Initial Tap tests

[ReiChugo]

I jsut got back from a vacation and I am about to start my first tank.

I did an initial tap water test right out of the faucet and yielded these results

ph 6.9

gh 6

kh 5

I am letting water sit now and will retest after a few hours.

If you could give me any feedback on the inital nature of this water and its ability to be adjusted to fit a 29 gallon dwarf tank, I would appreciate it!

thanks rei

 

[mk_ultra]

But what are you trying to keep? Specifically.

 

[ReiChugo]

well thats the point of my post.

I am trying to match the fish to my water.

Obviously i can affect water chemistry but would like to choose species where i wouldnt have to change water chemistry to an unctrollable lvl.


Aesthetically I am most drawn to Apistogramma Borrellis, cacatuoides, and trifasciatum. Rams and Pevicachromis Pulcher are also interesting to me.

Personally I am just trying tog et a feel for how much change i can do to my water safely and stabily and what Dwarf Cichlids would prosper within my tank.

thanks

rei

 

[farm41]

Your Ph is going to come up quite a bit when the co2 outgases. Either leave it sit all night or put an airstone in it to help it out gas the co2 before you test.

Kh is just fine for keeping most softwater dwarfs. you have made some nice choices there too. I would go for a trio of cacs and maybe a pair of rams after some time.

Be sure to cycle your tank before you add any of these fish.

 

[ReiChugo]

Thanks matt,

I thought that most of the South AMerican cichlids preferred acidic water? If so would i use peat to lower my PH back down after the CO2 gasses out?

peace
rei

 

[farm41]

For breeding most need to have lower Ph than you are going to have, if you just want to keep the cacs and borelli's you are fine. They will do just fine in your tap water and may even spawn.

I use peat to lower the Ph for my blackwater apisto's. There are other ways to lower too, some use 'acid buffer' made by Seachem.

 

[ReiChugo]

SO matt which species would be considered backwater?

I am interested in this because the thought of trying to creat a swampy tank environment soudns exciting.

peace
rei

 

[farm41]

So far, what I have done is just for my panduro's and inca's. Both responded well to the blackwater peat treatment.

 

[aspen]

hi rei.

>>'I am trying to match the fish to my water.'

good idea. i would bet your ph rises to 7.6 or higher after aeration. (resting ph) without very deep black water, it is doubtful your fish breeding will be overly successful in that water. but, for simply keeping, rams cacs and borelli's will do just fine. remember, if you plan to heavily peat treat water, your light will be quite well blocked, if you plan to plant that tank under those conditions. maybe consider an unplanted tank?

rick

 

[ReiChugo]

Awesome info guys...

so i am gonna check my water in about 20 mins... its been resting 12 hours.

But if all works out like you think...

Then let me ask you htis.

This is the criteria I ahve in my head for my tank.

1. Approaching Biotopic... serious study of the flora and fauna in my tnak to make an accurate reproduction.

2. Would really like a heavily planted tank... but this is optional.

3. Its 29 gallons... and i want a decent amount of fish... including algae eaters and dithers.. say 12-14 total

4. I am a N00b... i am a fast learner and love problem solving... but I am a n00b and I dont want to get completly frustrated off the bat.

SO all the above leave some room interpretation... however my water does not. So... let me test this water... and then if anyone can offer possible solutions that cna lead to fitting the criteria... I would be really happy.

peace
rei

 

[ReiChugo]

12 hours in and ph is

7.2


ill check again after 24 hours.

peace
rei

 

[ReiChugo]

ok 24 hours in...,


ph is 7.3

so where does this leave me?

peace
rei

 

[Neil]

ReiChugo,

WELCOME TO THE FORUM

For keeping almost all species of Dwarf Cichlid that puts you in an OK situation, especially for the pulcher.
Your water is in a neutral range and is acceptable for maintaining most fish discussed here. But we typically don't like to hang around at an "acceptable" range. This means that your desire for a peat-filtered water set-up may be appropriate. You would benefit greatly by first lowering your hardness a little. This can be most easily accomplished by "cutting" your water with RO. You can purchase a small unit or the water itself. KH is most significant here to deal with your pH. By getting it to 2 or 3, you can easily manage your pH (via peat-filtering or the addition of acid buffer as Matt mentions) in the range that will be most desired for all of the animals that you mention. I would shoot for 6 - 6.5 pH and 2-3 KH and GH.
However, if you did nothing to your water, it is probably OK. I think that the hardness is a more important factor than the pH. And your hardness readings aren't that bad.
Good luck!
Neil

 

[ReiChugo]

Ok this is all great info.

I guess now i need to concentrate on a plan.

I have a few criteria that I would like to fulfill

I have a small tnak at 29 gals

I would like to support a small community tank

So how much bioload can I put on a tank of this size? I mean total... not just cichlids...

Althouhg I wont protect the fry... I would like a species that I can watch breed and if some fry survive... thats fantastic.

I want a well planted tank, althouhg I am leaning towards a Biotope build... which should also affect my choices of fish.

So i guess my fish have alot of criteria

I want cichlids who can fair well in a small tank (even if its only a pair)

I want algae eaters and dithers that naturally coexist with the cichlids and they also need to be able to handle a small tank.

This very well could be impossible... and if it is... please tell me!

thanks for all your responses!

peace
rei

 

[ReiChugo]

just to tie into my other posts...

If I was to put a pair of dwarf pikes in the tank, what else could be put in there that would be natural for the pikes and survive their assaults?

peace
rei

 

[aspen]

i believe that most here, (except for maybe the professional breeders) have dwarf community tanks, and i bet there are not 2 the same. my 35 gal at the moment is heavily planted, water is gh 4, kh 2, with co2 adddition at 15 ppm, ph is about 6.8. lighting is 3 x 3' t-8 lamps on 2 electronic ballasts in a custom hood. substrate is pure white silica sand, and i fert the water column, with potassium nitrate, tropica master gro, additional chelated iron (lots of red plants) and 'fleet's enema' for phosphates.

fish are:
1 young male ram
2 pairs apisto borelli paraguay
12 beckford's pencilfish
7 silver hatchets
2 gold spot dwarf bushy nose plecos.

i am presently faced with a green water algae problem AND a good outbreak of cyano bacteria which will be all fixed up in a couple of days. (i hope.)

so, there is the story of one guy's mix of fish and their habitat. look for fish that you like, with similar water requirements, and try and put a mix together that YOU like. the fish i have together are a mix of fish i have accumulated over the past 6 months or so, and from my tanks in the basement. do your research, and identify fish that you would like to keep. ask here, many here have exp's with mixing large numbers of species, after you have checked out the fish that are available to you in nice shape. and do not impulse buy.

for the first little do not try and stock your planted tank with the numbers of fish in MY tank. you will have better success with lighter fishloads at the beginning. maybe an algae crew first, then some tetras, then your dwarf pair or trio. imo you NEED a book on tetras and community fish, with tips on basic tank maintenance, and think things through. you will likely put the tank together many times, each time making better accomodations for fish you like.

a good starter plant is hygrophylia polysperma. it is cheap, and will grow like crazy, if you provide CLOSE to the right environment for it. it is all uphill after that. (any plant that is listed as highly invasive, must be a good starter plant.)

hth, rick

 

[jeb]

Heya Aspen,Fleets for phosphates,lol.Thats a pretty cool fix.Is there something that I can use as a phosphate pillow?