Question about ph
- Thread starter Shaunm81
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Welcome to TFF. 
The GH is the crucial parameter (aside from temperature). The pH will generally follow the GH and KH...if the GH is high (hard water) the pH will tend to be basic (above 7). If the GH is very low (soft to very soft water) the pH will tend to be acidic (below 7). Matching the GH to the fish's requirements is safest, and let the pH follow. Attempts to adjust pH are usually unsuccessful because of the connection to GH/KH, and fluctuating pH is very dangerous to fish.
The GH is the crucial parameter (aside from temperature). The pH will generally follow the GH and KH...if the GH is high (hard water) the pH will tend to be basic (above 7). If the GH is very low (soft to very soft water) the pH will tend to be acidic (below 7). Matching the GH to the fish's requirements is safest, and let the pH follow. Attempts to adjust pH are usually unsuccessful because of the connection to GH/KH, and fluctuating pH is very dangerous to fish.
I agree. You really shouldn’t worry about a 0.1 ph difference.
lazarusthefishboy10
Fish Crazy
same! You could probably get some danios and tetras depending on the size of it!
Great Thank you guys so much. I appreciate the help. I live in a area where my ph used to be 7.6 but they done away with that water source and put us on a different one and its very hard water with calcium and all that white stuff and I'm getting ready to buy a brand new tank and wanted to use the other water source instead of this tap water. I have kept Oscars for many years and had great success with them but unfortunately when they switched water sources I never even knew anything about it and it killed my Oscar. I miss them fish and just got thinking about trying to get another setup. Thank you all so much for the help.
That makes it even more important to check the GH and KH of your source water. You should also check the pH 24 hours after it comes out of the tap (just leave it in a glass. GH and KH can be tested immediately.
If you post the numbers and units for GH and KH, as well as the pH of water that has stood for 24 hours we can advise what will work and you can decide whether you are happy with that or if you need to find an alternate source.
Alrighty I thought about a Oscar but today I bought a new 29 gallon tank with the stand and heater led top and power filter. I am going with Neon Tetras or a couple Angelfish maybe them Hatchet fish I'm not sure really just yet. Thanks guys
Retired Viking
Fish Connoisseur
If you still have very hard water neon tetras and hatchet fish are a soft water fish and angelfish prefer soft but can handle a little harder water do not pick these fish. Mollies and most live-bearers can handle hard water.
Hi no I'm planning on using the water with the Lower ph 5.9 with those. I guess Hatchet fish like a lower ph from what I've been reading. Just trying to take things slowly so I know I get it right. I spoke with the owner of my local pet store and he said the 5.9 would be okay for angelfish and said he even knows of a guy that keeps discus in that water also. I know a lot of these pet stores give out bad advice but fortunately this one here always steers folks in the right direction fortunately.
Shaenm81, I'm a bit confused here, can you explain this for us. You talk about very hard water, and then about pH 5.9 in "other" water. What is the GH (general hardness) of your source (tap) water you will be using? That is what matters most, the pH will follow. But, could you also explain a pH of 5.9 for the "hard" water...this is not normal.
Okay sorry for the confusion here I have a hard time with explaining myself. I used to keep Oscars back several years ago and during that time we had a ph of 7.6 right out of the tap. Well I don't know why in the world they did it but they put us on a different water source with a ph of like 8.6 or 8.8 something really high. Well I got out of fish keeping because they switched our water source to this new water of that sky high ph and as I was doing water changes I didn't even know it and the ph shock killed my fish. I didn't know at the time that they even did this so I got out of fish keeping after that. Well I got thinking about getting back into fish keeping using spring water about 5 miles from my house that everyone goes to collect to drink. I done some googling on it and found tests came out with a ph of 5.9 so I decided to go with the spring water but I need fish that would work in the lower ph range and everything I've found is that angelfish, neon tetras and hatchet fish would do fine with that water. I was talking to my local pet store owner who's very honest and gives out honest advice and everyone around here buys fish from him anyway I was talking to him about the water and he said it is fine and a guy comes in the pet store keeps discus in that water and works perfectly. I got thinking about it and decided that it would be best not to put a Oscar in the lower ph and find something that'll be better suited for it. I decided between the fish listed above. Again sorry for the confusion
OK, so let's clear this up. When you set up the new aquarium, you will not be using tap water, but you will be collecting water from a Spring?
What is the GH of your tap water? What is the GH of the Spring water?
What is the GH of your tap water? What is the GH of the Spring water?
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