I think I'm going to give up on tetras.

[DaveKS]

Where do you put that? I didn't initially fill the tank with RO water in jugs. I gradually replaced it with the water in jugs. I use those for water changes because I haven't found any adapters to fit on my sink and this actually saves time instead of filling buckets from the shower.

There is an adapter for anything from kitchen sink spigot taps to an inline shower head diverter as well as saddle taps so you can mount that unit or something similar to it under your kitchen sink in the cabinet. Almost any halfway knowledgeable hardware store employee (Ace, Lowe’s, Home Depot, Menards) can point you in the right direction.

This is actual unit I currently use, it comes with a diverter valve that connects to any standard kitchen faucet thread. It just set off to the side of my apartment’s kitchen sink.

https://a.co/d/00U5zk5b

But I’m not doing a 55g, just 6g and 2.5g betta tanks plus cooking and drinking water.

Thing you need to realize about your ammonia test kit is that it is not only reading free ammonia in solution it is also reading ammonia that is bound in solution as chloramines.

Carbon block filters will break the bond of chlorine and ammonia in chloramines and absorb the chlorine while releasing free ammonia into water. After that point you simply need to aerate your water for 24hrs or so and free ammonia will simply off-gas into atmosphere.

The tiny bit of free ammonia left after 24hrs of aeration you simply add some prime to water 15min before water change and your good to go.

 

[tinylostwine]

Just be aware that esp with newer faucets the plumbing is not standard size; ace hardware has a great 'test size' for converter widget if you go this route and run into issues.

 

[DaveKS]

Just be aware that esp with newer faucets the plumbing is not standard size; ace hardware has a great 'test size' for converter widget if you go this route and run into issues.

This ^^^

If you’ve got a custom faucet that has a pullout in stem that acts as a spray nozzle on a hose and few other fancy new custom faucets your stuck on that option. You pretty much have to configure an under kitchen sink/cabinet saddle valve or diverter insert. Many refrigerators may already be attached via a saddle valve under the sink for their ice makers/cold water outputs, in that case all you need is a Tee to insert in that existing tap to feed the filter.

 

[teach701]

My basement has a pedestal sink and a faucet i have yet to find an adapter to. I could MAYBE see if something could work for the shower but unfortunately options are limited there.

 

[DaveKS]

My basement has a pedestal sink and a faucet i have yet to find an adapter to. I could MAYBE see if something could work for the shower but unfortunately options are limited there.

Change out the faucet?

 

[teach701]

Change out the faucet?

Maybe. Hopefully that's not too much of a pain.

 

[teach701]

Here are my parameters as of a few minutes ago. According to the API GH and KH test kit this is suitable for tetras. However, the Ph seems to be not suitable. So which is most important? I had thought about some livebearers but now I'm not so sure.

Ph-7
High Range Ph-7.4
Ammonia-0 ppm
Nitrite-0 ppm
Nitrate-0 ppm
GH-5 drops 50-100 ppm
KH-6 drops, 50-100 pp

 

[DaveKS]

PH is least important.

Add leaves, barks, acorn caps to tank or maybe a small bag of sera or fluval peat pellets to filter and you can gradually shift PH down into the 6.6-7 range.

The tannins (humic/fulvic acids) are also antibacterial/anti-fungal compounds that will help protect the fishes natural slime coat and help them fight off many infections. They will also help with nutrient uptake by many plants.

What’s most important is matching your change water parameters to what going on in your tank so there are no wide shifts in water chemistry when you change water. Most tetra hate that though there are some species more endemic to coastal regions that are less sensitive to wild parameter shifts, estuaries can have big shifts in PH/GH/KH and salinity (think total TDS, total dissolved solids) throughout the year.

 

[tinylostwine]

PH is least important.

Add leaves, barks, acorn caps to tank or maybe a small bag of sera or fluval peat pellets to filter and you can gradually shift PH down into the 6.6-7 range.

The tannins (humic/fulvic acids) are also antibacterial/anti-fungal compounds that will help protect the fishes natural slime coat and help them fight off many infections. They will also help with nutrient uptake by many plants.

What’s most important is matching your change water parameters to what going on in your tank so there are no wide shifts in water chemistry when you change water. Most tetra hate that though there are some species more endemic to coastal regions that are less sensitive to wild parameter shifts, estuaries can have big shifts in PH/GH/KH and salinity (think total TDS, total dissolved solids) throughout the year.

PH is not important it is a by product of the water chemistry. Trying to tweak the PH without actually addressing the issue with the water chemistry is a waste of time.

