FishNoob Posted July 11, 2022 Share Posted July 11, 2022 Hello everyone. I need someone smarter than me to point me in the right direction here…. I have German Blue Ram fry in a specimen container. They’ve been free swimming for about 3 weeks. I only just switched from 2x a day to 1 water change a day just yesterday. My husband and I are going on vacation next week and I’m 100% my anti-pet neighbor will be able to do a water change for us… but that’s not my point here… Some of my fry are swimming on their sides. They eat, they do NOT like getting touched with the syringe/pipette, they look normal…. They’re just on their sides. I tested my water… my pH is really low at 6.0, nitrite 0, nitrate between 0-5 ppm, ammonia 0. when I do my water changes, I use 1/2 RO water & 1/2 future tank water. The future tank water pH is is at 6.4 and I just tested the tap water and the pH straight from the tap is 6.8. I’m paranoid I’m slowly murdering my baby fish…. Is my pH harming them? Is the pH making them side swimmers? I’m going to start adding tap water every hour slowly raising the pH during the day today. Smart? Dumb? Stop fretting? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dancing Matt Posted July 11, 2022 Share Posted July 11, 2022 @Fish Folk has experience with rams... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Folk Posted July 11, 2022 Share Posted July 11, 2022 Low pH should not be an issue. If you raise pH above 6.4, you can have an Ammonia spike. Below 6.4, toxic Ammonia (NH3) becomes less harmful Ammonium (NH4+). I have had several batches of Rams crash using your method. More recently, I’ve just started using a DIY floating flow-through hatching container. Rams hatch and grow in here much better than in isolation / specimen containers with daily water changes. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FishNoob Posted July 11, 2022 Author Share Posted July 11, 2022 I’ve watched your son’s videos about 976 times. I’ve only gotten this far because of you guys!! I was thinking about going ahead and moving them to a guppy/live breeder breeder box, the kind that floats. With the slits on the sides. I tested and they’re big enough now. That they don’t fit through. I like your specimen box/Dean breeder box! I’m going to have to copy you on that too!! Thank you for all your help and your previous blogs! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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