Newbie here, few questions

[chainsaw]

I just bought a 20 gal tank and starter kit and filled it up about a week ago, following all the directions that came with it. Over this last week, i've noticed that in the evening it can reach 82 degrees and overnight it drops down to about 80. Is it alright to keep fish in water this hot? The instructions said to keep it around 78. I just don't want to drop in some fish and have them die right away.

Question 2: Is there a website that list's freshwater fish and pic's, along with instructions on care. Or does anyone have any suggestions on some really cool fish that would do well in this setup? I already know I want a pleco... just because

#3: I have a Javelina skull, which I got from a hunting trip a few years back, and want to drop it in the tank as an ornament. What do I need to do to prep it so it can safely go in the tank?

Thanks in advance and I'm sure I'll have plenty more questions to ask later!

 

[prettyvacant]

There is this website i go to often to get information about my fish... http://www.aquariumfish.net they give lots of information on the perfect temperature for your fish, compatibility, food, and more. I would suggest you get some dwarf gouramis...they're very nice.

 

[Meredith]

Hi chainsaw!! I would definitely turn the temp down to 78. Do you have any fish in there now? You might want to check out this article http://www.aquariumadvice.com/showquestion.php?faq=2&fldAuto=21. Be careful about the type of pleco you get. I learned the hard way about trying to keep a common pleco in too small of a tank. A great site for fish profiles is www.liveaquaria.com. They have some good info.

 

[Toirtis]

If the skull is clean and dry, it it fine, although it will slowly decompose in the tank. To guard against this, I would seal it with a couple of coats of tank-grade epoxy resin.

 

[mitche8359]

You didn't mention anything about cycling the tank. Do you know what cycling is? The temperature of the tank will depend on the fish you put in it. Some like warmer water while some like cooler water. 78 is a good temperature for a community tank.

 

[glasstapper]

Texas chainsaw, i get it!!! good stuff! , most tropical south americans and central americans like 80 degrees, i think research is gonna be your friend in this case and you need not use another site, it's all here! good luck i'm sure i'll be seein ya round

 

[chainsaw]

Thanks for the replies everyone! I just tested the water today and the pH is a little bit high at 7.6, so I suppose I'll get some stuff to bring that down soon. I've been turning off the light over the aquarium during the days and the temp has settled to around 78-80.

The main problem I'm having is that San Antonio has some extremely hard water, is there a way to fix that? I've heard water changes with de-ionized water is one trick, but where can I get that? Is it the same as distilled or purified water that you can get in gallon jugs in grocery stores?

I read a bit about cycling and my tank's been cycling for about a week now, I put in some Stress Coat and Stress Zyme from Aquarium Pharmaceuticals, I hope that will help it establish well.

 

[BASSNMAN]

My local water has high ph like yours. Ask your LFS if their fish are local raised. If they are, chances are the breeder uses the same local water, so the fish are acclimated. Some breeds do require a low ph , but you didn't mention what you had or were getting.

 

[bassholedrifter]

I too live in a area with very hard water. One way to deal with this is a reverse osmosis unit. This will remove the minerals that are associated with hard water which acts as a buffer with pH conditioners. Once you have the treated water you can then add the pH conditioners to reach the desired pH level you need for the fish you keep.

Or you can keep many species of cichlids such as Jack Dempsey's or Convicts which do well in hard water and don't require the special care needed for such as Discus's breeds.

BASS

 

[Menagerie]

Or you can keep many species of cichlids such as Jack Dempsey's or Convicts which do well in hard water and don't require the special care needed for such as Discus's breeds

Those cichlids are from South America and enjoy softer water. The cichlids from Lake Malawi and Lake Tang prefer harder water.

 

[bassholedrifter]

I agree that african lake species of fish do prefer and do well in hard water, Jack Dempsey's come from waters with a average of 6.0-6.5 pH Now granted this is not real hard water I believe this would be classified as mildly hard water. And being the hardy fish that they are, they do well in in hard water and high pH levels.

A excellent source for research for any and all Cichlid species can be found at:
http://www.cichlidresearch.com/
Be prepared to spend many hours at this site,as it is one of the best research sites on cichlid species. This site is maintained by Dr. Ron Coleman Phd. who has written many books on Cichlids.
I hope anyone with an interest in Cichlid visit this site and check out what it has to offer!
BASS