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Is my ph ok for the different fish I want to get?


Genna
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Ok so I want 5 different types of fish in my 40 gallon aquarium. The temperature should work with all of them but I’m not sure about the ph.

 

I did 2 different ph tests, a paper strip one and a digital one and both said the ph is 7.4

 

These the fish I want and the ph ranges suitable for them that I found online: 

Kuhli loaches: 5.5 - 6.5

 

Angelfish: 6.8 - 7.8

 

Corydoras: 6.5 - 7.8

(Peppered and albino)

 

Bristlenoses: 6.5 - 7.5

 

Platys: 6.8 - 8.5
 

i got what I could from the aquarium coop page but couldn’t find a couple of them on there so got the information from a couple different sources.

 

what I am wanting to know is will they be ok together in a tank with a ph of 7.4? 
Should I try to get the ph down to 6.5? If so how could I lower the ph without using chemicals that will keep the ph lower when doing water changes and stuff? Does driftwood work well for lowering the ph?

 

I just don’t know what to do or what I’m meant to do. I haven’t got any fish yet but am hoping to get them all in just over a week (adding a few at a time, like one type each week so adding all the fish over a 5 week period) once I’m back from holidays (only ever go on holidays for 2 weeks over Christmas so will be at home with the fish and my birds most of the year)

 

also unsure in which order I should add the fish for them to work best or if it really matters, I was thinking angels last because they are most likely to get territorial, and Platys first since they are the cheapest? Here Platys are $2.50, Cory’s are $6.30, brislenoses are $14, angels are $10, and kuhli loaches are $6.

 

also is there any difference between the chocolate/black and the stripped kuhli loaches? Both are available and the same price, only difference is the chocolate ones are a cm longer.

 

the tank is fully cycled and all the ammonia levels and stuff are safe. I will test again as it gets closer to actually adding the fish. 

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7.4 pH should be fine for the tank. If anything, your lucky to have a pH of 7.4, since it means you'll be able to keep >95% of fish in the hobby w/o worrying about pH. In terms which order to add the fish, i don't think it's a huge concern. Adding the platies first is a good idea and i would wait until algae builds up before adding the plecos. 

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I agree with @Scapexghost 7.4 is close enough to neutral that most anything will thrive except those fish with distinct extreme needs. Definitely angels last. Always the most aggressive last. Make sure your others have gotten large enough to not become a snack before adding the Angel. If it fits in an angels mouth it is a snack or that you get an Angel small enough to not predate them. As long as you supplementally feed you BN pleco it will be fine to add. Blanched veggies and repashy/ bottom feeder algae wafers are great. You may have to stick it under an overhang to keep the platties from the repashy or pleco/bottom feeder algae wafers but the veggies will last long enough that the pleco gets some.  they should have wood in the tank and a cave to hide in. I can’t wait to see pictures when you get them 😁 Welcome to the forum. 
edit. It’s always best to stick with your water parameters. Altering ph is challenging to keep stable and poses a greater risk to your fish through instability. Fish are extremely adaptable to most stable conditions 

Edited by Guppysnail
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@Guppysnailthanks. I have a wafer thing that’s meant to be good for the Cory’s, loaches and the bristlenoses as well as a flake and a pellet for the angels and platies and 2 types of frozen food as well. I am hoping to get a friend to add some driftwood to the tank today for when I get the bristlenoses. Amd I always have heaps of verges available because my birds eat a lot of them so I also plan to add bits of cucumber and stuff sometimes for the bristlenoses. I have also added some caves a few days ago before I left home and plan to buy some more when I purchase the plecos. 
the angels should be 3-4cm when I get them, the plecos will be the same and Platys will be fully grown, kuhli loaches will be 5-7cm and Corydoras will be about 3.5cm going from the website for the place I’m getting them from. 
so the kuhli loaches will be the largest and everything else will be about the same size

Edited by Genna
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@AndEEssthe food for the Cory’s and bristlenoses if more formulated for Cory’s and has Cory in the name but on the back it says it is also suitable for kuhli loaches and plecos. I will also be supplementing the plecos with vegetables and once I actually add the plecos to the tank I will be getting algae wafers as well but when I went to the pet shop to get all the food they didn’t have any in stock.

@Colu the 2 frozen foods I got are blood worms and brine shrimp. They also had a bunch of other frozen foods available but those were the 2 I saw the most people using and talking about so I assumed they were the best. At the pet shop I didn’t see anything with hikari on it but I’ve seen a few people mention it so I will definitely keep an eye out

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