Rosy Barb Fry Breeding

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

They’re gorgeous @WhitecloudDynasty! I look forward to seeing the next generation. 

[WhitecloudDynasty]

Quick photo of him and his son

[WhitecloudDynasty]

Picked up some new genetics from Hawaii 

They are darker and great confrontation. I dislike how clamp those fin are tho.

 

[WhitecloudDynasty]

R.I.P to my breeding male 

 

Both his son will be breeding this year in his place. Both still very young and still have room to get longer and darker.

Top fish have a longer tail but bottom fish have a wider tail.

 

plus still working on the Hawaii stock, color is amazing(unknown age). But his tail need alot of work

[Minanora]

That first picture of the sons; he's a specimen indeed. I like how he doesn't appear to have that classic "angry eye" as I call it. 

Sorry for your loss. It's hard to lose parents.

[Anton]

Bumping this up just because it's so exciting.  Like this breeding project a lot. 

I get a bit confused with the types or lines of Rosy barb out there, would love to see a clear chart of them. Neons particularly, no clue which those are meant to be.

Ours come in three or four different strains . One with a bright, insanely bright yellow back (mat) with intense red ventral region, females yellow/silver, then one with the same red but with a greeny black dorsal, females pinkish (this I think is the original Rosy barb), and then one bright plain stunning red (self) even as juveniles a very good colour with females a lovely, very nice sparkling gold, all with highly reflective metallic dorsal and spot on the back of the head, the black tail dot though a very few don't have it at all. 

I keep and breed (well they do the breeding) the last one and also recently got eight long tailed ones. I like the golden females the most and keep them separate sexes in outdoor ponds, its like real gold and as shiny. Tremendously attractive. The red males are a brilliant red and this intensifies in sunshine, it's an incredible even red much like a Cherry barb male at its peak. Once they reach that red they stay that colour, it's not a seasonal thing.

Someone was selling these as "Chilly-red" Rosy barbs in Australia.

The long tailed ones I  bought i was convinced were long tailed Odessa barbs. it was simply because of the incredible red band down the sides and very dark almost black dorsal and belly, same red in the fins but with black .  I'm still not sure because I've never seen a Rosy with that incredible colour red before.  They don't have the same vertical stripe as the Odessa near the tail. Possibly a hybrid I honestly don't know if that's even possible, they're big. Never seen them at the fish market before here in Hong Kong. Having said that the long tailed ones are rare here full stop, you hardly ever see them so maybe its the novelty at seeing them throwing me a curve. They have become more completely red now with top lighting.

I've got them in a large round black, about a meter and half diameter tree planter tub, the kind you get at garden centres, about 60-70cm high. Unfortunately this makes them impossible to photograph as black dorsal and black tub LOL the light also makes them pigeon blood red which is also dark.   I've just got them settled after prophylactic medication so dont want to disturb them. They're eating like piranhas (don't they all) but it's always a good sign.

I love how the long tailed ones breach the surface with all that finage, ripple, boiling water effect at feeding time.

Soon as I take any out I will take some pictures, but has anyone seen a long tailed Odessa or hybrid strain with a Rosy?

I selected for good fins like OP is doing when I bought them. Not an easy task with a tank jam packed full of manic barbs, but I took my time as this seems to work with Rosies and caught every one that I selected with wide lovely tail fin.

We catch our own here in Bonkers it's part of the fish shopping experience. Best get in there early before they're hammered by careless buyers, a draw back certainly, but you do get to choose your own this way at least. Nice sturdy thick set fish about two inches, you can see they've been reared outdoors in the sun, in ponds eating veg and daphnia. I will put them out Spring because they are probably not hardened off to our cool season. Getting any info from dealers here is impossible as they just don't speak English and I dont speak Cantonese. What they are, where they came from all empty blanks I'm afraid.

Definitely much more can be done with these fish. There is someone in India selecting for just the metallic sheen on deep red, these highly reflective scales are mostly only along the dorsal and head of some strains where they sparkle and gleam. These types make stunning top view fish...really rewarding.

Good tail development is a brilliant idea, I'm seeing those Bristol shubunkin tails looking very pretty on these little fish, very nice. Keep going! 

 

[Anton]

I tke tht back just did a bit of a measure the long tail ones I have are more than 2.5inches. No idea the age.

