Water parameters for altums?

[njparton]

I'm about to give my remaining clown loach and gourami back to my LFS and purchase a couple of altum angelfish.

I have an RO system and keep my planted tank at around ph 6, GH 40-50ppm & KH 70 ppm, temp 26C.

What parameters are ideal for altums? My existing (scalare) angels seem to be thriving under the above conditions.

 

[finnster]

In reply to your post njp - I keep Altums too, had them a few months now.
I don't have an RO system and my personal belief is that it's only really needed for breeding purposes.

I use API liquid test kits and my latest tests showed the following:
pH - 6.0-6.2
NO3 - 10-20
GH - 7
KH - 2-3

I maintain my temp at 82 deg F.

The 6 Altums have the following tank companions:
Large shoal (18) Cardinals
2 Bristlenose
7 Corys - Similis, Trilineatus, Sterbai
3 Oto's

They appear to be extremely settled and happy and eat most foods - Tetra Crisps, Pro and normal Tetra Flake; Doromin; cat pellets - and especially Tetra Prima.
* No - I dont work for Tetra! LOL!

They love all the frozen stuff too - Mysis, Artemia, Daphnia etc and especially Bloodworm.
Their favourite - earthworms - they go wild for them.

Good luck!

 

[njparton]

In reply to your post njp - I keep Altums too, had them a few months now.
I don't have an RO system and my personal belief is that it's only really needed for breeding purposes.

I use API liquid test kits and my latest tests showed the following:
pH - 6.0-6.2
NO3 - 10-20
GH - 7
KH - 2-3

I maintain my temp at 82 deg F.

The 6 Altums have the following tank companions:
Large shoal (18) Cardinals
2 Bristlenose
7 Corys - Similis, Trilineatus, Sterbai
3 Oto's

They appear to be extremely settled and happy and eat most foods - Tetra Crisps, Pro and normal Tetra Flake; Doromin; cat pellets - and especially Tetra Prima.
* No - I dont work for Tetra! LOL!

They love all the frozen stuff too - Mysis, Artemia, Daphnia etc and especially Bloodworm.
Their favourite - earthworms - they go wild for them.

Good luck!

Thanks for your reply

82F is about 28C so maybe I need to increase the temp in my tank a bit.

I bought an RO system because of the NO3 and PO4 in my tap water, which is otherwise fairly soft.

I like the fact that I can control the GH and KH more closely and the health of my fish has visibly improved. It is a lot of messing however. Just changed from a 50 to 100 gpd membrane so now I get a container full of replacement water in 3 hours rather than overnight

Let's hope I can get some altums breeding