Try this little example - take water with tds 500 add a ton of co2 so the ph is 4.6 and try fish that requires extremely acidic water and see how it responds.

PH normally has a range in nature even on a daily cycle but it doesn't impact fishes because the water chemistry is near constant.

 

[Gnop1950]

I agree that the exact pH number, within reason, of course, say 5.5 to 8.2, is not critical. While I've never gone as low as 5.5 or as high as 8.2 (except for my marine tank, of course), my current freshwater tanks range from 6.2 to 7.8. I always have Cattapta leaves, pods, etc., in all of the tanks, and I try to keep my kH between 3-10.

Stability, as mentioned several times in this thread, is much more important. Part of maintaining stability is patience and consistent maintenance practices. Sticking to a schedule for water changes, including the amount, feeding, and well, pretty much everything on a schedule, is one way to help maintain stability.

IMO, except in emergencies, like an Ammonia spike, almost any change should be made gradually.

One reason people mention having a reasonable KH is that KH "buffers" pH. Mostly, kh slows pH changes by absorbing the acid load from fish, from CO2 creating carbonic acid, etc. From my research, the exact pH number, within reason, isn't an issue, but large, rapid swings can be problematic. KH helps slow the pH changes. pH is logarithmic, so even what looks like a tiny change, say a drop from 6.8 daytime to 6.5 nighttime, means the water is twice as acidic at night as it is during the day. Since plants switch to absobing Oxygen at night, I have airstones in all my tanks that only turn on right before lights out.

There are many ways to achieve stability, and not everyone agrees on the best approach. The important thing, to me, is to find a way that works for you.

My personal approach is:

• Since evaporation is high where I live, evaporation removes pure water and not the minerals. I top off with RODI water so as not to add to the mineral accumulation over time.
• When the pH gets lower than I'd like, I add a bag of aragonite. Aragonite will add kH, but slowly. To an extent, it is self-regulating, since it dissolves more rapidly in acidic, low-pH water and more slowly in higher-pH water. At 78°F, aragonite will stop dissolving at around 7.6-7.8 pH in a freshwater tank. I usually take it out when the pH is around 7.2 and save it for the next time it is needed. The key for me is that the pH change is very slow using this method.
• My personal preference is to do minimal water changes. I've only done two 10% water changes in the past year in my 90-Gallon (114-Gallon total volume) tank. That is a heavily planted tank with a deep sand bed. I only do WCs if I need to say lower nitrates, but with the plants now maturing, even those may not be necessary.

 

[teach701]

I agree that the exact pH number, within reason, of course, say 5.5 to 8.2, is not critical. While I've never gone as low as 5.5 or as high as 8.2 (except for my marine tank, of course), my current freshwater tanks range from 6.2 to 7.8. I always have Cattapta leaves, pods, etc., in all of the tanks, and I try to keep my kH between 3-10.

Stability, as mentioned several times in this thread, is much more important. Part of maintaining stability is patience and consistent maintenance practices. Sticking to a schedule for water changes, including the amount, feeding, and well, pretty much everything on a schedule, is one way to help maintain stability.

IMO, except in emergencies, like an Ammonia spike, almost any change should be made gradually.

One reason people mention having a reasonable KH is that KH "buffers" pH. Mostly, kh slows pH changes by absorbing the acid load from fish, from CO2 creating carbonic acid, etc. From my research, the exact pH number, within reason, isn't an issue, but large, rapid swings can be problematic. KH helps slow the pH changes. pH is logarithmic, so even what looks like a tiny change, say a drop from 6.8 daytime to 6.5 nighttime, means the water is twice as acidic at night as it is during the day. Since plants switch to absobing Oxygen at night, I have airstones in all my tanks that only turn on right before lights out.

There are many ways to achieve stability, and not everyone agrees on the best approach. The important thing, to me, is to find a way that works for you.

My personal approach is:

• Since evaporation is high where I live, evaporation removes pure water and not the minerals. I top off with RODI water so as not to add to the mineral accumulation over time.
• When the pH gets lower than I'd like, I add a bag of aragonite. Aragonite will add kH, but slowly. To an extent, it is self-regulating, since it dissolves more rapidly in acidic, low-pH water and more slowly in higher-pH water. At 78°F, aragonite will stop dissolving at around 7.6-7.8 pH in a freshwater tank. I usually take it out when the pH is around 7.2 and save it for the next time it is needed. The key for me is that the pH change is very slow using this method.
• My personal preference is to do minimal water changes. I've only done two 10% water changes in the past year in my 90-Gallon (114-Gallon total volume) tank. That is a heavily planted tank with a deep sand bed. I only do WCs if I need to say lower nitrates, but with the plants now maturing, even those may not be necessary.