[WhitecloudDynasty]

On 1/13/2022 at 3:33 AM, Anton said:

Bumping this up just because it's so exciting.  Like this breeding project a lot. 

I get a bit confused with the types or lines of Rosy barb out there, would love to see a clear chart of them. Neons particularly, no clue which those are meant to be.

Ours come in three or four different strains . One with a bright, insanely bright yellow back (mat) with intense red ventral region, females yellow/silver, then one with the same red but with a greeny black dorsal, females pinkish (this I think is the original Rosy barb), and then one bright plain stunning red (self) even as juveniles a very good colour with females a lovely, very nice sparkling gold, all with highly reflective metallic dorsal and spot on the back of the head, the black tail dot though a very few don't have it at all. 

I keep and breed (well they do the breeding) the last one and also recently got eight long tailed ones. I like the golden females the most and keep them separate sexes in outdoor ponds, its like real gold and as shiny. Tremendously attractive. The red males are a brilliant red and this intensifies in sunshine, it's an incredible even red much like a Cherry barb male at its peak. Once they reach that red they stay that colour, it's not a seasonal thing.

Someone was selling these as "Chilly-red" Rosy barbs in Australia.

The long tailed ones I  bought i was convinced were long tailed Odessa barbs. it was simply because of the incredible red band down the sides and very dark almost black dorsal and belly, same red in the fins but with black .  I'm still not sure because I've never seen a Rosy with that incredible colour red before.  They don't have the same vertical stripe as the Odessa near the tail. Possibly a hybrid I honestly don't know if that's even possible, they're big. Never seen them at the fish market before here in Hong Kong. Having said that the long tailed ones are rare here full stop, you hardly ever see them so maybe its the novelty at seeing them throwing me a curve. They have become more completely red now with top lighting.

I've got them in a large round black, about a meter and half diameter tree planter tub, the kind you get at garden centres, about 60-70cm high. Unfortunately this makes them impossible to photograph as black dorsal and black tub LOL the light also makes them pigeon blood red which is also dark.   I've just got them settled after prophylactic medication so dont want to disturb them. They're eating like piranhas (don't they all) but it's always a good sign.

I love how the long tailed ones breach the surface with all that finage, ripple, boiling water effect at feeding time.

Soon as I take any out I will take some pictures, but has anyone seen a long tailed Odessa or hybrid strain with a Rosy?

I selected for good fins like OP is doing when I bought them. Not an easy task with a tank jam packed full of manic barbs, but I took my time as this seems to work with Rosies and caught every one that I selected with wide lovely tail fin.

We catch our own here in Bonkers it's part of the fish shopping experience. Best get in there early before they're hammered by careless buyers, a draw back certainly, but you do get to choose your own this way at least. Nice sturdy thick set fish about two inches, you can see they've been reared outdoors in the sun, in ponds eating veg and daphnia. I will put them out Spring because they are probably not hardened off to our cool season. Getting any info from dealers here is impossible as they just don't speak English and I dont speak Cantonese. What they are, where they came from all empty blanks I'm afraid.

Definitely much more can be done with these fish. There is someone in India selecting for just the metallic sheen on deep red, these highly reflective scales are mostly only along the dorsal and head of some strains where they sparkle and gleam. These types make stunning top view fish...really rewarding.

Good tail development is a brilliant idea, I'm seeing those Bristol shubunkin tails looking very pretty on these little fish, very nice. Keep going! 

 

I'm glad you are enjoying my project, I have seen some the show more green than other. Neon rosy barb have more shiny scale or scale that reflects more. Neon will always be lighter than the normal color one....so they will never get a strong red

 

These are still young so they still have alot of room to grow and get darker 

Take some photos of your I would love to see what you got to work with

[Anton]

Oh I see, so those are the neon ones. The ones we get here are pretty dark red as young fish already but the reflective scales are only along the dorsal and sometimes just on the head. I've heard these latter also being called copper head or something. I love the females, though, they're pure gold.

Think the "Chilly reds" are Glow-fish, the red is just too red.

So what are the ones called with the brilliant yellow backs or upper half, dark red bottom then?....I'm not that keen on them the colour combo is quite shocking because it's such a contrast. The yellow is an incredible, vibrant, fluresent shade. So as top view fish nice as you just see the yellow more or less. For a long time these were all i could get as they were the most popular. Because of the colour these are what I thought were the neons. I hear someone say there was a yellow strain maybe these are them.

