Tap water conundrum

My shrimp are the whisper/ghost shrimp sold just about everywhere. All three have molted and are working like crazy in the tank so im hoping all is ok with tgem. Snails chuging away also. Im hoping the shrimp food is enough to help the cycle along if i ever get the water straight.
I did a 50% change today, swithched out tge quilt batting in the bubbler (it was brown) and will test the water tomorrow with my master kit...
I have three very specific employees at each of the only three clean places ive found to go that I trust now. They do not pretend to know more than they do. They are very willing to caution about certain fish... I've begun pretending I want dwarf German blue ram cichlids in my 5 gallon with 5 pygmy corys and shrimp and not knowing if my parameters are straight. lol. I know better. And if I mention the betta boxes these stores sell they don't comment but roll their eyes! I don't think they are allowed to say they are a bad idea.
If they say sure you can do that, I waited till I got a different person on another day. It's taken quite a few trips but at least I know who to ask for. If they aren't there I don't bother going at all.
So. I will take my water Monday and ask for the KH and GH numbers. Meanwhile I will try to come up with the money for yet another test. totally part of it I understand now but didn't at first.
Since my betta tank is small, the betta being a baby... I think more like a juvenile, (acts like my teenager) I have to figure this out in the next few months. If I do I will go ahead and get another tank to cycle for the cories I want.
If not he or she will have to deal with excessive water changes. But for now he/she is a happy little fish. I know that the 2.5 gallons in that tank are really only about 1 3/4 gallons because of the 1/2 inch of black gravel, the heater, the plants and the hunk of drift wood which is about two fist size with a deep indentation (it thinks it's a big cave) I replaced a fist size piece f coral with it. Lots of nooks and crazies to explore.
Using purified water it seems to be doing well number wise. It was just a little high on the nitrates but a good chunk of pathos with roots seems to have evened it out.
If only the 5 gallon would be consistent without purified... or at least mostly tap. We'll see.
If there is anyone else with tap water issues I wish they would say what they are trying. Maybe they all are able to go out and get an RO system. I am looking on Craigslist for a used one but haven't seen anything yet. We won't know if we have the property we want until Wednesday. Building is always a painful process but usually no one is in danger over it!
Thanks for any and all input. I will post latest numbers tomorrow afternoon.
 
It's good that you found a few good people and I appreciate your deduction methods of finding them. :) Ghost shrimp are pretty hardy considering the horrible lives they lead before you take them home, short lifespans though. Getting that pH a little closer to neutral will benefit them though.

I think most people who have tap issues (which is not an uncommon thing) either have switched to RO water or unfortunately give up. Some issues are simple enough to correct without RO but yours is kinda a cluster *beep* which would require more than a simple (cheap) fix. But since you are moving I'd just keep doing what you are doing. As the pothos gets adjusted and grows I think you could even increase the tap to purified ratio (more tap, will increase pH and decrease costs). When you want to setup the second tank do a fishless cycle with some of your mature media, it will go fast and with no fish in the tank you can use straight tap water.

I can't figure this out...you need to come up with $7 for a test kit but you are planning to setup a whole new bigger tank and are buying a house? o_O Nothing personal, everyone says this at one point or another, I have myself as a newbie! But we quickly learn that like everything else in life this hobby is way more complicated and costs more than we initial expected. Having a full batch of test kits is a great investment.

Keep up the good work!
 
I had no idea. The master set at LFS is 40$!
My 25$ fish tank with plants has ended up a little over 250$ with all the crazy things going on. (Had to buy a temp 7watt light from walmart cuz the led went out on this cheap tank. Not starting over now! Will definitely get the test I need tomorrow.
I bought a pothos and scrubbed the roots of the whole plant. Sprayed with hydrogen peroxide then rinsed again before adding to the filter. So roots are full and part of the equation. Change out the cotton batting every other day because it collects alot of plant/shrimp debris. Turns brown if I wait a week. It's the first line of defense after the prefilter. I don't want to have to rinse my sponge get or ceramics until everything is going is steady for a week or so. I'm trying not to overclean the tank but I'm a little ocd so its hard.

