Aquarium Plan w/ Hard 8.0 PH water

[inth3shadows]

Looking to get back into the hobby, but my water parameters might not be ideal and I am not looking to throw money away acquiring fish that won't do well.
Background: kept fish for many years in the past including tropheus, central american community, crencicichla regani.
I plan on getting something between 55gal and 125gal (i'd prefer a 125). My local market (northern michigan) is slim pickings. The plan will be to set it up and heavily plan with ~9000 lumens full spectrum light overhead.

I plan to setup a water change system that runs once to twice a day for a specific amount of time with a sump under the aquarium and a sump overflow setup that drains excessive water out. (no fish will be acquired before this step)

With the tank being medium to heavily planted with good light, probably a good amount of decaying matter, do you think this would work? If i put the work into this, I would prefer to expect the likelihood of breeding.

Currently my plan is to get the tank and slowly stock plants, and fish. Last would be the apistogramma species.
Initial idea is

apistogramma (trio) (last to acquire)

German blue rams (2)

Nannostomus marginatus (10)(first to acquire)

neon tetra (or other) (15) (second to acquire)

Corydoras (6) (third to acquire)

Open to thoughts on stocking or if this would even work.

 

[Apistoguy52]

Doesn’t really look to me like any of the fish you have listed will be very happy with hard, high pH water. I’d either dance with who I brought, and lean towards the Central American and african rift lake fish that would enjoy that water, or start budgeting for the equipment (RO filter) that will allow you to tailor your water to the list of fish you’d like.

 

[inth3shadows]

I suppose I might have to check with a plumbing expert. My biggest concern with adding an RO system is the lack of ability to have automation.
Ie - automated water change wouldn't be automated as I am not finding simple ways to do a RO/TAP blending in line.

Anyone here done something like that?

( only one place seems to have a TDS blending and its at a commercial scale, which is where I've seen something similar before. Example: brewery)

This looks like it might fit the bill though.

 

[MacZ]

to do a RO/TAP blending

Actually... pure RO with added humic substances (colloquially "tannins") will do excellent for the listed species. Nobody is saying blackwater, but definitely softwater. That opens up the possibility of an automated waterchange from a sufficiently sized reservoir. That in turn would give you some slack with the performance the RO unit has to deliver. And to be honest, then decaying material in the main tank doesn't require high performance filtration. Most of the necessary processes happen on the surfaces in the tank.

And the waterproblem aside:
- Nannostomus and Mikrogeophagus don't just prefer soft water, they also prefer above average (24-26°C) temperatures. They do better at 27-29°. Considering how finicky some tetras can be it would be good to choose a fitting one. P. innesi do better at average tropical temperatures. Rather P. axelrodi or others from the Orinoco or Rio Negro drainage would fit the bill.
- More than one species of dwarf cichlid may go very badly for one of them.

 

[inth3shadows]

hmm. I'll reconsider the stocking plan and also look at
Apistogramma tank (ro water) vs other option ( no ro water)

Ro would still require some sort of inline container. I'd have to rethink how my automatic water change system would work. I was thinking of a sprinker timer, but if it was a container - it could be a pump on a timer

 

[anewbie]

I suppose I might have to check with a plumbing expert. My biggest concern with adding an RO system is the lack of ability to have automation.
Ie - automated water change wouldn't be automated as I am not finding simple ways to do a RO/TAP blending in line.

Anyone here done something like that?

( only one place seems to have a TDS blending and its at a commercial scale, which is where I've seen something similar before. Example: brewery)

This looks like it might fit the bill though.

So i solved this problem in my house by buying a well pump. ro unit-> storage tub -> well pump (I used scala2) -> faucet. Now i can do everything with ro water that i can do with house water; just open the tap and it flows. Well pumps work by sensing a change in pressure. Now having said that it isn't cheap. The well pump will cost between $500 and $1500 depending on model et all; and piping cost will depending on distance pipe has to travel. Likewise storage tank depends on size but you could do most of this for around $2000-$3000.

Having said that there are some fantastic central america fishes that I wish i could own but don't want to make 'hard' water for them (my tap isn't that hard); so i'd rethink your stocking and investigate ca fishes. Also they ahve the added advantage of being more temperate (less expensive to heat).

 

[Abeythefishman]

I collect rain water (or snow in winter) and top up with that…not a very scientific approach and my panduro haven’t bred yet but I’ve had breeding success in the past with nissejni and Cacatoides.
I believe rain water doesn’t collect the minerals that make water hard as it passes through the terrain……but I may be wrong.

 

[Aquaticloch]

I have collected rainwater, and it definitely is a good method, as long as it isn't the first precipitation in a long period. I would highly recommend using a carbon filter and not collecting if you are close to a large metropolitan area.

I, for one, do not collect near coniferous trees as some have oils which may be toxic to some, and use a cheese cloth to catch any other potential large contaminants.

However, if you live in an area where it rains it can be a good alternative to an R.O. system which can be very expensive, especially at greater lph/lpd.

Rainwater also has a lower pH, and a lower TDS because of the lack of dissolved solids and hence; minerals as they do not evaporate with the water.

 

[MacZ]

I believe rain water doesn’t collect the minerals that make water hard as it passes through the terrain……but I may be wrong.

Actually that's exactly the process how rainwater starts accumulating minerals. Best is to collect only from inert materials like most roof tiles.

Rainwater also has a lower pH, and a lower TDS because of the lack of dissolved solids and hence; minerals as they do not evaporate with the water.

It simply is purer water and if you are very strict it is naturally distilled water.

 

[MacZ]

Actually remineralizing is not necessary. Pretty much all Apistos are true softwater fish and will not have any problems as long as they're fed properly. Also the pH is not subject to uncontrolled swings if there is no KH.

Thus pure rainwater or RO can be used, which is the least work and cost.

 

[anewbie]

I want to point out that there are only a few species of apistogramma that will do well in the warmer water required by rams. IMHO you would be much better off buying two 29s and stocking your dwarf cichild in them then one 55; also it would probably be less expensive overall.

That is if you go the route of a softwater fish. If you go with a CA hardwater cichild those tend to be larger and more space would be required.