Mine look like your Hawaii male (same colour) except they don't have a full tail and have deeper bodies (thats what I selected for at least). They have more like a long forked tail, but very nicely spaced, wide open. Least they are now. I have to assume they're young fish beause they have quite lot of black with just that incredibly dark red wide stripe along the sides. Could be the red takes over more of the body as they become sexually mature. I'm not sure if the fork will stay open as they get older. My Bristol shubunkin's tails tend to droop the older they get sadly, but are immaculate when fingerlings or young fish. They came direct from the UK.

Yours have very nice tails, very nice full tails. My oldest fish is five years old (short tail). They live a fairly decent age for a little fish, if the King fishers dont get em.

Looks like my long-fins are all male. Least i cant see any difference between all ten of them (I bought another two yesterday). Ouch I should've taken a picture of the tank at the shop. There is a marked difference between male and female in what you call the neons, as young fish. Its easy to choose all males or all females simply based on their colour, gold or red. Not sure with these long tails, though, as they all have the same very deep red stripe and tails tipped in black.

For breeding I would in the event that they're all male have to use a "neon" short tail female maybe. I heard long tail was dominant so it might be a short problem LOL. I like the black in the fins though but the neons don't have any. Maybe they get females in eventualy. 

Many years ago when I was living in the Netherlands there was a tank at the zoo restaurant, it had long tailed Rosies with wild type discus, a gigantic planted wonder-world of a tank about two meter square. Needless to say I always sat right near the tank. Those rosies were the old fasioned, maybe wild type (with long fins) that I don't see being sold commercialy anymore. Males were indeed rosy or rosé pink and the females more bronze. No red like today. Loved those fish though, the long fins were very elegant and fluttery, charmed the pants off of me. The wild ones come in a few different shades depending where they're found.

[WhitecloudDynasty]

On 1/17/2022 at 5:39 AM, Anton said:

Oh I see, so those are the neon ones. The ones we get here are pretty dark red as young fish already but the reflective scales are only along the dorsal and sometimes just on the head. I've heard these latter also being called copper head or something. I love the females, though, they're pure gold.

Think the "Chilly reds" are Glow-fish, the red is just too red.

So what are the ones called with the brilliant yellow backs or upper half, dark red bottom then?....I'm not that keen on them the colour combo is quite shocking because it's such a contrast. The yellow is an incredible, vibrant, fluresent shade. So as top view fish nice as you just see the yellow more or less. For a long time these were all i could get as they were the most popular. Because of the colour these are what I thought were the neons. I hear someone say there was a yellow strain maybe these are them.

Mine look like your Hawaii male (same colour) except they don't have a full tail and have deeper bodies (thats what I selected for at least). They have more like a long forked tail, but very nicely spaced, wide open. Least they are now. I have to assume they're young fish beause they have quite lot of black with just that incredibly dark red wide stripe along the sides. Could be the red takes over more of the body as they become sexually mature. I'm not sure if the fork will stay open as they get older. My Bristol shubunkin's tails tend to droop the older they get sadly, but are immaculate when fingerlings or young fish. They came direct from the UK.

Yours have very nice tails, very nice full tails. My oldest fish is five years old (short tail). They live a fairly decent age for a little fish, if the King fishers dont get em.

Looks like my long-fins are all male. Least i cant see any difference between all ten of them (I bought another two yesterday). Ouch I should've taken a picture of the tank at the shop. There is a marked difference between male and female in what you call the neons, as young fish. Its easy to choose all males or all females simply based on their colour, gold or red. Not sure with these long tails, though, as they all have the same very deep red stripe and tails tipped in black.

For breeding I would in the event that they're all male have to use a "neon" short tail female maybe. I heard long tail was dominant so it might be a short problem LOL. I like the black in the fins though but the neons don't have any. Maybe they get females in eventualy. 

Many years ago when I was living in the Netherlands there was a tank at the zoo restaurant, it had long tailed Rosies with wild type discus, a gigantic planted wonder-world of a tank about two meter square. Needless to say I always sat right near the tank. Those rosies were the old fasioned, maybe wild type (with long fins) that I don't see being sold commercialy anymore. Males were indeed rosy or rosé pink and the females more bronze. No red like today. Loved those fish though, the long fins were very elegant and fluttery, charmed the pants off of me. The wild ones come in a few different shades depending where they're found.

