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Way to go Dark_Rider2k3! It looks like your 55 is allready cycled! Add some fish food to keep bacteria alive until you bring the fish in. Cherry Barbs can be kept in a wide range of pH values (e.g. 6.0 to 8.0).
A reading of 7.6 in pH could mean (depending on the test manufacturer) either exactly 7.6 or a higher range. API has different liquid reagents for the high range than for up to 7.6. Those high pH range reagents, would give you accurate readings. Tetra Laborett Test (the one I use) has a value (color) for 7.6 and the next value (color) charted is 8.0. My actual readings are somewhere in between, more likely at 7.7 than 7.8, but that is my best guess in gauging color gradients.
Depending on the fish, you could either let the pH be -the wisest thing to do most of the times. I was recently concerned about Severums pH requirements (acidic) but after measuring the water of the tanks they were housed at the stores (7.4 and 7.6) I acclimated both to my actual water parameters, instead of lowering the pH.
In the event that it is required -e.g. you got a specimen from the wild, or that species in particular requires a restricted pH range to live or to breed, you may successfully tamper pH values, but be aware that as long as your water source remains the same, you will need constant intervention to remain within safe -meaning near zero chances of pH swings or crash that will kill the hardiest of fish.
The more I study and learn about pH, the simpler it gets. As a rule of thumb, hard water and high pH are expected to happen, as well as soft water and low pH.
Also, pH values changes somewhat during daytime as effect of the ratio of dissolved O2/CO2 and probably other variables. As a rule of thumb, pH reachs the highest value around noon (add an hour or two), and the lowest at midnite (add an hour or two).
However it is important to keep in mind that pH values as we read are in a logarithmic scale, so a change of 0.1 in pH (e.g. 7.6 to 7.7) means that the increase (thought in a continuous scale) goes in 10 times increments (7.7 is ten times more basic than 7.6).
Also, as a rule of thumb, it is easier (and safer) to elevate pH than to lower it. It can be done, but must be done carefully and only if absolutely needed.
Get your Cherry Barbs! What are you waiting for?
Another question: How long it took you to cycle the 55gal?
Pepe
Santo Domingo
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