Water Parameters In My Tropheus 150-gallon... Feedback Req'd

[BrownBullhead]

This post is sort of a "follow-up" to my "What's the pH, gH, and kH of your water?" and "A question re: filtration, water changes, and Tropheus sp." posts...

Approximately 36 hours after yesterday's tank maintenance on the 150-gallon which was consisted of a 50% water change, completed by topping up my "SeaChem Tanganyika Buffer" and "SeaChem Cichlid Salt", my water parameters are as follows:

Please note I utilize a Hagen Master Test Kit which I received about a year ago, new in package. This kit was recommend by Petland as the one they use for customer water tests.

pH = > 8.6 (the chart shows progressively green shades, then blue... mine is purple!)

General Hardness [gH] = 300 mg/L (CaCO3) = 16.8 dH°
Carbonate Hardness [kH] = 500 mg/L (CaCO3) = 28.0 dH°

Nitr*tes are neglible, and don't even colour the test tube enough to match the lowest degree measured by the kit!

My 16 Tropheus Moorii "Nkonde" reside in the 150-gallon as the only residents. I did have 24+ Syno. Petricola (1.5 to 2.0 inches) that were sharing the tank but those have been moved into a 55-gallon and I am selling off quite a few of them anyway...

Assuming I am correct in my "vent" process and I have 9 males and 7 females, would it be reasonable to expect these guys to breed? When I had my Tropheus Black "Kiriza" as the colony in the 150-gallon, also with the Syno Petricola, they were breeding like crazy until I ran afoul in my maintenance and lost 70% of the Tropheus fry. The NKONDE have only had this tank less than two weeks, but would it sound like I am "good to go"? I didn't keep track of the parameters whiel the Kiriza were the ones who lived in the tank, so I am not sure what my conditions were that had them breeding.

I want opinions either way, so have at 'er!

 

[fishing4exotics]

What is the pH from the tap? Why do you have to add a buffer to your tank? Adding buffers will temporarily bump up the pH. The pH will drop back to the tanks normal pH. The pH swings are not good for your tropheus. You might want to add some cruched coral to your tank to keep the pH at 8.0. Crushed oyster shells will keep your pH above 8.0 if the crushed corals is not working for you already.

 

[BrownBullhead]

TAP WATER:

pH = 8.0, drops to 7.8 or 7.6 within 2-3 days...

General Hardness [gH] = 180 mg/L (CaCO3) = 10.1 dH°
Carbonate Hardness [kH] = 230 mg/L (CaCO3) = 12.9 dH°


BUFFERED AQUARIUM WATER:

pH = > 8.6 (the chart shows progressively green shades, then blue... mine is purple!)

General Hardness [gH] = 300 mg/L (CaCO3) = 16.8 dH°
Carbonate Hardness [kH] = 500 mg/L (CaCO3) = 28.0 dH°


The aquarium water remains quite "buffered" and pH "off the scale" (see above) well until next water change and even after a large water change.

 

[fishing4exotics]

So you are saying that the buffered new water stays about the same pH up to the next water change. You are not experiencing any pH swings with the water buffered with "SeaChem Tanganyika Buffer?"

 

[BrownBullhead]

Yes, the water retains 99% (so it seems) of it's "buffering" capacity after such treatment. Unless I was to go several weeks without water changes, I find that the water does indeed stay fairly stable.

Per the above, we have fairly "hard" water compared to our neighbours in Winnipeg (our water comes from different area of the province of Manitoba) and I find once I do the buffering, my water pretty much stays 8.6+ pH and hardness stays "very hard", until I refresh water in the tank with some of the tap water... even then I can usuaally get two 50% water changes before before pH would drop below 8.0.

The SeaChem Tanganyika buffer is not prone to dwindling out like those cheaper liquid buffers of lesser brand names, in my honest opinion.

But what you are saying is that in your opinion it would not be necessary for me to buffer as much as I do... I buffer with the target of 8.6+ for pH, but you are stating you believe in maintaining 8.0.

 

[fishing4exotics]

Yes, I have bred wild tropheus in pH of 8.0. However, if you are having success at 8.6+ I would stay with that or lower it to 8.0 very gradually, if you decide to.

Is your colony wild caught? If not, most likely you can acclimate your colony to a pH level of 8.0. Ask the breeder or source of your tropheus what pH level they have in their water.

 

[BrownBullhead]

My Tropheus are F1 from Ford's Fantastic Fish and he had purchased them from a dealer in Ontario somewhere in 2002. I am not sure what parameters Mr. Ford kept his fish in. I will have to get in touch with him.

 

[BrownBullhead]

OK... so a week after my last water change (50% on a 150-gallon) my water parameters are as follows:

Nitrite (NO2) = less than 0.1 mg/L
Nitrate (NO3) = less than 5 mg/L
Ammonia (NH3/4) = 0 mg/L

pH High Range = 8.4 to 8.6

Carbonate Hardness [KH] = 420 mg/L (CACO3) = 23.5° dH
General Hardness [GH] = 360 mg/L (CACO3) = 20.2° gH

Carbonate Hardness has decreased about 20%, but General Hardness [GH] has increased about 20% ??? pH is relatively unchanged.

So it would appear my tank is a well-balanced, cycled tank and it would not appear I have any overstocking issues.

16 x Tropheus Moorii Nkonde, 4 x Tanganicodus Irsacae, and 1 x Panaque Nigrolineatus.

Now, I wonder if I could get away going two weeks between water changes then? OR... perhaps cut back to 25% water change every week instead of the 50% I have been doing?

 

[fishing4exotics]

If anything I wouldn't suggest you cut back on water changes. Might trigger a bloat outbreak. Since you are having satisfactory results with 50% water changes I wouldn't It might be a good idea not to change that routine.

Great to hear that your colony is doing well

 

[BrownBullhead]

I posted up some pictures of them that I took about 12 hours ago. Check for new posts, I titled it "Pictures:" something or other.