Everything has stayed stable yet my fish have reliably croaked. I'm using pure reverse osmosis water as my tap water is high in ammonia and I was not able to lower that. Should I add something like Equilibrium?

 

[Gnop1950]

Everything has stayed stable yet my fish have reliably croaked. I'm using pure reverse osmosis water as my tap water is high in ammonia and I was not able to lower that. Should I add something like Equilibrium?

When I've used pure RODI water to fill a tank, as in my betta tank, I always add trace minerals at the recommended dosage. So yes, if you filled the tank with RO/RODI water, I'd add the recommended amount of Equilibrium or another product to add trace minerals and raise the GH a bit.

Don't use it in RO/RODI water used for top-offs; only for water used for water changes.

 

[teach701]

When I've used pure RODI water to fill a tank, as in my betta tank, I always add trace minerals at the recommended dosage. So yes, if you filled the tank with RO/RODI water, I'd add the recommended amount of Equilibrium or another product to add trace minerals and raise the GH a bit.

Don't use it in RO/RODI water used for top-offs; only for water used for water changes.

This makes sense and I'll do it at my next water change. I'll add fish accordingly.

 

[tinylostwine]

Everything has stayed stable yet my fish have reliably croaked. I'm using pure reverse osmosis water as my tap water is high in ammonia and I was not able to lower that. Should I add something like Equilibrium?

Not for south american tetra like cardinals esp if wild caught.

 

[teach701]

Not for south american tetra like cardinals esp if wild caught.

I don't have any wild caught fish. I'm also thinking I might just stop keeping tetras altogether and try something else.

 

[A201]

Nothing wrong with keeping Barbs & Danios, instead of Tetras. I keep nearly 100 of them. It's been my experience that Barbs & Danios are are much more durable.

 

[Gnop1950]

Not for south american tetra like cardinals esp if wild caught.

RODI water has 0 minerals. I was under the impression that all fish need trace minerals for things like osmoregulation. Even in the Rio Negro Blackwater areas, there are always trace elements during both the wet and dry seasons: Ion uptake in naturally acidic water, see table 1. So I'm curious why you wouldn't add trace minerals when filling a tank with RODI water?

 

[ruud]

1. Minerals from diet. Daphnia, artemia, insect larvea, nematodes, copodes all contain the minerals fish need.
2. RODI has 0 minerals, not that much different from rain water, but blackwater habitats and aquariums contain minerals through leaching and decomposition of botanicals / waste, and some pH buffering does occur albeit not through the carbonate system.

Through water changes with pure water (RODI, rain) one attempts to suppress the gradual build-up of dissolved substances.

Ideally, pH is very low but this is very hard to achieve in an aquarium.

 

[Gnop1950]

1. Minerals from diet. Daphnia, artemia, insect larvea, nematodes, copodes all contain the minerals fish need.
2. RODI has 0 minerals, not that much different from rain water, but blackwater habitats and aquariums contain minerals through leaching and decomposition of botanicals / waste, and some pH buffering does occur albeit not through the carbonate system.

Through water changes with pure water (RODI, rain) one attempts to suppress the gradual build-up of dissolved substances.

Ideally, pH is very low but this is very hard to achieve in an aquarium.

I agree when topping off with RODI water, that's what I do. But when filling a tank with RODI water for the first time, I always add trace minerals to give the fish a head start, especially when starting a new tank. I'm pretty sure that food alone won't provide all the trace minerals fish need, especially things like magnesium, which is used for osmoregulation.

In my larger tank, with a total volume of 114 gallons (90 DT and 24 Sump), I used conditioned tap water and top off with plain RODI water. I do keep a lot of botanicals, Cattapa leaves, pods, etc., in the tank, and it is heavily planted. The only way I keep close to my target pH of 7.2 is by adding aragonite. When I removed the aragonite, the PH dropped to around 6.0; right now, it is at 6.7 and slowly climbing since I added the aragonite.

My fish are: Angels, Congo Tetras, Rummynose Tetras, Panda Garas, and Khuli Loaches. They've all seemed to do best at a pH around 7.2.

I do very few water changes, 2 10% WCs in the past year. For WCs, I use conditioned tap water. In my tiny (5-gallon) Betta Tank, I used remineralized RODI water to fill it and top it off with plain RODI water. For the Betta Tank, I do infrequent, 10% water changes with remineralized RODI water. The Betta Tank, well, really, all my freshwater tanks are heavily planted.

One great thing about this hobby is that there are multiple paths to success. I always like to understand the approaches others take so thank you for your response.

