Quick PH Question

[platytetrafan]

Yes I am talking about the 36g.The rainbows are 2 australian and 2 bosemani all seem to be doing fine. A majority of the fish are pretty small fish the rainbows don't appear to be cramped. LOL as far as mating I don't have enough room for fry so if they don't mate is ok with me. Is strange though because my other tanks register with a ph of 7.0 maybe 7.2 I have no problems with the water parameters never a problem with ammonia or nitrite nitrate registers 40 which I have been told is fine for a community tank. Will do the water changes and leave it at that like my hubby's friend who has fish said to me if it isn't broken don't fix it. I am afraid to add anything like baking soda to the tank because my tetras like the lower ph.Thanks for the input though is appreciated.

 

[TheXman]

I don't know how big your rainbows are or what species the "australians" are (because lfs often call several different species that come from Australia "australians" They could be M. australis, maybe M. splendida (like mine), M. trifasciata, M. duboulayi, or maybe even M. maccullochi. Most likely, they are a species that will get to be 5-6 inches long eventually (like the bosemanis), and rainbows being active fish, they need some room to swim, or they will feel cramped and stressed. They may be OK now, but I doubt they're full size yet (that can take up to two years), so eventually, they will outgrow your tank. What are the tank dimensions by the way? Longer is better for rainbows than taller because of the swimming issue, and also surface area for oxygen exchange (active fish need more oxygen than the less active ones). This is a common problem with rainbows, everything will be fine, then out of the blue, a number of rainbows will turn up dead overnight, or gasping at the surface, almost always in tanks that don't have sufficient aeration for the number and type of fish. Something to be aware of given that you seem to be pushing the stocking limit of this tank, and corner tanks sometimes don't have as much surface area as standard rectangular tanks. What kind of filter do you have? That can make a big difference too.

 

[platytetrafan]

I have a 36g corner bow...I have a good airstone and a shipwreck bubbler so the fish are getting plenty of aeration. I have a penguin 200 filter. Fish seem fine they have alot of room my tetras are mostly bottom dweller so the rainbows do have alot of room to swim.