scriabin

I know this is a really basic question but I didn't see any recent posts about it so I thought I'd ask.

In making my list of potential fish to put in my tank, two high on the list were glowlight tetras and balloon mollies. Then, upon further research it looks like the tetras need a 6-7 pH and the mollies need a 7.5-8.5 PH.

So I assume that information isn't just a vague guideline and if I tried to keep them both in a 7.2 PH they would die? Mollies and tetra can never be together? Do people really build their aquarium communities around PH tolerance?

Thanks,

Jonathan

Angela_96

Mollies thrive in higher ph levels of the 7.5, it depends on what area of the world the fish are from. I keep a lot of lake malawi mbuna they like a good 8.0+ ph so I do keep my ph in that range for them to be happy. I use crushed coral like you would w/ saltwater tanks, and limestone to make the water hard. This is as the water is in lake malawi.

The goal is to imitate their water conditions where they are from as much as possible so they can thrive. They may survive, but not keeping their water at levels they need can hinder their growth and lifespan.

You would want to keep your fish in a community that likes very similar water conditions.

jdhef

Generally speaking fish will adapt to the ph of your tank. It is much more dangerous for the fish to have a fluctuating ph then a steady ph slightly out of range.

clinton1621

pH level is not really as big of a factor as it seems to be, unless it is below 6... at 6 or below the waters buffering capacity is usually unstable and can crash the pH level and kill the fish.

Most fish can tolerate levels anywhere between 6.5 and 8... so yes you can keep mollies and tetras together with no problems as long as you are in between that range. The main thing is keeping the pH stable, the majority of problems end up being caused by people trying muck with the tank to get the pH level 'perfect' ... which is almost impossible anyway. As long as you properly acclimate the fish then you can keep just about any fish in a pH range that isnt what its natural habitat would be.