Wade91789
Aquarium Advice Activist
Where I live the tap water is 8.2. My question would be what's the best way to lower it or would be leaving it at a constant 8.2 hurt the fish. I have tropical fish and plan to breed mollies
PH question
- Thread starter Wade91789
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librarygirl
Look It Up
I think your PH is fine, I wouldn't mess with it. As long as it stays stable, that's the most important thing for fish. I think you'll find that the mollies will breed fine. 
My tap water is 8.2 as well. I'm actually keeping rummynose tetras and panda cories in these conditions, both of which are supposed to be delicate, and they're doing great. I've only had them for a few weeks now but so far they really seem to be doing great. Eating healthy, playing all the time, and no signs of disease or stress.
BBradbury
Aquarium Advice Addict
- Joined
- May 24, 2011
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pH Question
Hello Wade...
Unless you keep rare fish, you don't need to be concerned with pH, hardness, or any of these chemistry things. Most aquarium fish will adapt to most public water supplies. Fish do fine in acid or basic water. Actually, fish prefer higher pH water.
It's best not to try to maintain a specific pH, it's difficult to maintain and sudden changes in the water chemistry can kill your fish.
I strongly suggest you simply treat the tap water for ammonia, chlorine and chloramine and let the fish do what they've done for decades and that's adjust to the tap water.
Mollies are very particular about water conditions and their food too. They are the least hardy of the "Livebearers". Do lots of research before you get these fish. They're not recommended for beginners.
B
Hello Wade...
Unless you keep rare fish, you don't need to be concerned with pH, hardness, or any of these chemistry things. Most aquarium fish will adapt to most public water supplies. Fish do fine in acid or basic water. Actually, fish prefer higher pH water.
It's best not to try to maintain a specific pH, it's difficult to maintain and sudden changes in the water chemistry can kill your fish.
I strongly suggest you simply treat the tap water for ammonia, chlorine and chloramine and let the fish do what they've done for decades and that's adjust to the tap water.
Mollies are very particular about water conditions and their food too. They are the least hardy of the "Livebearers". Do lots of research before you get these fish. They're not recommended for beginners.
B
Sometimes it works and sometimes not. Alot of wild caught tetras, cories, and dwarf SA cichlids don't acclimate well to high PH, KH, GH. Many die long before they reach retail stores due to stress and not being able to acclimate to different water conditions along the way. The ones that finally make it for retail sale are usually the strongest/hardiest of the lot and are most likely to be able to adjust to higher PH/KH/GH tank conditions in the home aquaria. Another thing is even tho they might adjust to these higher readings spawning will usually not occur with those species which I know your average fish keeper isn't worried about. Personally I prefer keeping my plants and S.American fish at lower PH/KH/GH because many of my plants prefer it and alot of my fish do spawn in the tank (which is a 220g). A stable PH is best in a tank but personally I prefer giving my fish an enviornment closer to what they had in the wild.
Mollies actually prefer higher PH/KH/GH which is hard alkaline water. And some species of Mollies, like the Sailfins, actually prefer some salinity in their water.
