help!

[cabeatty]

I have a 55 gallon with mollies and plattys. The fish are doing well right now but a couple weeks ago I had a couple die. I just cannot seem to get my water conditions right. The biggest problem is HIGH PH, high hardness, and high alkalinity. I know the solution is to do lots of water changes. However, it's my tap water that is the problem. It is TERRIBLE well water. I run it through a brita pitcher but it doesn't do a whole lot of good. I've bought some distilled water in the past, but for the amount of water changes I need to do, buying that much water is not an option right now. Any ideas?

 

[Darkseid76]

Do you have kits to post your exact tank parameters? It would help to know the ammonia, nitrites, nitrate levels also.

I keep the same fish in the same size tank. My ph averages at 7.4

Also what type of filter are you running?

 

[cabeatty]

ammonia .2
nitrate 100
nitrite 0
hardness 300
alkalinity 280
ph 8.2

running a dual carbon filter

 

[Fishanatic]

ammonia .2
nitrate 100
nitrite 0
hardness 300
alkalinity 280
ph 8.2

running a dual carbon filter

That's way too high. Get an RO system(reverse osmosis) or distilled water. They won't survive long in that.

 

[Rivercats]

Mollies and platies do well in hard water with a higher ph. Your problem lies in the fact you have ammonia and way too high nitrates. What type of filter/s do you use? How often and how much are you doing in WC's? Have you tested your tap water for nitrates? How many fish do you have in the tank? Do you have a planted tank and if not do you do weekly gravel vacuuming?

 

[cabeatty]

are the RO systems strictly tied into plumbing or is there such a thing as one that works on it's own? I do water changes weekly, only about 10-15% because of the lack of options of water to put back in. I do not have the money to keep purchasing distilled water at this time. Yes, I do weekly vacuuming and the tank is not planted. I feel at such a loss.

 

[Rivercats]

I'd check your nitrates in your tap water and if they are 0 there is no reason to worry about RO or using your tap water. My guess is your getting a nitrate buildup (barring your tap water is nitrate free) from not doing large enough WC's. If your tap water is nitrate free go to doing 50% WC's weekly and you should see a vast improvement in your levels. There are independant RO units as I have one. Also what type filter are you using?

 

[cabeatty]

checked my tap water for nitrates and they are 0. But won't my tap water hurt my fish also because the water is off the charts hard, and the pH is above 8, and alkalinity 275?

 

[cabeatty]

using a dual carbon filter. Aqua-tech

 

[Rivercats]

No it won't hurt those fish. Livebears in general prefer hard alkaline water which is what you have.

 

[Old Scales]

Alot of people have trouble with mollies and swords, but they are quite hardy if you give them 8.0 pH and most important is salt. Mollies are quite hardy in a 1 tsp per gallon ratio. Too high if you have a serious planted tank, in that case try 1 tsp per 5 gal. Bottom line is mollies and swords natural waters have salt in it. OS.