Shaky begining

[jackwagon]

I'm just starting a 55 gallon tank (standard length and depth) and was hoping someone could answer some questions.

I have the following installed and running:

Emperor 400 filter
Hagan elite 100 watt heater
Penguin 660 powerhead

I also have 60 lbs. of gravel substrate and multiple medium to large rocks

My situation is
1. My ph was reading about 8.5 with nitrate nitrite and ammonia reading zero with no fish in it for about a week so I decided to attempt to start the nitrogen cycle with 5 tiger barbs (about 1 In. each) it is now day 2 of them being in there and all they seem to do is swim against the current which I assume is ok. My first question was does the nitrogen cycle lower the ph as I reaches completion. I tested the water today and it was 8.1! A huge swing I know but the fish didn't seem to mind. This reading was taken on the second day they were in the tank.

I also need to use 50:50 water mix because I have extremely hard well water and extremely soft tap water ( I live in the country) could this be causing my ph swings?

Also would more of a current be good? I was thing about getting 2 hydor koralife circulatory (750) and placing them at opposite ends. Is this a good idea or bad idea

My ideal stocking would be 3 clown loaches 7 tiger barbs 1 pleco and 2 pictus catfish. I know I would be overstocked but since my local fish store takes fish back I figured I would be alright for a couple of years.

As of right now my main concern is my high ph because I know the clown loaches don't like it very high but I really like them

I've tested my hard water and tap water separate and hey are each 7.2. The gravel and rocks are not carbonate ( won't raise ph I assume) and even have 2 pieces of driftwood in there. I did have some plastic plants in the tank but I tested them by putting them in a bucket of hard water that was 7.2 ph 24 hrs ago and is now 7.8. I doubt this is a problem but maybe it is

Sorry about the length of the post I just want to convey all of the info at once

 

[Pton46]

So is your tank Cycled?

Since you have Barbs now read this article..if not

I just learned about cycling but I already have fish. What now?!Aquarium Advice

Also get a GOOD water Conditioner....Seachem Prime is a Favorite of people in the Forum.

Have you Tested both your Tap and Well and compared?

Ph should not "drop" normally although when a tank is in a "cycle" that could happen.

Driftwood tends to lower Ph but people add crushed coral to counteract that.

 

[jackwagon]

Currently my tank is not cycled. I am trying to use the tiger barbs to get it started and this is only the third complete day they will be in the tank.

My tap water ph is 7.2
my hard water ph is 7.1 to 7.3
combined they are 7.2

I tried the drift wood to see if it could lower it but it didn't seem to affect it and i have nothing in the tank that i believe would raise the ph.

 

[librarygirl]

PH isn't really much of an issue; most fish will adapt to whatever your PH is as long as they are acclimated slowly when you first get them. Sensitive fish like Discus are different of course but the majority of fish will be fine. At only a few days in I wouldn't worry about PH swings yet; it's posible the water is gassing out and changing the PH. Let the water sit out for 24 hours and then test the PH; it can change from what it is right out of the tap once it gasses off and this will be what your tank's PH is. Again as long as the tank is pretty stable it'll be fine. If there are swings there are natural ways to buffer it without adding chemicals.

Not sure how the tigers are going to fair with just 5 of them, they tend to become very aggressive toward eachother if left with insufficient numbers (a group of 12+ is ideal) but I wouldn't add any more to an uncycled tank. Adult clowns need a 150+ gal tank, they get huge. Clown Loach (Chromobotia macracanthus) — Loaches Online they also prefer a group of 5+. Also once you have them chances are you're not going to want to return them so seriously think about whether or not you would be able to upgrade to a much larger tank in the future.

You also might want to add another filter on there; the Emperors are good for 80 gal tanks according to the packaging (and they tend to overrate); a good rule is to get double the amount of filtration required for your tank, so you'll want 1-2 filters that combined are good for 110+ gals.

IMO rethink your stock list. You'll be overstocked with some fish who are going to outgrow that tank size (and fish that could potentially hurt each other, eg. the Tigers) and you'd definitely need more filtration.

 

[jackwagon]

Ok thank you for the input. I was wondering about water circulation too. I was thinking about getting 2 koralife 750 pumps would this be a good idea or not? Also what kind of filter would you recommend. I have limited back of tank space and would probably do. After with a canister but which one. Also is a 100 watt heater big enough?

 

[jackwagon]

*what kind of canister filter