Mine in the video are still very young, haven't gotten their full red color yet. Longfin in rosy is not dominant, so crossing them to a short you'll get all short. Even breeding longfin to longfin I still get a few shortfin. 

Longfin is dominant in zebra danio, but the best longfin away comes out of both longfin parent

[Anton]

Hopefully they will get females in the stores. 

Long fins here are very rare. I've only seen them twice in twenty years. Unusaual for Hong Kong. Plenty of the other strains all year, same as guppies et al. The first time I saw them they were a decent colour but all the fish looked like they were diseased, very concave bellies which is a shame. Could be parasites or waisting disease. I've learnt over the years these skinny fish never thrive.

Second time where the ones I have now which are nice and robust, thick set and display very nicely, the dorsal fins are tremendously high, erect and lovely. Think body shape is important to carry the fins nicely. 

That's a pity long tail is not dominant because these long tails in the other lines like the neons etc would be fantastic. Was hoping to go that route as well. I love top view tropical fish. Keeping fish like this is very popular in Asia, in large pots. So the black backs or green backs are not so good. I do love the black tiped fins though with that red it's tremendously vampy and flahy even with the darker backs. The backs may of course also turn red as they mature.

I use dwarf coral platy to keep mine happy and calm at the surface or they tend to be quite skittish. The platies are not shy and they slow down the Barbs, even just a few, five or so to twenty odd Rosy barbs. The barbs eat the platy fry so they don't become a pest fish but otherwise they leave the platies alone.

They're odd feeders, though Rosy barbs. Never sure if its a bottom feeder, top feeder, or what the heck as they do all three in a very random manner. Only live food will they do all at the same time. They will only feed at the surface for very short bursts unless there are platies around. 

Can you tell me what you feed yours?

I use :

Hikari Micro wafers

Hikari Neopros Guppy flakes 

Australian dried Black worms

Spinach

Brine shrimp live

Daphnia pulex live

Seems a lot but they devour all of these with a frenzied gusto.  I feed small and often starting the day with the Neopro and ending with live food to prevent compaction problems. The bulk of my Rosy barbs i don't feed at all as they're in big ponds with goldfish. They just take their chances and thrive. Seasonal live food etc. It's the ones I keep closer to the house in tubs that get the gourme six course diet.

The Micro Wafers with spirulina are extremely popular with all my fish, for fry and small fish i just rub them between my fingers. So are the flakes. I breed the Dapnia but not all the time so use those with brine shrimp which I get at the stores which have them all year. The Daphnia are dried eggs so I can start up cultures any time easily take a couple of days to hatch. The eggs are very reliable, bulk from "Green Water Farm Thailand". In season I can catch them in the fish ponds to breed up but the eggs are the clean route.

 

[Anton]

Just trying to find my cable for my phone so I can download some vids. I took a few at the Fish Market in Mongkok today of the types including the ones I have and some stills of my set up. Managed to film two common lines we get here before the stores told me off for filming....they have a thing about filming, no idea why.  They're particularily fussy about planted up display tanks so think you're secretely trying to film those whatever you are pointed at. Anyway I will get more. There are at least three lines right now being sold besides the long fins. Some very nice fish from India.

[Anton]

Just attempting to post vids........Ooops I will have to convert the files myself 🙄 Hmmmm, will have to work that out as it's not being accepted as a vid....might need assistance. 

Meantime here is the temp housing for the new ten long tails and a few dwarf platy as lure fish. Set it up in the garden room which can take spills and splashes. ASP after the dry/cool season I will get these outdoors with the rest of the Barbs.  I cant be sure they're hardened off down to 13-15%C, the nights here in the cool season occasionally go there. Not sure where they're from, could be warm waters there this time of year.

The set up is très simple. Low tech. One of the reasons I like rosy-barbs so much is that they're so very easy to please. I'm also very into low tech set ups. I like finding balance without any or very little hardware. I only own one electric filter, internal, small and handy for these kind of situations. So there is just a little Italian CF 175 "Newa Cobra" internal filter in there with the fine aeration on and two clumps of M. pteropus var "Trident". The plants need the water current but the fish not honestly critically so. The current has to be directed backward squarely into the side under the shutter to prevent them leaping out which they will do with strong current, so will those mini platy!

Flying dwarf platies are rather common around here.

