Pair or rejection?

[Discus Man]

In my communiyt tank I took out the two female cacatoides when I picked up a female Bitaeniata (she for sure os a female Bit.! what luck!)
I put the female in with the male Bit. who had his two female borelli as odd mates. After her intro the male has rejected the borelli and started to court the female. She had more yellow at the store, now she has more of a non breeding coat. She doesn't run from the male, nor does she seem to resond to his advances. She moves away about an inch when he tries to get closer.
What I am wondering is will these pair up, or have they probably already?
Also, the community tank has a Gh of 2, KH of 2 but is firmly stuck at a pH of 7.6... won't budge as the sand keeps it at 7.6 no matter what I do.
Am I wasting my time or do they have a hope of spawning?

Other tank inhabitants are a bristlenose pleco, One Discus, two borelli and cardinal tetras.

40 gallon planted tank.

 

[Neil]

Discus Man,

What I am wondering is will these pair up, or have they probably already?

It is a reasonable bet that they will pair up. As to whether they have already depends on how ready the female is. Males are easy! They will chase anything with a nice pair of fins :roll: (sorry about that). But the female is probably a little more demanding of the qualities that she may seek in a mate.

Also, the community tank has a Gh of 2, KH of 2 but is firmly stuck at a pH of 7.6... won't budge as the sand keeps it at 7.6 no matter what I do.
Am I wasting my time or do they have a hope of spawning?

Bitaeniata is a fish that requires soft, acidic water to breed successfully. That doesn't mean that you have no chance and that they will not breed. It just means that it is far more likely that the results of their spawning will be better in more acidic water. But your water is pretty soft, so I think that you have a reasonable chance with them.
Neil

 

[Discus Man]

Thanks Neil

Thanks, I think that the male being much older is ready and willing but the female needs time to make the tank hers. She has become intolerant of the borelli. As for the hardness of the water I can take the Gh and KH down to 0 if it helps. Its just the pH that I am stuck at.

The sand is weird. In my 10g agazizi tank that I am peat filtering rain water I had gotten down to a pH of 7... I took Java Moss out of the community tank rinsed it and put it into the tank. Next day the 10g was at 7.6... the culprit was a few flecks of sand that I hadn't completely rinsed out! Just a pinch of this sand will take 5g bucket of water with a pH of 5 to a pH of 7.6 overnight!
How can sand do this? Arghhh. I hate my luck sometimes.
I am sorry I ever saw this sand at the lake!
Live and learn...

 

[aspen]

have you acid tested the sand? i use muriatic, or phosphoric. vinegar works 'sometimes'. in other words use real acid.

i am in toronto, and i won't bother tying to change my parms, till i get an r/o set up. my water will always jump right back. i think it is the stuff they use, so the water won't rot the pipes.

rick

 

[Discus Man]

I haven't tried the acid test... its one of those blond things I do from time to time. Like this, not count sand as something that could alter the chem!
I use pure rain water and sometimes add water from my dehumidifier with water conditioner added to that. The rain water has a pH of 6.5, the dehumidifier has a ph of under 4... mixed together I get a pH of 5, add 20grains of this sand and in 24 hrs the pH is 7.6 while GH and KH are still unmeasurable... the pH must come from something other than 'hard' ions....