Average PH for Botias and others????

[MelindaReichert]

I just checked my PH and it was 8.2 -

That would be great if I still had my African Cichlids but my
Clown Loach Botias and my Synodontis cat look kinda blotchy.

Water test out with no ammonia or Nitrites - Nice and clean after a water change. The water is SUPER hard coming out of the well out here in BFE!
The water hardness was like 120.

Temp is 79

They are eating fine with normal activity

My Blood parrots look a little patchy now that I look at them - but all else is OK

What is the proper PH for this mixed community tank (Mostly South and Central Cichlids with Botias and my Synodontis) I have had this group in my tank for a while (over a year) and I have not noticed anything like this on the Botias before. This is kinda high for the PH - Unfiltered tap water tests at 7.2 - Go figure!

Thanks! Love from Texas!

 

[madasafish]

No surprise your pH is 8.2 with all the limestone down there!

A bit too high for loaches. http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?genusname=Botia&speciesname=macracanthus has some helpful info, and they say pH for the Clown can be between 5 and 8. I'd recommend getting a pH buffer and gradually, over a week or so, reducing your pH to neutral. It can be maintained at neutral with SeaChem's "Neutral Regulator," which I think is a great great product. It will raise or lower your pH to 7 and keep it there!

http://www.seachem.com/en_products/product_pages/030_ntrl_rgltr.html is the link for the neutral regulator. Your LFS might have it. Get the powder rather than the liquid--more for your money.

 

[Madame_X]

Her water is too hard for Neutral Regulator to do any good. Mine is less hard than that and my PH didn't budge when I tried that stuff. I even tried using as much as 5 times the recommended dosage. Even after mixing it with half RO water, it only brought it down .2.

 

[MelindaReichert]

I figured out WHY my PH is so high!
All those beautiful ROCKS in my tank - LIMESTONE!
(Look at my tank "My Cichlid Heaven & More"and you'll see)
Oh My Goodness! I have over 100 lbs of Buffering Agent in there - NO Wonder
I have 8.5 + PH in there! 8O
No amount of lowering agent would EVER do any good!

Now What??? What types of rocks do not raise PH - Plastic ones, I suppose!
I do not want to put Peat moss in there to make the water Mustard yellow like I never change the water

What A bummer!

Any suggestions on what I can do? I have had those fish in there over a year and they seem fine - The only ones I have "lost" have seen due to suicide (jumping out) Maybe the PH was too much for them to handle ...

Fish talking-
"I have to end it NOW! I can't take it anymore"

Another fish -
"NO! NO! Don't do it! She'll fix the water soon!"

OH the Drama!

Love from Texas,