Filled my tank with RO water. Oops

[Smithder]

So I'm new to cichlids. I've been doing saltwater and wanted to try something different. I set up my new 90 gallon tank last night and filled it with RO water as I would a salt tank without even thinking about the impact on PH.

My reading this morning was 6.4 at 74 degrees F. I also checked my water from the tap and got 7.0.

Do I need to drain and refill? Should I buffer? Seems like either way I'll end up needing to buffer to get where I need to be.

Thanks for the help!

[barrettsline]

I would simply drain and refill. No need to add a buffer if it isn't required. Can you provide information on your setup and maybe some pictures?

[Smithder]

I was thinking drain as well. I already added quick start but I can buy more. Would the 7.0 from my tap be ok?

i have a 90 gallon with pool filter sand and black star rock. I'm testing with a digital Hanna water meter.

[morpheus]

i would agree in just draining and refilling. also agree that it depends on the type of cichlids you are wanting to keep. some prefer higher pH while others do not. cichlids in general are very tolerant of a wide range in terms of pH.

water hardness will also impact what your pH does. the harder the water, the more resistant it will be to change the pH.

water coming out of the tap at 7.0 is more rare in houston. most tap i hear of is around 8.0.

[barrettsline]

i would agree in just draining and refilling. also agree that it depends on the type of cichlids you are wanting to keep. some prefer higher pH while others do not. cichlids in general are very tolerant of a wide range in terms of pH.

water hardness will also impact what your pH does. the harder the water, the more resistant it will be to change the pH.

water coming out of the tap at 7.0 is more rare in houston. most tap i hear of is around 8.0.

100% agree. To be honest if plan to keep Mbuna or peacocks, you'll be fine.

[Smithder]

Sounds like I will be draining and refilling after work. Lesson learned!

What about labs and haps? I'll retest my tap this evening but are they ok around 7?

Im using Pearland water.

Still figuring out all these darn names and compatibility.


thanks for all the help!

[Austy16414]

You'll be fine with a tap of 7 with any Malawi cichlid you want to keep. I would recommend going straight Mbuna or straight Haplochromine if possible

[Austy16414]

Oops, just saw you're still figuring out names. Mbuna are the rock dwellers (psuedotropheus, metriaclima, etc) and Haplochromines are the open water swimmers (aulonocara, protomelas, nimbochromis, etc.)

[mnemenoi]

Lucky! Ours is 8.2-8.4 on most days and occasionally even harder. The TDS meter sings....

[Austy16414]

Lucky! Ours is 8.2-8.4 on most days and occasionally even harder. The TDS meter sings....

Is it singing or is it crying in pain? Lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[morpheus]

i keep a variety of malawis all together. labs, mbunas and some peacocks.

my personal opinion...as long as you keep your pH consistent, that is more important than chasing an "ideal" pH. if you are battling params and your pH keeps swinging back and forth, the fish get very stressed and can die. the fish will adapt to your standard. i do keep some larger chunks of limestone in my african tank to buffer it slightly, so it hovers in the upper 7s or low 8s.

[mnemenoi]

Depends on the tank I suppose, LOL. The Tangs and Sulawesi love it. The SA and SE Asian stuff not so much....

Is it singing or is it crying in pain? Lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Smithder]

Oops, just saw you're still figuring out names. Mbuna are the rock dwellers (psuedotropheus, metriaclima, etc) and Haplochromines are the open water swimmers (aulonocara, protomelas, nimbochromis, etc.)

Please tell me more about this recommendation. I was staying away from mbuna because I was told there aggressiveness could limit what I can keep.

So far I'm a fan of the electric blue haps, yellow labs, and some of the bright colored peacocks. Don't know the names of those yet.

[Austy16414]

Morpheus is on point with the pH recommendation. I should mention I'm a stickler when it comes to mixing lakes/habitats. Not that I haven't kept mbuna with Haps, but once the mbuna get to breeding you could have some aggression issues on your hands. There's a ton of peacocks, plenty to suit whatever colors you're interested in. Look into some Jacobfreibergi variants, a lot of options there


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[morpheus]

...I should mention I'm a stickler when it comes to mixing lakes/habitats. Not that I haven't kept mbuna with Haps, but once the mbuna get to breeding you could have some aggression issues on your hands....
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

definitely agree here. i only have one peacock really in my tank (strawberry peacock), and have had that one for years. this one is a little more aggressive than your typical peacock, so fits in fine with my group.

mbunas are generally the more "beefy" variety for lack of a better term. strong, more girth to their bodies, but still fast and can get territorial. that is why you keep them in larger groups. it curbs their aggression quite a bit.

people usually go the haps route for a calmer tank, or the mbuna route which is more busy. if you google "colorful peacock cichlids" you get some great examples from lemon jakes, rubin reds, OB peacocks (which are cross breeds really), Jacobfreibergi variants (like austy mentioned), regal blue...so many

both like higher flows in the tank. i just added a powerhead to my tank at austy's recommendation and it helped. also keeps the water higher in oxygen.