Hello All... So I am currently cycling my first 10 gallon tank and have been measuring water parameters every other day. I realize that one must take pH with a grain of salt during the cycling process, but my pH has consistently been around 8.0. I realize this is on the higher end for freshwater aquariums, but have also learned that the act of adjusting the pH actually kills more fish than the pH itself. That being said, I have also heard that a lot of the fish at the pet stores are much hardier than what are caught in the wild, and can more easily adjust to non-ideal parameters. So my question is... with a pH of 8.0 (assuming this is what it settles on after the cycle completes), what can I stock my aquarium with?
You can stock your tank with anything appropriate for a 10 gallon tank. My pH is 8.2 and my fish aren't bothered by the pH at all. Here's a thread on what is recommended in a 10 gallon tank: Stocking List for 10 Gallons
Awesome thanks! I figured the most important thing is keeping a consistent pH instead of finding the "ideal" pH. Also, if I may ask, what type of fish is displayed in your profile picture? I imagine it has quite a high bio-load.
Ahahahaha! That's Rickie, my Red Lored Amazon parrot. He just turned 25 in March. He really has a small bio-load compared to other birds we kept.
I agree with @RedLoredAmazon. I also have an 8.2 pH in tank, 8.4 in tap, and keep Angelfish and rummynose tetras, fish usually known for needing low pH, soft water (somehow my water is soft, even with my high pH). I just make sure to acclilmate new fish slowly. And RedLoredAmazon, your bird is gorgeous. I've always wanted a large parrot, but can't. Parents said no, hubby says no, and what if it outlives me!? And tell him happy belated Bird-day!
Well, 8.0 is not horrible. The nitrifying bacteria don't start dying off until the pH hits around 8.5. The safest pH change for a fish is 0.2 degrees in a 24 hour period. You may have to ask the fish store what fish they have available for you. The majority of fish stores keep their fish stocked at a pH of. 6.8 to 7.2, with 7.0 being their ultimate goal. If you put a fish in 8.0 pH when coming from 7.0, the fish is most likely to die from pH shock and that half hour bag floating where you slowly add aquarium water to the bag is not enough of time to acclimate the fish. What pH a fish gets used to and does just fine in over time has nothing to do with what they can handle in a quick pH change. I've known for years that African cichlids thrive well at high pH, but again it has to do with the pH level they are in when you purchase them.
That's reassuring. I didn't want to have to go through the pain of constantly readjusting the pH every time I do a water change. I will definitely acclimate slowly. I have water that is quite hard on the other hand (GH 268.5 ppm and KH 179 ppm)... but I guess it's better to have water that's too hard than too soft. Thanks! Do you recommend drip acclimating then?
Ok thanks. I think I will ask what the parameters of the water are at the store to see if drip acclimating is required. Just out of curiosity, if a fish were to go into pH shock... do the symptoms show immediately or do they show a few days/weeks later?
Yeah... I bumped it up to about 82 degrees because I read 80-82 is ideal for the bacterial growth. You think I should bump it up further?
PH shock happens very quickly if the range is say 2 degrees off, even if it's closer than that, it's still pretty quick, but may be less noticeable right. I witnessed a large healthy Oscar, swim right to the bottom of the tank and just lay on it's side as though it died immediately. Twenty minutes later, the owner went to dip it out with a net and it took off like a rocket, just layed down somewhere else. It took overnight to happen, but the Oscar recovered. I was surprised. Most will die in an hour or less.
I would test the water from your LFS when you bring the fish home. The PH of my LFS is 8.4 and my PH is 8.2 (Ph of the water in this city is consistenly high) so fish easily acclimate to my tank, but if there was a big difference I would take my time with the drip acclimation.
Good luck to you. If you have an extra air stone you can stick in the air bag, that would help prolong the time yoy can keep them in the bag safely while you slowly add tank water. Quickly going from a bag at 7.0 to 8.0 is not consistancy...it's possible death from pH shock.
