Tap water chemistries?

[starquest]

After reading a thread on high nitrates in tap water from a well, I decided to check my own tap from well water. It was great: pH 7.6, and ammo, trites, and trates all 0. However, when I checked the KH and GH, I got 143 carbonates and 179 GH. API gives a listing in the instructions as to what types of fish you can keep in the various hardness ranges, which basically says that I could keep marine and inverts, and Rift Lake chichlids, goldfish, and brackish. Does anyone know how accurate this listing is? We have had four tropicals for 4 yrs without problems, other than discolored water, which we thought was due to hardness (which it obviously wasn't, since it stayed discolored even when we switched to bottled purified water). And anyone know if its true that marines do well in hard water? I just don't think I'm experienced enough to tackle cichlids, at this point. I am really confused about what direction I should be heading in.

 

[Fishkeeper26]

After reading a thread on high nitrates in tap water from a well, I decided to check my own tap from well water. It was great: pH 7.6, and ammo, trites, and trates all 0. However, when I checked the KH and GH, I got 143 carbonates and 179 GH. API gives a listing in the instructions as to what types of fish you can keep in the various hardness ranges, which basically says that I could keep marine and inverts, and Rift Lake chichlids, goldfish, and brackish. Does anyone know how accurate this listing is? We have had four tropicals for 4 yrs without problems, other than discolored water, which we thought was due to hardness (which it obviously wasn't, since it stayed discolored even when we switched to bottled purified water). And anyone know if its true that marines do well in hard water? I just don't think I'm experienced enough to tackle cichlids, at this point. I am really confused about what direction I should be heading in.

Ph is something fish can adapt, usually between 6-8. Cichlids are not too hard to take care of IMO, they're are many options and some are less demanding than others.