My water and what fish I can keep.

[Bdoggy]

So right from the tap I'm looking at a ph of 8.0, carbonate of 300 and GH of 75-100... Those first two are basically at the top of the chart for their category. The GH however is in an acceptable range.... What does this mean for what types of fish I can keep.
We still talking only cichlids and live bearers?.
If so that's fine. I just need to know.

Oh also I have an odd tank... Its a 35gallon cube. 22"by22"... Should I just treat that as a 20gallon when looking at fish?... Nobody does reviews on 35g tanks. It's either 20 or 29 gallon...
Thanks,
B.

 

[Rocky998]

So right from the tap I'm looking at a ph of 8.0, carbonate of 300 and GH of 75-100... Those first two are basically at the top of the chart for their category. The GH however is in an acceptable range.... What does this mean for what types of fish I can keep.
We still talking only cichlids and live bearers?.
If so that's fine. I just need to know.
Thanks,
B.

Oof... You've got my water. My PH is 8.1 with a low GH and a high KH... Which is weird but it works for me. I keep species that can be kept in a PH of 7-7.8. That has worked well. I have peacock gudgeons and they breed all the time

 

[BrianK]

I have similar water and went with Tiger Barbs and a Bristlenose Pleco.

 

[Bdoggy]

Oof... You've got my water. My PH is 8.1 with a low GH and a high KH... Which is weird but it works for me. I keep species that can be kept in a PH of 7-7.8. That has worked well. I have peacock gudgeons and they breed all the time

Oof?... Haha that bad eh?

 

[Rocky998]

Oof?... Haha that bad eh?

Some people here will say you basically can't keep any fish, but if you choose well, the fish will thrive.
Like I wouldn't get chili rasboras that like really acidic waters of 4.0-6.0... Stick with species that are not hard water but can stay in a "higher" PH such as 7.5 or 7.8

 

[GaryE]

You have decent water for coastal freshwater species, some livebearers, and Rift lake Cichlids (not all Cichlids!). You could have celebes rainbows, many barbs, Xiphophoris, Poecilia, ,amy rainbows... lots of mainstream available species.

 

[Bdoggy]

Some people here will say you basically can't keep any fish, but if you choose well, the fish will thrive.
Like I wouldn't get chili rasboras that like really acidic waters of 4.0-6.0... Stick with species that are not hard water but can stay in a "higher" PH such as 7.5 or 7.8

No fish at all?... Sheesh!. I tested my roommates tank and it's about the same.. maybe 7.5 instead of 8.0 ph.. he has a couple large pieces of driftwood though.. He has axolotls in there that have been fine for 6 months or more. Also I know plenty of people that keep fish here... I thought cichlids were good for hard water?

 

[Bdoggy]

You have decent water for coastal freshwater species, some livebearers, and Rift lake Cichlids (not all Cichlids!). You could have celebes rainbows, many barbs, Xiphophoris, Poecilia, ,amy rainbows... lots of mainstream available species.

Well that's a relief... Thank you.. I'll look into these types of fish.... But yeah I was leaning towards cichlids. My current tank is 35 gallon cube though... Only 22"x22"

 

[Wills]

It is unusual water conditions but not uncommon even in nature, I've been reading a lot about habitats in places like Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietname and Laos and the landscape there has a high chance of running through hills and mountains that will harden and add alkalinity to it before sitting in flooded areas that soften the water but leave the alkalinity. Interestingly some of the fish from these regions live in quite a broad range of these parameters through the year and their lifespan so some of them, for me, add a question mark over if a fish is a soft or hardwater species from that region. And in those groups are a lot of Rasboras, Loaches and Gourami as well as some 'oddballs' like Badis, Gobies and others.

It is safe to say though that you should avoid 'Rainforest' species like those from South America and those found in South East Asia.

That said though I like where you are thinking with a cichlid tank and I would go with a Tanganyikan Cichlid tank with some shell dwellers and rock dwellers. Neolamprologus Caudopunctatus would be top of my list, perhaps with something like Brichardi or Altolamprologs, Sumbu Shell is a great species and does not get that big.

