
Thanks

 

[KirkyArcher]

some controversy exists about use of sphagnum peat moss balls, saying they primarily soften water but they do effectively drop ph as does adding bogwood, slight variations in ph aren't going to be disastrous, when readings get high just give them a squeeze to wring out some peaty residue (tried so very hard to avoid recommending you squeeze your balls) 

  http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfTW2vgus6Y    http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZL4PJO05BpM

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Swordtails can handle pH easily up to 8.0, and as long as the water is stable, even higher.
 
Mollys are great fish for higher pH.  Black mollys in particular are going to really thrive in a high pH, high kH tank.  They can handle pH up to about 8.5 easily.
 
Guppies, Florida Flagfish
 
 
Check in to the: Empire Gudgeon... Amazing fish, if you can find it.  They can handle pH of a WIDE variety from 5.0-9.0!!! 

 

[Ch4rlie]

some controversy exists about use of sphagnum peat moss balls, saying they primarily soften water but they do effectively drop ph as does adding bogwood, slight variations in ph aren't going to be disastrous, when readings get high just give them a squeeze to wring out some peaty residue (tried so very hard to avoid recommending you squeeze your balls) 

  http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfTW2vgus6Y    http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZL4PJO05BpM

LOL!!

  thanks for that will certainly check out sphagnum peat moss balls, thanks for that tip.
 
eagles - thanks so much for your input. Will check these out.
 
Whew 

Am happy now!

 

[Zante]

If you can find them consider desert gobies.
They are amazingly tough little fishes.
They live in temperatures between 5 Celsius and 40 Celsius, in waters from moderately hard to twice the salinity of marine.

They are fairly short lived, but very prolific, so if you get a colony going you will have quite a generational turnover.

Have a look on YouTube for them and you'll see their antics.

 

[Ch4rlie]

Zante - excellent suggestion. Had not even considered Gobies. 

Sure will check them out. Thanks

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Rift lake cichlids are tropical fish. What about the following info about this tank?
 
"Tank is a Fluval Roma 90L (23 US Gal) with live plants for your info."
 
Small tank needs small fish
 
Archer could you also let the OP know exactly how much peat moss he needs to add to drop the pH by lets say 1.0  and then how long it should stay down there. Also how should he deal with changing water: What if he doesn't want stained water? Oh yes how much pH change can the fish he hasn't decided on yet take when you say "slight variations in ph aren't going to be disastrous." I slight a .2 change in 5 minutes or a 1.0 change in 24 hours?
 
Ch4rlie, when I say it isn't so easy to change your pH and hold it in the new range, it really isn't. If you are serious about wanting to do I would be happy to explain what is involved. It is not so simple as squeezing some peat into a tank now and then. I would most of all try to deter you from trying to change your params and to work work what comes out of your tap.

 

[Ch4rlie]

TTA - thanks for your inputs. Very useful info as I was wary about trying to change the levels of pH and KH is not a easy task even for experienced keepers.
 
I have read one of your post regarding the effort it takes to change the parameters of tap water (can't remember which thread it was), and to me, its way too much for a newbie to take on.
 
This is why I said in my first post -
 
 
"According to my research I believe that its much easier just to find fish that are suitable for my pH level as it is very steady at that level of 8.2 rather than trying to use any chemicals such as pH Down or using distilled water which would prove rather expensive or changing to RO.
 
Also believe that in constantly trying to change levels of pH with fish in tank may prove to be too stressful to any fish and resulting in unnecessary fish deaths. 

 
Think would be ultimately a losing battle trying to keep tank/tap water at a steady lower level of pH 

 "
 
So therefore you can see that I am not keen to down down this road of changing pH levels and would much rather find fish that I would like that is much more suited to the water levels that I have now rather than changing the water to suit the fish.
 
This was why I was a bit despondent earlier as was having a hard time trying to find fish that would suit my water levels as I do not know many types of fish yet being a newbie.
 
And yes, cichlids are truly beautiful fish and i DO want to have them one day, just not for my first efforts on my first tank. Thats why I was happy with eagles reply with suggestions of fish that may suit my requirements esp Empire Gudgeons.
 
Much appreciated and if I ever want to try changing the parameters of my tap water in the far future, you'll be the first person I will ask in regards to that 

 

[Ch4rlie]

Hello!!
 
My tank is now finally fully cycled!! Hooray!! 

 
I having had thought about what I can stock my 90 litre tank with, I've come to this choice, please let me know what you think :
 
5 x Bronze Cory (Corydoras aenus)
5 x Dwarf Rainbowfish (Melanotaenia maccullochi)
6 x Endler (Poecillia wingei)
 
Also may get a few shrimps and a few assassin snails (do have some common snails already which assassin snails will keep under control!!)
 
Am not planning to have any fry or breeding therefore most, if not all, will be males as there are more colourful IMO.
 
I am actually pretty confused as to whether this is overstocked for my sized tank or not as some other sites say this is adequate but I feel as if this is overstocked.

 So any clarification would be welcome.
 
And now I have tested the tank water since I have installed my Fluval U2 filter with a Tetratec Ex 1200, water parameters are at a steady 8.0 pH (kH 125.8 ppm and gH 232.7 ppm, this is for tank water but tap water is at similar levels), water temp is currently kept at 24 to 25 C / 75 - 77 F.
 
Also in the tank are:
Pea Gravel
Live plants
Bogwood
 
Any suggestions or comments will be gratefully received 

 

[fluttermoth]

I wouldn't want to put corydoras on pea gravel, tbh, they do do much better on sand.

Leave them out and get a few more of the rainbows, and perhaps have some shrimp or snails? Many of them prefer harder water too.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Pea gravel and cories aren't a great option.  Its not bad, just not as good as sand for cories...
 
I'd say that's a pretty heavy stocking, but I'm not sure I'd call it "over"stocked.   If you keep the maintenance up, and have a good amount of surface movement, it should be fine.
 
8.0 is rather high pH for cories though... So beware.  Talk to your LFS about THEIR water chemistry and pH, so that you can see how their fish fare in that water.  Also, try to get stock that have been in the LFS for a while rather than newly added - the stock that's been there a while will be better acclimated for your water.

Just seeing flutter's suggestion - that's a great one.  More rainbows will be better than the cories... more natural looking.  You'll never get 'natural' behavior from cories on pea gravel.