Please help me with stocking an 88 gallon tank

[ashleynicole]

Angels might eat her rummy nosed tetras. That's why I suggested rainbow fish. Some of them get pretty big but have small throats and are fairly peaceful, also super colorful and schooling fish.

 

[paytertot]

Oh yea I wasn't suggesting them sorry haha

 

[Lovin Fish]

Thank you everyone! Appreciate your time and advise!
My tap water PH is 6.7. Fish that require 7.6 at the lowest would adjust? That'd be awesome!!!! It would definetely make it easier to keep them!

The three Bettas will each have their own planted tanks with one compatible schooling species with them.

 

[Lovin Fish]

Best Forum group I've experienced by far!

I wanted to add that this place has a nice group of people. I tried other forums and didn't have such a good experience as I am at this spot. Just thought I'd share! You guys are great!

 

[paytertot]

Why thank you XD

 

[ashleynicole]

Thank you everyone! Appreciate your time and advise!
My tap water PH is 6.7. Fish that require 7.6 at the lowest would adjust? That'd be awesome!!!! It would definetely make it easier to keep them!

The three Bettas will each have their own planted tanks with one compatible schooling species with them.

Most likely they would adjust. You can acclimate them very slowly and they should he alright... Occasionally you may run into some stock that may not do as well. The main thing is that it stays stable. Mostly Ph would only be an issue if you were trying to breed.

Also you could try adding a bag of crushed coral to your filter if you want to bring the Ph up for any reason. Otherwise I would just leave it be.

 

[omgitzmollie]

Thanks im glad to help, by some conditioner and if needed ph increase.

 

[omgitzmollie]

Be sure to post pictures when you get it up and running!

 

[ashleynicole]

Thanks im glad to help, by some conditioner and if needed ph increase.

Do not buy products to increase Ph, they cause more Ph problems than anything and will cause swings. The important thing is to maintain a stable Ph. Crushed coral will buffer the water if it is soft and help the Ph remain stable.

 

[omgitzmollie]

Do not buy products to increase Ph, they cause more Ph problems than anything and will cause swings. The important thing is to maintain a stable Ph. Crushed coral will buffer the water if it is soft and help the Ph remain stable.

I disagree when i first got my tank i had ph troubles and the decrease stuff worked wonders, just dont get a harsh one get a brand that you trush like for me it was top fin

 

[Mumma.of.two]

I would NOT use any pH chemicals on a tank. They not only can cause pH fluctuations (very stressful to fish) but can poison fish. (eg: there was a thread a while ago where someone dosed a tank with pH chems and killed all of their fry, 200+)

 

[omgitzmollie]

Yes you shouldnt put it in with fish in it

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Then why would you use it?

 

[ashleynicole]

Again, it is a bad idea to put any Ph up or Ph down products in a tank. It is much more important to have a stable Ph. Natural items like driftwood can lower Ph and crushed coral can buffer and raise Ph naturally and safetly.

 

[Lovin Fish]

I researched about PH and what not until my eyes went crossed. Very confusing for me as a beginner, with all the different information that contradicts one another. One thing I found to be pretty much the same in my searches was to leave the conditioners to the experienced aquarist, which I plan to do because I really don't want to mess things up.

I had read about placing bogwood in the tank and putting coral in the filter. For me, I just wouldn't know how much to use or how often to change the coral out, if at all? I really planned to add driftwood with lots of branches because I absolutely love the look and the fish seem to love it too from all the videos I've watched. So, I spose coral would be needed either fine crushed in the substrate or in the filter.

But, then again, maybe I should use fake driftwood so that I don't alter the Ph at all. This part is definetely the scariest for me.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Unless you water is incredibly soft drift wood won't effect your pH. Even if it does it won't be by much. 6.7 isn't that low.

 

[Lovin Fish]

Hmmm...I guess the real question for me is: Do any of you have experience keeping the synodontis multipunctatus? This fish is the one of the group that has the highest ph needs being 7.6-8.5. (some sites say 8.0-8.5) I decided on this catfish over the Pictus because this cutie won't eat my smaller fish. My tap water is always 6.7 each time I test it (every week for 3 months now)

I am interested in the Kribensis and the Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlids which both prefers 6.5-7.5, but wanted the catfish more so was not going to get the dwarfs.

I look forward to hearing your personal experiences with these types of fish living outside of their prefered ph. I don't want to breed. I just want to keep my fish healthy, happy and long lived.
Thanks guys!

 

[ashleynicole]

Is your water soft or hard? My driftwood doesn't effect my Ph but I have very hard water.

If you want to use crushed coral, add a little at a time and test the Ph of the tank and when you get to where you want it to be then you know you have enough

I agree with mumma, 6.7 isn't really that low and the fish should do fine. Unless your trying to get a certain fish to spawn, that ph should be fine.

 

[omgitzmollie]

^agreed

 

[omgitzmollie]

Hmmm...I guess the real question for me is: Do any of you have experience keeping the synodontis multipunctatus? This fish is the one of the group that has the highest ph needs being 7.6-8.5. (some sites say 8.0-8.5) I decided on this catfish over the Pictus because this cutie won't eat my smaller fish. My tap water is always 6.7 each time I test it (every week for 3 months now)

I am interested in the Kribensis and the Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlids which both prefers 6.5-7.5, but wanted the catfish more so was not going to get the dwarfs.

I look forward to hearing your personal experiences with these types of fish living outside of their prefered ph. I don't want to breed. I just want to keep my fish healthy, happy and long lived.
Thanks guys!

I am not farmiliar with these fish in particular but i have owned various catfish and cichlids and gouramis, it sounds like if you want both just keep the ph at a minimum of 6.8 to a maximum of 7.5 and both will be happy!