What fish to avoid

**zdam20** · 20th Mar 2009, 08:52

Hi. I'm new to fresh (well it's been 20 years or more) and I'm setting up a 125 planted tank and I'm trying to decide on a fish list for it. My tap water is 4.9 dkh alk and 10 dkh of general hardness. I could use ro water as I have an ro system but I'd rather not. Other than discus, can you tell me what fish to avoid? Thanks.

**barmby** · 27th Mar 2009, 11:39

Avoid clown loach as they will unroot plants

**Philosophos** · 27th Mar 2009, 13:32

4.9 KH? That'll make for what? 7.6-8.0 water? You'll have to be selective about both your plants and your fish. These conditions are much like the ones I've dealt with. The list of things you can't do in a planted aquarium in that water is pretty long, unless you don't mind less colorful or more typical fish. Stay away from most agressive cichlids; odds are they'll take to your plants like chainsaws. Avoid fish that like very soft water (most apistos, cardinal tetras, most algae eating shrimp) as well.

The best looking fish I can think of would be rainbow fish, gouramis and angel fish. There's lots of tetras you could use to fill things in, and less sensitive dwarf cichlids that would probably do fine. Of course all of this is general; some discus are adapted to 7.6pH and 4kH or so.

-Philosophos

**Philosophos** · 27th Mar 2009, 14:24

Originally Posted by elmike

Whale sharks!

Because they can potentially drag you into very lenghty ad hominem flame wars.

Only if you let the nuttier conservationists know about it. The problem starts with petitions

.

Think I should post pictures of a giant whale shark steak being cut over on that thread? Hmm maybe over on the "Aquarium Fauna on the Menu" thread.

-Philosophos

**Philosophos** · 28th Mar 2009, 01:50

High school drop-out actually.

Anyhow, I'll post it on my own thread; no need to turn a good debate volatile with trolling.

-Philosophos

**zdam20** · 28th Mar 2009, 18:56

Thanks everybody. I'll be adding co2 with a ph controller so the ph will be less than 7.8 but I like to have stuff that's weel within the water specs. No sense pushing it at first

.

**Philosophos** · 28th Mar 2009, 20:38

CO2 with a pH controller to reach less than 7.8? What is your tap starting out at? If you aren't adding >10ppm CO2, I can't see a point in using a pH controller. You almost might as well use a 1 gal. pickle jar and yeast 24x7.

-Philosophos

**zdam20** · 29th Mar 2009, 22:00

Tap water 8.12 and 4.9 dkh. To get to 15 ppm CO2 I need to drop my ph down to about 6.9-7 ph. The main reason I'm using a controller and press CO2 is cause this is a converted sw reef and I already had a controller on it.

**Philosophos** · 30th Mar 2009, 04:23

8.12 to start? I hope you like vallisenaria. To get 15ppm you just need to turn the flow up on your CO2. If the pH controller is getting in the way of this, then you've got a problem.

-Philosophos