The new tank would just be for growing plants and preparing for fish. Still the fish won't be anything expensive or hard like cichlids. Just bottom/mid dwellers. Preston can order me pygmy corydoras for 2.99 Six at a time. I would want 12. A few ottos if I can get panda cories too I would be happy. Not sure. Definitely want the pgmys. Stood in the store watching the ones he had got in that day for at least an hour. So darn cute. If I got a 20 gal how many pandas could I have with 12 pygmys that would be happy? More is better for them yes? I would get a low wide tank. (With a lid of course)
The only thing I have seen that I might want to try are Bumblebee gobys, but can corydoras be in brackish water and how hard is that after this whole freshwater mess? And i know they would need fresh smashed up shrimp. Otherwise I have fallen for these rather plain tiny fish.

One more thing, why i ran out of funds thinking the new test would be expensive, I bought, bacopa, tall grass maybe jungle val and something fluffy that said moderate light... since I had to buy another light lol.
So there are 10 fluffy stems of what I don't know. Feathery? 5 bacopba stems, two anubia Nanas, one bunch (5 rooted sets of tall grass) and two rhizomes of mini java ferns, the ones that look like fingers on the ends)
The shrimp seem to be having a ball on the plants and wood. They still eat the shrimp pellets too though.
I will get this right if it kills me.
 
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Good thing you ordered your master kit from Amazon then! I always find my LFS prices to be WAY higher than online. Amazon is good for some things but most fish related stuff I still the best prices at online fish retailers. Gonna order your gh/kh kit from amazon too? Best price I've found with shipping. Still thinking of ordering a low iron 20 long? Look at glasscages.com?

In a 20 long I would choose 1 type of cory only and I'd pick the pygmy but I'd bump it up to 15-18 maybe even 21 but that's me! :) In that footprint I'd think 2 groups of cories of very different sizes would be messy. I'd personally skip the Otos too though cause they look a lot like the pygmys BUT they are known to shoal together for the same reason so that could be a bonus. Bumblebee gobies are best in a species tank IMO but certainly not with cories, they are salt sensitive.

If we had pictures we could ID these feathery fluffy things. :D
 
IMG_20170515_065849.jpg
Here are the fluffy plants. Lol I love the river, I would probably do black sand instead of rocks for the cories. And still use the bigger black rocks to hold down anubia etc.
And thankyou for that info. Yes I believe I will be ordering a 20 long. One thing though, what do you use as a lid so they don't hop out on accident? I was thinking of having one cut at our local glass shop but where would I find hinges?
Definitely pygmy too. Didn't think I could have that many! And could I have rili shrimp too for a splash of color? By that point, I would have a steady ph. I have to go out early this morning. If the gh KH test isn't stupid expensive I'll just buy it. Otherwise I'll order it today. Either way I'll take a bit of water to the store too. Will help see how accurate they are when I do my own.
Do I need to do every one of these test every water change? I'm doing that now, but that's because I'm trying to figure the water out. But when it is steady what then?
What do you think of those ammonia alert things they sell? I wouldn't get it for this tank but the long one I would.
 
I'll go first on the plants, lol. The fluffy 1 is green cabomba, the tops should look good but often the bottom parts die (lack of co2 & shading from the fluffy tops). A prefilter will help catch the dying leaves. You may just give up on it after a while.

Bacopa isn't all that hard for some (most?) people. I don't seem to keep it happy for long in some cases; light? temp? soft water? I don't know.

The val could be 1 of several species, hopefully 1 that stays fairly short. My "jungle val" gets 30+ inches long & it's not the "real jungle 1". It could also be a sagittarius, how tall is your tank?
Either should be ok with most lighting.

