water change parameter change

[Bret]

hi everyone!
This is my first post here. Love this forum, lots of great advise and info!
I have a new MBU, he is about 6". I have had him for a week. He is eating well and seems very happy. I put him in a well established community tank and he is getting on well with his tank mates.

I have just bought a Reverse Osmosis system to ensure he has the best water quality possible.
It is now time to do a water change and I am going to spend some time tomorrow on maintenance etc... I have 2 questions...

1. Should I take hime out of the tank completely when i clean the gravel and stir things up? (I am also thinking about rearranging the bogwood in the tank)

2. The RO system produces water very different to what is in the tank now...here are the details:

Current:
PH 8.0
GH 16
KH 15

RO Filtered:
PH 7.0
GH 4
KH 5

So how do I go about making this change? Can i just go for 50% or more in one change? What will the effects of the new parameter be on my little friend after this change?

Thanks in advance!

Bret

[Pufferpunk]

Is there something seriously wrong with your tap water, that you need RO filtration?
Most everyone here on this site already does a minimum of 50% weekly WC while stirring up the substrate or better yet--clean it with a Python system, so our tank's water very closely resembles that of our tap water. Unless there is ammonia, nitrite or high nitrate in your tap water, I see no reason to use RO, for a FW tank.

Please tell us more about this tank?

[Bret]

hello,
thanks for the response... no there is nothing wrong with the tap water other than the fact that it is very hard and has high PH...My thinking behind the RO system is that I want to give my puffer the best water conditions possible. He is currently in a 100 gal tank 6 X 2 X 2 and will be moving to a much larger tank as he grows (looking at a custom build into one of my walls 8 X 4 X 3)

Is he OK to live in the hard water with high PH? I will be doing 50% changes every week, and will go get a python system today.

Thanks for the help!
Here is a picture of him

Harley.jpg

Bret

[bertie 83]

Welcome fellow uk person. Stability is key on our fish tanks so I would stick to your source water. That tank grosses at 179 g

[RTR]

+1 to Pufferpunk's and Bertie's comments above. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[Bret]

ok great! Thanks guys! I will stay with the source water.
I am really enjoying my new puffer! He is such a character! Love the way he greets me in the morning when I come downstairs and how he gets excited when he sees me getting ready to give him breakfast (feeding once a day on cockles at the moment).


and yes Betrie... meant to say 200g

Bret

[Pufferpunk]

He looks healthy & very handsome! I am thrilled that you are aware of the tank size necessary for these monsters!

[bertie 83]

So the new tank will gross at 718 usg, that is quite some tank! Yea good on you. I assume it will be 4ft front to back not tall? That's gonna take some vacuuming lol.

[Bret]

The shop where I got him has a huge community tank with a full grown MBU...IT IS AWESOME!!! I only wish I had the room to have a bigger tank! I think 8X4X3 is as big as Im gonna be able to talk the wife into
I use to keep Arowanas before moving to the UK 6 years ago so I do love big fish in big tanks!

One other question... how do you guys aquascape your tanks? plastic plants? live plants? no plants? Im going to be trying a few things out over the next few months regarding tank decor and could use all the info I can find. Most of the pics I see on the internet are close ups of MBUs and no wide angles of tank set-up so i would be interested in what the rest of you guys do...