Also as its a round container directing the flow squarely into the side is critical for another reason, you get a whirlpool affect otherwise and the fish wont get a seconds rest.

Apologies, not trying to hi-jack your thread,  just need to find a way to post the vids of the fish.....I had planned to make more too 🤔

 

[Anton]

Here is where I keep the other Rosy barbs. I have eleven of these placed in a big S shape. They're massive Chinese glaze fired bath type things (antiques), worked out they are about 924litres each all the same size......some are planted up with guppy grass others just wish shade shutters. One or two have just dwarf platies.

Yah can just post stills right now?

 

[WhitecloudDynasty]

On 1/19/2022 at 11:20 PM, Anton said:

Here is where I keep the other Rosy barbs. I have eleven of these placed in a big S shape. They're massive Chinese glaze fired bath type things (antiques), worked out they are about 924litres each all the same size......some are planted up with guppy grass others just wish shade shutters. One or two have just dwarf platies.

Yah can just post stills right now?

 

Very beautiful setups! 

I use 

.5 kens green

 .5 kens color

And bugbite color flakes.

I use that for the whole fishroom.

 

Here's a topview from my male last year. Im sure they would look great in tubs. Riasing them in outside tub will bring out more color, but you'll need enough current to make their tail longer and stronger.

[Patrick_G]

@Anton, can you access YouTube? Most forum members upload their video to YouTube and then paste it into the body of the post. I’d love to see a tour of your outside setups with the antique fire baths. 

[Anton]

White Cloud.  Yes they are lovey top view fish. The flash of red with black as they tumble around the surface feeding time is spectacular in the long fins as are the gleaming gold ones....all of the lines......they do need those platies, though, or they will even wait for you to leave before they feed, outdoors top view at least.

I think the current thing might not be a problem for the long tails as all Rosies are utterly manic much like Danios. They never stay still until the light vanishes. Again i only have outdoor fish so this might be different indoors where they get used to activities through the glass, relax a bit but never seen it I must say lol.

Yes the colours are stunning when reared outdoors. I've got a tub with just matte red males (I keep the sexes separate in all the lines) they're like no other red. I think it's a diet of sunshine ,water weed and live food and good old male hormones that does this. Though some of the female lines are pretty close in brilliance these days all be it yellow or gold metallic or matte.

I like that fish whiteCloud! The tails and other fins in most of the long tailed ones do get very much longer as they age but I like the full fan shape there a lot 🍸

I'm heading to the fish market in  few minutes to find more long tails to inspire. I know what will happen though I will be swayed by perfect body shape and fin shape over tail potential, guaranteed. Anyway I want to get those long tails into other lines so it wont be a waste now the long tails are around.

Notice the fish spawning already so i guess Ive got females. YES! That or they were chasing platy fry but it did look very much like spawning to me right in the heart of the Trident. 

 

[WhitecloudDynasty]

On 1/21/2022 at 12:31 AM, Anton said:

White Cloud.  Yes they are lovey top view fish. The flash of red with black as they tumble around the surface feeding time is spectacular in the long fins as are the gleaming gold ones....all of the lines......they do need those platies, though, or they will even wait for you to leave before they feed, outdoors top view at least.

I think the current thing might not be a problem for the long tails as all Rosies are utterly manic much like Danios. They never stay still until the light vanishes. Again i only have outdoor fish so this might be different indoors where they get used to activities through the glass, relax a bit but never seen it I must say lol.

Yes the colours are stunning when reared outdoors. I've got a tub with just matte red males (I keep the sexes separate in all the lines) they're like no other red. I think it's a diet of sunshine ,water weed and live food and good old male hormones that does this. Though some of the female lines are pretty close in brilliance these days all be it yellow or gold metallic or matte.

I like that fish whiteCloud! The tails and other fins in most of the long tailed ones do get very much longer as they age but I like the full fan shape there a lot 🍸

I'm heading to the fish market in  few minutes to find more long tails to inspire. I know what will happen though I will be swayed by perfect body shape and fin shape over tail potential, guaranteed. Anyway I want to get those long tails into other lines so it wont be a waste now the long tails are around.

Notice the fish spawning already so i guess Ive got females. YES! That or they were chasing platy fry but it did look very much like spawning to me right in the heart of the Trident. 