Are you set on "low iron" glass? Regular 20g longs work fine for me, I don't see the difference, some do. Petco has $1/gallon tank sales several times a year. I like a glass lid to help prevent jumpers & for less evaporation. Standard lids are fine & have hinges included but can be purchased probably only online or maybe a mom & pop lfs.

Don't obsess over brown on the floss, that's how poo & plant debris looks when it breaks down. & where beneficial bacteria lives (along with all surfaces, plants, substrate etc). If the filter flow slows noticeably in a week or 2, you may have too thick of a floss layer. More than once/week or 2 is too often to clean a filter IMO. You may also be overfeeding.

I rarely test my tanks after they are WELL established & tap water is stable, tank healthy. But I have many years experience & good water & filter change habits. I strongly recommend waiting until you move to start up your next tank. You have enough to do without tank stress, & possibly new tap water to learn.

I'm going to slightly disagree with myswtsins & say 12-15 pygmy (or other dwarf) corys & some red cherry shrimp, 8-10-ish. & maybe a betta OR a honey gourami OR a small school of tiny rasboras OR 6 small tetras (ember, cardinal or neon) OR a few dwarf rainbows OR clown killies. Don't be in a hurry to decide, but you will have to pick...or get more tanks like many us of have, lol.
 
Thank I don't think I want any other fish but bottom dwellers. I don't think I can be overfeeding. I only have shrimp. I have an upside down plastic bottles cap in there. I use a turkey batter to put the shrimp pellets in. I leave them from morning to early evening then suck them up and try again the next morning.
Ifor I got a bottom " spot light" would it help the fluffy plants stay healthy? I already have trimmed the bottom with scissors and am going good to put an anubia Nanas or petite to hide the "stems". The tops are cute.

If I leave my main sponge and ceramics and don't touch them is it okay to regularly switch out the initial floss/ filter before the sponge. (The sponge is brown too but I don't touch it)

No low iron is not important as I'm new and don't really know the difference anyway. If I do start a new tank I will just grow plants. Preparing.
If we aren't moving I will find an R O system.

I am almost sure I want a long 20 gallon with just bottom mid dwellers. I like them a lot so I will work around them. Yes a lid is very important.
 
Thanks for the input. Sorry abput the spelling, wouldnt let me edit as I got called away for a min while reviewing it.
What do you think about this system "aquatic life reverse osmosis buddies system", 49$ on amazon. Just for fish, will only have the mini tanks, the 5 gal and the 20 if if get it.
We will know Wednesday if we are getting the property, if not we have too much going on to find another peice until fall.
If I can make them happy I really want to keep pygmy cories...
 
Sorry, I can't see what your (in)expensive RO system means...I'm thinking you don't want that. Just wait until you move...or don't...then see what you might need to help. Deep breath & ...wait! I know you want it all...NOW...but see what your future tap water looks like...patience! I love bottom feeders too, but pygmy corys are more mid-water fish if that helps. Habrosus corys are true bottom fish as are pandas. Which do you love most? Ya can't have it all...yet, lol.
 
The pymys are my favorite.
I'll keep working on this a maybe that's all that will be in this tank if I get it straight. Just 5 or 6. And the shrimp that have lived through it all. I will test and water change until the gh kh test comes and see where this is. This tank is 13.7 long 13.5 tall 9.5 wide btw.

This system below would be purchased if a bigger tank was also. I'm thinking as was mentioned, just getting a standard long 20 when the 1$ a gallon sale comes around. I thinkmits in June. That wouldnt break the bank. Ill save the classy tank for if we ever truly stop moving. My husband made the point that it would be something to keep the water consistent no matter where we/the tanks end up. If the new water is really good no harm done.

Aquatic Life RO Buddie Reverse Osmosis Systems
by Aquatic Life
Link: http://a.co/1jAfOwc

Tank stress... well, actually fussing with this is more of a stress reliever. We've built/flipped enough houses over the 30 years we've been married that it's really turned more into a job. There are few suprises anymore. Building from scratch is always easier than remodeling. This won't be a remodel.
 
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