Newbie with a New Tank.

MrBishop

So I guess the best pH would be 7.0??

1077

In my view, the best ph is that which you readily have available from the tap. Then research the fish that interest you and see what the recommended ph values are for that fish or fishes.
Making water hard,or more alkaline,is much easier than making water soft or acidic. Many of the products sold to adjust the ph do just what they claim to do although the effects are usually temporary. When effectiveness begins to fall off ,so to speak, then the water will bounce back or try to bounce back to what it was before product was used due to the minerals in the water that act as buffers to resist the change. This makes the water unstable and stresses the fish while also affecting it's internal methods of adjusting to the water (osmoregulation).
Best way to determine what your ph values are ,is to run a bucket of tapwater and let it set overnight . Then test the pH or have it tested by someone else. That number will tell those who can recommend fish,which fish would be best suited for your particular source water or the water you will be using for weekly water changes.
I will let others speak as to adjusting the ph for as stated,,I haven't had the need or much success with doing so.

rrcoolj

I agree find fish that like your PH. Stability is key. I do alter my Ph though. The Ph straight out of the tap at my house is 7.2 but for my mbuna african cichlids I keep the Ph at 8.2 by usung a malawi buffer that I use once a month and, by putting old reef rock in my filter. I find nothing wrong with using buffers just don't use it all the time. Once you get your PH where you want it then you shouldn't need to use the buffer more than once a month. It lets you adjust the Ph without making your water a chemical soup.

MrBishop

ive just dropped 6 baby red top zebras in yesterday afternoon and it seems there getting along rather well. so so far so good, what would be the best fish to put with red tops in the future?

rrcoolj

hmm... red tops can be kinda rowdy. Im thinking maybe elongatus, hongi, socolofi, and Tropheus off the top of my head. What are you looking into?

MrBishop

Dwarf Puffer?
Discus?
Angel fish?

1077

Both the Angelfish and Discus do poorly in water that is too hard or alkaline ,and much prefer, (need) water with pH values of 6.2 to perhaps 7.0 although Angelfish have done well for me in moderately hard water with ph of 7.2 to 7.4
No nothing about Puffers other than they aren't considered community fish.

Byron

Agree with 1077, plus angels and Discus will not survive with any fish like you already have. Both angels and Discus are quiet, sedate fish that only do well in planted aquaria with similarly-minded fish like many of the shoaling characins and Corydoras. When I say "survive" I am not thinking so much of the others attacking them; housed with any active or boistrous fish will cause stress to sedate fish, and that is a major factor in poor health and disease. Which will also be the long-term result from inappropriate water parameters. Some fish many "manage" with unsuitable parameters and such, but they do not truly "live" in such conditions.

Byron.

rrcoolj

Typically when keeping mbunas you want to keep them with other mbunas or african cichlids. When I said kinda rowdy I meant for mbunas. Even a fairly calm(for a mbuna) cichlid like yellow lab will beat the snot out of an angel much more a Discus. Look for other mbunas to keep with your fish. Youe were good starting with a descent number like 6. As they grow sell off excess males so you have 1m to 3-4F.

Puffers are also a no no.

MrBishop

1m to 3-4f????