Stocking?

[JuiceBox52]

Ok. Never kept them. Just don’t want to just have livebearers

I feel you. Livebearers cam be great but other fish are more great imo. When Byron comes along I'm sure he may have some ideas

 

[Retired Viking]

I understand the concept but I just feel that so many fish like softer water or just not hard and it frustrates me bc I feel that I can literally keep African cichlids and live bearers.

I know what you mean, I have several types of tetras a soft water fish. I have to use Ro to soften my water a little to try and get them to breed. You can also use beat moss and driftwood can help but I found RO the best.

 

[Retired Viking]

AS far as African Cichlids are concern I took in 8 of them as a rescue years ago and within a year they over ran my 55 gallon tank with fry and I ended up giving away 50+ young adults to friends and the LFS. I had to remove all my other fish except a large pleco that they left alone.

 

[wtusa17]

I know what you mean, I have several types of tetras a soft water fish. I have to use Ro to soften my water a little to try and get them to breed. You can also use beat moss and driftwood can help but I found RO the best.

Ok. I have a buffering ph substrate and wood in the tank.

 

[wtusa17]

AS far as African Cichlids are concern I took in 8 of them as a rescue years ago and within a year they over ran my 55 gallon tank with fry and I ended up giving away 50+ young adults to friends and the LFS. I had to remove all my other fish except a large pleco that they left alone.

Yep. Mine just bred about a week ago. It was very cool as I gently opened the females mouth and 50 fry cams spewing out.

 

[wtusa17]

I feel you. Livebearers cam be great but other fish are more great imo. When Byron comes along I'm sure he may have some ideas

Yea. I just frustrates me sometimes because I’m like “o that would be cool to keep that fish” and then I research it and boom can’t keep them bc of my water which I can’t really do anything about it.

 

[CryptFan]

Ok. I have a buffering ph substrate and wood in the tank.

What is the hardness if the water in the tank?

 

[JuiceBox52]

Yea. I just frustrates me sometimes because I’m like “o that would be cool to keep that fish” and then I research it and boom can’t keep them bc of my water which I can’t really do anything about it.

Yeah. I am lucky I don't have that problem too bad because my water is soft which is good for most fish that I want to keep. And if I want to get a hard water species I could get substrate that hardens it. I feel your frustration though. A family friend had a huge fish room with super rare cool fish but couldnt bring them with when they moved because of the water difference

 

[wtusa17]

Yeah. I am lucky I don't have that problem too bad because my water is soft which is good for most fish that I want to keep. And if I want to get a hard water species I could get substrate that hardens it. I feel your frustration though. A family friend had a huge fish room with super rare cool fish but couldnt bring them with when they moved because of the water difference

Yea. This has been the most frustrating part since I’ve been in the hobby. It’s like your height, can’t do anything to change it. Except you can but most people say not to chase parameters and just go with the flow.

 

[wtusa17]

What is the hardness if the water in the tank?

Sorry can’t tell you this. Have no way to find out

 

[JuiceBox52]

Sorry can’t tell you this. Have no way to find out

Did you look on your water providers website?

 

[wtusa17]

Did you look on your water providers website?

People have posted before when I’ve asked questions about having certain fish in my water. Someone looked it up and so have I and it’s apparently very hard in my area to find what they are

 

[JuiceBox52]

I looked it up a d new Orleans has a water hardness of 133 ppm I do not know what that converts to in fish keeping term but will work to find out

 

[CryptFan]

People have posted before when I’ve asked questions about having certain fish in my water. Someone looked it up and so have I and it’s apparently very hard in my area to find what they are

If you have water softening substrate then your hardness will be completely different in the tank. Do you have a test kit?

 

[wtusa17]

If you have water softening substrate then your hardness will be completely different in the tank. Do you have a test kit?

I have an api master but not a gh test kit. Should I pick one up?