Natural water softeners.

[Dow]

I want to do a 30g apisto and tetra tank however, the water I have averages a pH of 8.2, which is perfectly fine for the peacocks and other such malawi's but I'm starting up a new 30g. How do I naturally lower the pH without spending too much money? Plants? Tannins? Peat? Suggestions? Also, is there a pH buffer I can use to treat the water before I do water changes?

[Darbex]

From personal experience Apistos and rams are fine in Houston tap I have kept them with my WC discus. But if you want to lower the pH the best was naturally is probably devoting a filter full of peat. You can use a pH buffer but be careful to make sure its constantly the same and you will have to pre-mix your water before adding it to the tank. The thing that will kill your fish faster than anything is sudden changes in conditions. So if you suddenly change the buffer then they will kill over quick so the good thing about Houston tap water is its one of the most consistent tap water. It will almost always come out of the tap with very little variation in pH and hardness.

[Dow]

: D Really? Totally just made my day. Is there anything I should know about apistos that isn't spelled out in a month's research on them?

[Darbex]

They can be hard to keep just make sure you have good water conditions that doesn't very a lot and clean water. In my experience its easier to keep them in a planted tank. I am assuming its because it helps filter the nitrates and such. Make sure you proprly acclimate them

[Dow]

I let all my fish float for 15-20 minutes, then acclimated them over a period of 20-60 minutes, depending on the fish, so that's good. What's a good ratio to keep them at? Can they be kept reasonably with spiney eels and neon tetras?

[myjohnson]

For a 30L, I would get 1 males and maybe 4-6 females.

Apistos love to swim among the plants and I find that it makes them feel less stressed.

[ndnreefer]

If you are still interested in softning your water a pillow softner is a good way to go. I used one for my SA set up and it worked its magic in few days. It also makes changing the pH alot simplier. You can get them at city pets for $5-6. Read up on them, they are reusable also.

[mjbmrh]

Here's a few options: 1) collect rainwater after its rained a bit unless you fear polution in your area or have a new roof. Its free and naturally soft and usually a bit acidic. Mix with a little tap water and you should have what you want; 2) buy RO water and mix with a little tap water and you will have ideal water; 3) buy high quality peat that the manufactor lists as having a low pH value (check the bag -- usually only large bags say this - or call the company to check the acidity). The peat will need to be in a canister filter and be very careful as strong peat can lower pH and softness fast stressing/killing fish. The problem will be on water changes as the peat will have to take some time to resoften and acidity the new water. I'd suggest a water storage container to prepare the water for the water changes -- a second peat filter on that container too. The rain water or RO can be mixed in a bucket during the change. Water softening pillows just replace the calcium in the water with sodium leaving the total dissolved solids in the water still quite high. It reads as soft water as the test kits check for calcium. If you test with a tds meter or conductivity meter the reading would still show high mineral content: sodium and what not. Not really "soft" water. In short, there's no easy way to change water chemistry. If you do, the fish will reward you with longer life, better color and more breeding but its a chore and a cost. Of course, you will need all sorts of test kits to play with the water effectively.