GBRs: To soften or not to soften

[sinibotia]

I got some GBRs on the advice that they can actual do well in hard water. Now I keep reading that it's impossible to keep them long term in hard water. Anyone have experience with it? Should I gradually soften the water or should I just keep it stable as is? Will I be able to breed them in hard water?

Side note: theyve been at the petsmart here with the same water as me for several months. So theyre at least not dying outright from it.

 

[dalto]

Can we define hard water?

If they are truly GBRs than you probably have a strain that has been tank raised for many, many generations that would probably be fine in more neutral, moderate water.

However, if your water has a GH of 20 you are probably going to be in trouble. Also, if you want to spawn them the needs for water will be a little less broad.

 

[sinibotia]

I'll have to do a hardness test when I get home. I know it's pretty high but I don't recall the numbers off the top of my head. In any case, what would you say the ceiling is for hardness if I want to spawn them?

 

[dalto]

I am not sure there is a definitive answer to that question unless you have access to breeder/history. GBR have been bred so deeply that they no longer have the same requirements as wild caught M. ramirezi.

My advice would be as long as your water is not very hard I would try it and if you are not having success try softening water slowly.

 

[sinibotia]

I.... don't understand.... but my KH is 3 degrees and the GH is 53.7 ppm. And I'm getting the same results out of the tap. I don't know if my hardness test kits are expired or what. They don't have a sticker on them. But considering the degree of hard water stains we get, I don't see how it could possibly be that low.

 

[dalto]

Hmm...well.....looks good for the rams

 

[sinibotia]

Hmm...well.....looks good for the rams

I just don't believe the results! The water has behaved like hard water all along... And everywhere around me has hard water- the petsmart I got the fish from, and my professor a few towns over. How much would an expired test kit alter the results?

 

[sinibotia]

I have a bunch of peat moss. Is there any way it could hurt if I added some into the filter to soften the water?

pH of the tank is 7.6, I just can't bring myself to believe the hardness is only 3 degrees with a pH of 7.6

On the other hand, the fish seem to be doing just fine, no signs of stress whatsoever. Showing nice colors, eating after less than 12 hours in a new habitat, squabbling over territory; prettymuch behaving like normal ram cichlids. But I can't help but worry incessantly over them.

 

[dalto]

I am not sure how much peat will effect KH but if your KH is really 3 than lowering it too much will cause a pH crash.

 

[sinibotia]

I am not sure how much peat will effect KH but if your KH is really 3 than lowering it too much will cause a pH crash.

I'm not sure, to be honest. On the one hand, I'm getting consistant values from my tap water and the tank, and the values in my shellie tank with aragonite substrate are double the KH of the tapwater (6 degrees), which makes sense- but still the same GH. On the other hand, from what I found online the kit expired in 2010. On the other other hand, I didn't even take the kit out of the box until a few weeks ago, so who knows if it's really expired?

The really important thing is that, as I said, all the fish seem to be doing well and showing no signs of distress- the only exception being the corys are a bit greyed out, but that's probably because I overset my finicky heater and the temperature went too high, but it's come back down now and they're looking better.

 

[dalto]

I would leave them alone until you can have your water retested to be sure if they seem OK.

I also have two more words for you. "Heater controller"

 

[sinibotia]

I would leave them alone until you can have your water retested to be sure if they seem OK.

I also have two more words for you. "Heater controller"

It's an old heater but it's one of the old stealths, I've never had one let me down. The heater settings are just finicky, you have to set it a little under what you want it to be.

 

[dalto]

It's an old heater but it's one of the old stealths, I've never had one let me down. The heater settings are just finicky, you have to set it a little under what you want it to be.

I have had about 5 of those fail and they were all recalled.

 

[sinibotia]

Really? All of them? I've been using this particular heater for almost a decade now. By particular heater I dont mean the stealth kind, I mean this exact heater, got it like 9 years ago after my glass heater exploded.

 

[dalto]

Really? All of them? I've been using this particular heater for almost a decade now. By particular heater I dont mean the stealth kind, I mean this exact heater, got it like 9 years ago after my glass heater exploded.

Every single one.

Recall Information | Marineland

I used to love them until they started failing. I had about 20 of them.

 

[sinibotia]

That's really unfortunate, now I'm worried about mine. Although it's been running for over a month now with no hickups aside from the setting quirk but it's always had that. Think I oughta replace it? I actually have 3 of them with me.

 

[dalto]

I would.

"Hazard: A wiring problem can cause the aquarium heaters to overheat or break during normal use, damaging the aquarium and posing fire and laceration hazards to consumers. Overheating can cause the heater to shatter or the aquarium glass to break."

I don't know if they still are but when the recall first started they would send you a replacement heater for free.

 

[sinibotia]

I'll have to call tomorrow, I sure wouldn't complain about 3 brand new heaters lol. Although I only have the heaters themselves, no box or serial number or anything. So I may not be able to get replacements.

 

[dalto]

They never asked for anything when I did it. They just sent a shipping label to return the old ones.

The recall was a long time ago though.

 

[sinibotia]

They never asked for anything when I did it. They just sent a shipping label to return the old ones.

The recall was a long time ago though.

What did you do about a heater between mailing back the old and recieving the new?