An other option would be a pair of central american cichlids like an Amatitlania or Cryptoheros species, really looking at the smallest species like Nanoluteus or Cutteri with a group of live bearers as dither fish in the upper third.

Wills

 

[Rocky998]

No fish at all?... Sheesh!. I tested my roommates tank and it's about the same.. maybe 7.5 instead of 8.0 ph.. he has a couple large pieces of driftwood though.. He has axolotls in there that have been fine for 6 months or more. Also I know plenty of people that keep fish here... I thought cichlids were good for hard water?

Well you don't have hard water... So you can't really keep "hardwater" species really... But try to keep species that she close to your conditions like I do and others

 

[Grizleyguy]

Convicts and hrp will work. White cloud minnows and zebra dannio will also work for non cichlids. I have similar water but harder and all these fish have worked well for me in my 2 fish tanks

 

[Colin_T]

You have decent water for coastal freshwater species, some livebearers, and Rift lake Cichlids (not all Cichlids!). You could have celebes rainbows, many barbs, Xiphophoris, Poecilia, ,amy rainbows... lots of mainstream available species.

Their tank size is the issue (22 inch cube), which means no rainbowfish due to lack of swimming space.

 

[Bdoggy]

It is unusual water conditions but not uncommon even in nature, I've been reading a lot about habitats in places like Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietname and Laos and the landscape there has a high chance of running through hills and mountains that will harden and add alkalinity to it before sitting in flooded areas that soften the water but leave the alkalinity. Interestingly some of the fish from these regions live in quite a broad range of these parameters through the year and their lifespan so some of them, for me, add a question mark over if a fish is a soft or hardwater species from that region. And in those groups are a lot of Rasboras, Loaches and Gourami as well as some 'oddballs' like Badis, Gobies and others.

It is safe to say though that you should avoid 'Rainforest' species like those from South America and those found in South East Asia.

That said though I like where you are thinking with a cichlid tank and I would go with a Tanganyikan Cichlid tank with some shell dwellers and rock dwellers. Neolamprologus Caudopunctatus would be top of my list, perhaps with something like Brichardi or Altolamprologs, Sumbu Shell is a great species and does not get that big.

An other option would be a pair of central american cichlids like an Amatitlania or Cryptoheros species, really looking at the smallest species like Nanoluteus or Cutteri with a group of live bearers as dither fish in the upper third.

Wills

I'm leaning towards cichlids but not certain.. I noticed most cichlid tanks don't have plants... Do they eat or displace the plants?.. I really want live plants...
And thanks for the information,
B.

 

[Bdoggy]

It is unusual water conditions but not uncommon even in nature, I've been reading a lot about habitats in places like Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietname and Laos and the landscape there has a high chance of running through hills and mountains that will harden and add alkalinity to it before sitting in flooded areas that soften the water but leave the alkalinity. Interestingly some of the fish from these regions live in quite a broad range of these parameters through the year and their lifespan so some of them, for me, add a question mark over if a fish is a soft or hardwater species from that region. And in those groups are a lot of Rasboras, Loaches and Gourami as well as some 'oddballs' like Badis, Gobies and others.

It is safe to say though that you should avoid 'Rainforest' species like those from South America and those found in South East Asia.

That said though I like where you are thinking with a cichlid tank and I would go with a Tanganyikan Cichlid tank with some shell dwellers and rock dwellers. Neolamprologus Caudopunctatus would be top of my list, perhaps with something like Brichardi or Altolamprologs, Sumbu Shell is a great species and does not get that big.

An other option would be a pair of central american cichlids like an Amatitlania or Cryptoheros species, really looking at the smallest species like Nanoluteus or Cutteri with a group of live bearers as dither fish in the upper third.

Wills

My water comes from a local reservoir which is filled by the tuolumne river coming out of the sierra Nevada mountains...

 

[ClownLurch]

No Zebras or Rainbows as tanks too small.
Medaka?