 

[ZebrasInMyKitchen]

Hello! Just chiming in!

If you want to, you could look into local sources, like sellers on FaceBook Marketplace or Craigslist, to see which types of fish people in your area are having success raising and breeding. Some sellers will even tell you if they raise their fish in dechlorinated local tap water or if they need to do anything special to the water.

For instance, there are a few people near me who consistently offer Swordtails, Guppies, shrimp, and snails. So, those would all be good bets for my tank.

It kind of sounds like your municipal water company might draw from more than one water source, so your tap water might change a bit more than it would in some other cities. I think it could work out really well if you buy some fish from someone who has bred a couple of generations of the fish in the same water you will have. Or you could aim for a fish that tolerates a really wide pH range- Zebra Danios come to mind, but there are many others.

The fish that your neighbors are raising, breeding and selling are a good starting point, but I don’t want to imply that you need to limit yourself to those kinds of fish, of course! There are many types of fish that would work wonderfully for you that none of your are raising.

Or you could skip all of this and do the RO and remineralization thing, but that seems like a lot.

Anyway, I’m sure whichever decision you make will be a great one! I’m looking forward to hearing about your tank when you have this whole water thing sorted out!

 

[DaveKS]

I'll add fish accordingly.

I’m really not sure what that’s supposed to mean.

I’m going to give you example of what I would be doing if I was doing a 10% water change (5gal) on a 55gal tank.

1. the 5gal of RO water would be poured into a bucket or tub. No reason to try to test straight RO water for anything, no test kit reads properly in water that has zero hardness/TDS.

2. Add specified amount of Stability etc to reach your desired GH/KH and a small bag of leaves/peat. Let this set at least overnight if not for 24hrs, stirring occasionally or even better with a circulating pump running. It takes time for water chemistry to normalize.

3. Now you can test this change water and see if you got formula right. If it’s way off from tank parameters adjust it and also make note of what you changed for next batch you mix up.

4. Drain off/vacuum the 5gal out of your tank.

5. Slowly replace that 5g into main aquarium using a pump. This should take 10-15 minutes. With a 55g aquarium this should all be handled by a water change pump, not you bulk dumping 2.5g x2 into tank within 5 minutes with a bucket. Slow and gradual is the secret here. Re-read Gnop1950 posts about where he talks about making gradual changes. He is spot on.

Here is a example of some weak strains of neon and ember tetra I got from PetCo along with the betta, the worst of the worst genetically speaking but when they are properly acclimated and they like their water, no fin rot, no ich etc.

 

[teach701]

Nothing wrong with keeping Barbs & Danios, instead of Tetras. I keep nearly 100 of them. It's been my experience that Barbs & Danios are are much more durable.

I may switch to barbs and danios. Any particular ones of each type you like?

RODI water has 0 minerals. I was under the impression that all fish need trace minerals for things like osmoregulation. Even in the Rio Negro Blackwater areas, there are always trace elements during both the wet and dry seasons: Ion uptake in naturally acidic water, see table 1. So I'm curious why you wouldn't add trace minerals when filling a tank with RODI water?

I didn't know it was necessary to add trace minerals. If I had know that was important I would have done it.

I agree when topping off with RODI water, that's what I do. But when filling a tank with RODI water for the first time, I always add trace minerals to give the fish a head start, especially when starting a new tank. I'm pretty sure that food alone won't provide all the trace minerals fish need, especially things like magnesium, which is used for osmoregulation.

In my larger tank, with a total volume of 114 gallons (90 DT and 24 Sump), I used conditioned tap water and top off with plain RODI water. I do keep a lot of botanicals, Cattapa leaves, pods, etc., in the tank, and it is heavily planted. The only way I keep close to my target pH of 7.2 is by adding aragonite. When I removed the aragonite, the PH dropped to around 6.0; right now, it is at 6.7 and slowly climbing since I added the aragonite.

My fish are: Angels, Congo Tetras, Rummynose Tetras, Panda Garas, and Khuli Loaches. They've all seemed to do best at a pH around 7.2.

I do very few water changes, 2 10% WCs in the past year. For WCs, I use conditioned tap water. In my tiny (5-gallon) Betta Tank, I used remineralized RODI water to fill it and top it off with plain RODI water. For the Betta Tank, I do infrequent, 10% water changes with remineralized RODI water. The Betta Tank, well, really, all my freshwater tanks are heavily planted.

One great thing about this hobby is that there are multiple paths to success. I always like to understand the approaches others take so thank you for your response.

I have some Equilibrium. If this doesn't work I might try treated tap water again. All I know is I was not able to lower the ammonia numbers before.