Caligo'sKeeper

I tested my new tank (which is unstocked as of yet) and it has the following: ammonia 0 nitrite 0 nitrate 20 Hardness 75GH 80 alkalinity and a pH of 7.6, so here is my question. I want to get some glass catfish which I read prefer acidic(6.4-7), very soft (5-15) water, would they be able to adjust to my water or is there something I can do to change my perimeters more to thier liking? Thanks!

jdhef

Adding driftwood would lower the ph, but it won't soften the water. I guess you could use R.O. water if you wanted, but that can get a bit expensive.

Generally, fish will adapt to the ph and hardness of the water they are in, but some fish are more sensitive to the water parameters. I really don't know anything about glass catfish, so I don't know how sensitive they are, but if you are buying them locally, you water may very well be from the same source the LFS water is from.

Caligo'sKeeper

Good point about the LFS's water... I wonder if I could ask them what pH hardness they have, that would ease my mind at least. I'm not too sure how sensitive they are either.

Caligo'sKeeper

Ok, so I asked the LFS what pH thet have and it's 7.4, mine's 7.6... do you think they will acclimate ok if I float them, or add water little by little to the water they come in?

jdhef

I would think they would be able to adapt, but like I had said previously, I'm don't know how sensitive they really are.

MizRamzi

I use RO/di water from walmart and it's only 39 cents a gal, I get 5g at a time. Then again I have a lil nano

Caligo'sKeeper

Really? 39 cents that doesn't sound too bad (considering how much I pay for town water anyway LOL.) Is it in the pet's section? How much would I have to add to 30 gal. to get a 5-15 hardness from 75?

rebeccmh

However you decide to change them, if you do, stick with doing it naturally and avoid chemicals that claim to adjust them; they tend to do more harm than good.

aquarist48

Good morning. Going from 7.4 to 7.6 should not be a problem with most fish but do the research to see how sensitive they can be. When you take a fish from a higher pH to a lower pH then that's when you might see major problems if not acclimated properly. Going from a low pH to a high pH should be ok. I still suggest acclimation and "quarantine" but since there are no other fish in the tank quarantine isn't needed in my opinion.
Ken
Ken