 

Yes they keep getting longer with age. If you can't find longfin female just cross them to a shortfin and breed the daughters back. Within the 6 month you'll have something to work with. A buddy of mine had the same problem, in Hawaii they only sell longfin males...because they don't want anyone less to breed them, that shouldn't stop anyone tho. I did send him 2 of my younger female and now he got over 400 frys to work with.

[Anton]

On 1/21/2022 at 10:58 PM, WhitecloudDynasty said:

Yes they keep getting longer with age. If you can't find longfin female just cross them to a shortfin and breed the daughters back. Within the 6 month you'll have something to work with. A buddy of mine had the same problem, in Hawaii they only sell longfin males...because they don't want anyone less to breed them, that shouldn't stop anyone tho. I did send him 2 of my younger female and now he got over 400 frys to work with.

Brilliant! I bet they're smilling. Some definately have more belly than others but basicaly they're much the same in colours. Here is what I think is a female as its less brilliant with lots of olive.

 

 

[Anton]

Here are the two I bought today, definately with the fins in mind but also body shape...took me hours to catch and select these two, my brain was spinning after this I can tell. There were at least two hundered in the tank. Catch release, catch release....I'm very stealthy slow and gentle, they hardly noticed me there....like a night heron 🙄

Eager to get your opinion on the tails.  So I now Have 12 of these which as they grow and develop through next year I will start using them.

Sorry they're a bit yellow as I was medicating ASP I got home. The bowls are dark glass so couldnt realy get a side shot. Nice tails anyway, to start with. These are the same as the other ten I selected in finnage. Hoping these are also female

 

Edited January 22, 2022 by Anton

[WhitecloudDynasty]

On 1/21/2022 at 9:57 PM, Anton said:

Here are the two I bought today, definately with the fins in mind but also body shape...took me hours to catch and select these two, my brain was spinning after this I can tell. There were at least two hundered in the tank. Catch release, catch release....I'm very stealthy slow and gentle, they hardly noticed me there....like a night heron 🙄

Eager to get your opinion on the tails.  So I now Have 12 of these which as they grow and develop through next year I will start using them.

Sorry they're a bit yellow as I was medicating ASP I got home. The bowls are dark glass so couldnt realy get a side shot. Nice tails anyway, to start with. These are the same as the other ten I selected in finnage. Hoping these are also female

 

It's hard to judge from topview, did you get any side view?

[Anton]

No the glass was too dark, its like black tinted. The shape is not like a guppy but also not very deeply forked, nice and wide.

On 1/21/2022 at 3:33 AM, Patrick_G said:

@Anton, can you access YouTube? Most forum members upload their video to YouTube and then paste it into the body of the post. I’d love to see a tour of your outside setups with the antique fire baths. 

Hi Patric, I can and do use YouTube but I've never poted there. Im using iphone and Mac PC, maybe I can just convert to stills?

Or just go back and take more shots... 

[WhitecloudDynasty]

She about 18 month old female

[Anton]

On 1/22/2022 at 11:54 AM, WhitecloudDynasty said:

She about 18 month old female

 

Lovely fish, lovely shape and I'm delighted to say i definately have females in this case becasue she is exactly the same as the ones I bought that I was hoping were, in colour too. By the size I think mine must be younger, year old maybe. Depends on how they were raised. 

[Anton]

We don't get Ken's fish food, the bites we do get.  I will try again but the fish weren't too keen on the bites, maybe wrong size.

Because i don't use filtration the Hikari promiss and lives up to its promise of not polluting the water, the flakes are meant to be laden with beneficial bacteria or something.  I'm a food junkie though and try most things once. But the above list is the staple.

We live in the hill forest National Park so my water comes from mountain springs, which feed little streams one which comes down the top of the garden where we have some seating where I often work and mend piping 😐 the boars trample them. Its full of interesting little fish, water plants and ferns and bright blue mini shrimp. Including a species of Aphyocypris if I'm not mistaken. Little loaches and things seem the most common but I keep finding new things like river skinks and stuff and the odd fish.

I've never had an outbreak of disease even with all the wild fish in there, maybe because its cool running water all year not sure. Worst I got was a little bright orange and olive water snake came out the hose pipe, they live under the rocks. I have to maintain the filter I have before the pipe running down to the house because in the monsoons the streams turn into ragging torrents.

So this water I use and change or flush about every four months if I'm not too lazy. The PH is just slightly alkline. Do you have any PH preferances?  I throw in the odd bit of soft coral but not sure it's necessary.