Water Hardness - Lurkers

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Smashtoad
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Water Hardness - Lurkers

Post by Smashtoad »

Hi Guys,

I want a Hairy, but there is a nice looking subadult suvatti at a LFS. It's been there for at least two months, so he must be a fairly hardy specimen, considering he's on disgusting pink gravel with nowhere to hide.

My tank is cycled, but newly. I am in Central Indiana, and the water is very hard and alkaline. I plan to cut with RO, but I am wondering if I could get your thoughts on the ability of the SE Asian lurkers to adapt to harder water, if the water is kept pristine? I have had many congos over the years in Indianapolis tap water, and they all did fine, but the one time I tried to keep a suvatti...I lost him. I'm not sure what happened, but I don't want to repeat that with him, or a hairy if I find one.

Thanks.

P.S. Sorry to hear about the Pufferpedia. That freakin blows. I loved that thing.
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Pufferpunk
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Re: Water Hardness - Lurkers

Post by Pufferpunk »

They are not going to care at all.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

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pufferjw
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Re: Water Hardness - Lurkers

Post by pufferjw »

Agree with Pufferpunk, they'll be totally fine with the water as is. Softer water fish do perfectly well in hard water unless it has an EXTREMELY high GH. Also I wouldn't even add RO water, the risk of an inconsistent pH outweighs any sort of benefit it would bring.
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Smashtoad
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Re: Water Hardness - Lurkers

Post by Smashtoad »

My GH is around 160ppm. What do you consider extremely high?
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pufferjw
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Re: Water Hardness - Lurkers

Post by pufferjw »

160ppm is only around 10 dGH, that's honestly pretty moderate. By extremely hard I'm referring to water over 400ppm/24 dGH
220 Gallon - 1 Super White Leopoldi Stingray
55 Gallon Planted - No Fish
29 Gallon Planted - 1 Duboisi Puffer
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Smashtoad
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Joined: Sat Jan 03, 2009 2:10 am

Re: Water Hardness - Lurkers

Post by Smashtoad »

That's good to hear.... thanks
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