Breeding Neons

[gau]

Hi All,

My Ph readings of Main tank are 7.6

I am trying to breed neons. I have heard that they get triggered by lower ph range of 5.5-6.5

I also read that Vinegar can temporarily reduce Ph of the water. Has anyone tried this?

Also, has anyone tried using Spawn-aid to spawn egg layers?

 

[Rikesh]

Hi. You can add peat filtered water to the tank.
Or rain water.
Or products like "black water" stuff.
Adding Indian almond leaves or oak leaves to your water will also decrease its pH.

 

[HN1]

Adding RO into your PWC is the safest and most controllable way.

 

[gau]

If after successfully keeping the Ph of spawning tank at 6.6, I introduce my neons at night, would this pose problems for them?

Since they would be accustomed to Ph of 7.6 in main tank, and I am doing this suddenly at one night?

 

[HN1]

You will need to acclimate them properly.

 

[gau]

Thanks H1N,

By acclimatize, do you mean the way we do it when we get them from LFS?

 

[DizzCat]

Just hanging a bag in the tank gets a fish used to the temp of the new tank, not the pH or anything else. The best way to acclimate a new fish (or putting fish into a different pH) is to put the fish in a bucket and slowly add water from the new tank into it. I will pour a small amount of the new water into the bucket every 10 minutes or so until the bucket water pH is close to the tank water pH. It is better to go slow. If you just move the fish, they will be shocked from the different pH.

 

[HN1]

I agree. I usually just add a bit of tank water at a time over the course of an hour or two. For SW (or more sensitive FW) fish, you can drip acclimate. Basically you put the fish in a bucket lower than the tank and use airline tubing to siphon water from the main aquarium into the bucket. A knot in the tubing acts as a "throttle" for it. 1 drop per 1-2 seconds seems to work best IME. When the water is 50/50 in the bucket if parameters were close to start with or 75/25 tank water to LFS water if not, net the fish out and place in display (preferably QT if they're not the first fish.

One caveat.... you need to test both your tank and the incoming LFS water. If the LFS water is horrible (high ammonia or nitrite) the fish may benefit more by a temp match and "plop n drop".

 

[gau]

Thank you all. Another question:

Can I use some bottled water from walmart instead of RO/DI? I dont have the unit for latter.

I will aerate it properly before using.

From what I found out, I can mix quantities of my tap/aquarium water and bottled water to make a mix that has lower hardness and ph.

 

[HN1]

Yes, but a better option may be the water machine at the grocery store. 39 cents per gallon and it's usually RODI. All you need is the container. Most that I've seen have a sticker showing when the filters were last changed out too.

 

[gau]

Yes, but a better option may be the water machine at the grocery store. 39 cents per gallon and it's usually RODI. All you need is the container. Most that I've seen have a sticker showing when the filters were last changed out too.

Could you give more pointers? I know only a few grocery stores, and dont know anyone that would sell water for 39 cents.

Could you be more specific about stores? Also, how can I make sure its RO/DI?

 

[HN1]

I'll definitely try. lol

Do you have Publix in Birmingham? Most grocery stores have a water machine nowadays, but Publix seems to maintain their's the best.

 

[gau]

Yeah, we have Publix! I am ready to take some containers if its 39cents a gallon....

Thanks a lot H1N