Different people have different types of 'tap water' without giving the specificis of your tap water (kh,gh,tds) it is hard to make much of this statement.I keep nannacara anomala and nannacara taenia. Both of mine do just fine in my regular tap water. I keep the taenia in a pretty densely planted tank and they spawn regularly. I haven't pulled any fry out so they always get eaten but I think I'm going to start pulling them and raising some.
My ph is around 8.5. Alot of people think you can't keep certain dwarf south American cichlids in harder water but I always have. I don't think all that other stuff matters as much as alot of people say it does. Tds,kh, it will matter for some certain wild caught fish with really low ph but I have been keeping "soft water" fish for 30 years and never pay attention to all that stuff. My point is most fish can actually live and breed in a wide range of water parameters.Different people have different types of 'tap water' without giving the specificis of your tap water (kh,gh,tds) it is hard to make much of this statement.
Couldn't have phrased it better.It really depends on the species. A lot of folks on this forum are interested in wilds or recent generation wild-type forms. But even in those cases, there's a huge difference based on what the particular species have adapted to. Both Nannacara anomala and Nannacara taenia <are known to tolerate> <harder water>.
Could you keep a blackwater species in hard water? You certainly could. People often find (as I have) that breeding is unsuccessful until they soften the water. And the effects on behavior are almost immediate.
There are certainly exceptions, and if something works for you, great. No one's saying you can't keep a blackwater fish in harder water. But I think it's reasonable to say that in most cases, you'll see a broader range of natural behaviors the more closely you can approximate the natural habitat.
And the effects on behavior are almost immediate.
My experience and the reason for my approach.But I think it's reasonable to say that in most cases, you'll see a broader range of natural behaviors the more closely you can approximate the natural habitat.
I've heard that more often than you can imagine. Just comes across a bit strange from someone who put in their age with 34, sporting a nickname that points to this age being correct. But ok... you do you.I have been keeping "soft water" fish for 30 years