I have a Betta and my ph is 8.5

[pettygil]

I have a Betta and my ph is 8.5. Do bettas do well in high ph? My KH is 240
My betta likes to hang out in the bottom of my 20 Gallon tank. Do bettas normally hang out of the bottom of the tank? Sometimes my Betta will swim. I also have 3 red eyed tetras, 9 glo fish, 6 guppies, and 3 live bearer's. in my 20 gallon tank.

 

[JuiceBox52]

What’s the GH?

 

[pettygil]

 

[pettygil]

What’s the GH?

Gh is 180

 

[JuiceBox52]

if you have other fish, especially tetras and whatever species of glofish you have, your betta will be stressed and hide a lot and stay at the bottom. He should be in his own 5+ gallon aquarium, with no other fish

 

[pettygil]

if you have other fish, especially tetras and whatever species of glofish you have, your betta will be stressed and hide a lot and stay at the bottom. He should be in his own 5+ gallon aquarium, with no other fish

I'm going to buy 6.5 gallon tank for my Betta. But I have hard water. I do not know how to make my water soft

 

[Essjay]

To make hard water softer it needs to be mixed with a form of pure water such as reverse osmosis (RO) water. Mixing tap and 'pure' water half and half will give water with half the hardness of tap water.
Many LFS sell RO water (though they sometimes sell it with minerals added back which is not what's needed here) or you can buy equipment to make it at home.

 

[pettygil]

Can I use pure drinking water ,mixed with tap water? What is Rain water? When I think of Rain water. I think of standing outside with a bucket, while it rains outside. lol

 

[Essjay]

If the drinking water has nothing dissolved in it, yes it can be used. Check the label for ingredients. In the UK most bottled water still has minerals dissolved in it, and this cannot be used to reduce hardness.

What is Rain water?

Do you mean what is RO water?
This is water which has been passed through membranes to remove everything dissolved in it. Hard water is hard because it has a lot of calcium and magnesium dissolved from rocks.


However I have just realised you say your hardness is 180 - is that ppm, also called mg/l calcium carbonate? If it is, that is middling rather than hard and many soft water fish will be OK in that. Bettas are fine as are red eye tetras (though they do need to be in a bigger group as they have a reputation as a fin nipper in groups less than 8 to 10 so your guppies are at risk of being nipped). That hardness is at the lower end for guppies. You also mention "live bearers" which are presumably a species other than guppies - what are they? Some livebearers need water harder than yours.

 

[pettygil]

If the drinking water has nothing dissolved in it, yes it can be used. Check the label for ingredients. In the UK most bottled water still has minerals dissolved in it, and this cannot be used to reduce hardness.


Do you mean what is RO water?
This is water which has been passed through membranes to remove everything dissolved in it. Hard water is hard because it has a lot of calcium and magnesium dissolved from rocks.


However I have just realised you say your hardness is 180 - is that ppm, also called mg/l calcium carbonate? If it is, that is middling rather than hard and many soft water fish will be OK in that. Bettas are fine as are red eye tetras (though they do need to be in a bigger group as they have a reputation as a fin nipper in groups less than 8 to 10 so your guppies are at risk of being nipped). That hardness is at the lower end for guppies. You also mention "live bearers" which are presumably a species other than guppies - what are they? Some livebearers need water harder than yours.

I'm not sure if my water hardness is ppm. I just got the 180 reading. I also have 9 glo tetras and 3 red eyed tetras. I also have 6 guppies. and 3 live bearer's.

 

[pettygil]

I'm not sure if my water hardness is ppm. I just got the 180 reading. I also have 9 glo tetras and 3 red eyed tetras. I also have 6 guppies. and 3 live bearer's. I'm not sure what kind live bearer's I have.

 

[Essjay]

If you post a photo of the 3 unknown livebearers we can ID them for you. Of the common livebearers, guppies are OK on middling hardness while platies, mollies and swordtails need it harder than 180 ppm.

 

[GaryE]

This is heresy to some, but your Betta is an air breather. He is largely unaffected by ammonia, or by hardness. He needs clean water because human choices have left him with huge, unnatural fins, and things get caught in them in a dirty tank.
Glofish are usually GMOed black skirt tetras, or zebra danios, and both have been known to nip at tasty Betta fins. Bettas are fine in communities, but the companion fish have to be carefully chosen and all 3 you have are inclined to experiment with their diet. Betta fins are nutritional, and breeders want big fins, not an ability to defend themselves if the other fish discover the food source.

 

[Slaphppy7]

The red eye tetras would be the nippiest of the bunch against that betta, especially in such a small shoal

 

[pettygil]

A video of my fishes