Recently I started a small ten gallon community freshwater tank. The problem is that my home is suppllied by well water which contains a very high pH and is very hard for a freshwater tank. I have been using a pillow softener to try to counteract it but it does not seem to be doing the trick. I need suggestions or a solution. Please help!
Well Water
- Thread starter Hreefer89
- Start date
SubRosa
Well-Known Member
You can either fight your water or work with it.You can keep Africans,Livebearers,Goldfish,DaniosRainbows and with the addition of a little salt Brackish fish in your water without having to do anything to your water at all.While a 10 G is a little limiting,a very interesting tank could include some shell dwelling Africans and a school of Danios for some interest.There are lots of other possibilities.Softening hard water without an RO/DI or DI system is isn't worth it imo,but I'm old and lazy!You could think about collecting rainwater to dilute your well water with.Acid rain might actually have a benefit for you!:LOL:
John
John
Last edited:
Emg
Member
I would do as Subrosa suggested and test the parameters.......ph/hard?/soft? etc.....and find out what kinds of fish will do well in that water.
South American cichlids tend to prefer softer water with a lower PH.....african types tend toward the hard/high PH type water. Most fish are pretty forgiving and will adapt to whatever water you have as long as you properly acclimate and keep up with water changes.
I "highly" recommend the shelldweller species.....specifically the meleagris. I had a nice group of those in a 15gallon....they are FASCINATING ! The meleagris and the multifasciatus are a great choice for a 10gallon. The meleagris are less tolerant of each other, so fewer of those...but the multis are all just one big happy family and will breed themselves right out of the tank if you let them. Great source of a bit extra cash now and then if you have an lfs that will buy them from you.
Meleagris/stappersi/15gallon tank
multifasciatus/20long tank
South American cichlids tend to prefer softer water with a lower PH.....african types tend toward the hard/high PH type water. Most fish are pretty forgiving and will adapt to whatever water you have as long as you properly acclimate and keep up with water changes.
I "highly" recommend the shelldweller species.....specifically the meleagris. I had a nice group of those in a 15gallon....they are FASCINATING ! The meleagris and the multifasciatus are a great choice for a 10gallon. The meleagris are less tolerant of each other, so fewer of those...but the multis are all just one big happy family and will breed themselves right out of the tank if you let them. Great source of a bit extra cash now and then if you have an lfs that will buy them from you.
Meleagris/stappersi/15gallon tank
multifasciatus/20long tank
