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hello all. I'm moving into the great world of Oscar fish. I haven't kept Oscars before, so I have lots of questions.

I have cycled my tank for a week (75 gallons - three large pieces of driftwood, two medium size Texas holey rocks).

My ammonia is down to zero, but I'm in the middle of the nitrite spike. So far, so good.

The issue I have now is that the ph is 8.2. The KH ~6. Tap water ph is ~ 7.4.

Is the higher ph due to the nitrites or the holey rock? Can oscars adapt to the higher ph?
Will the ph drop once the nitrates come around?
Will the addition of the fish drop the ph?

Thanks in advance for the help!!!

DC

DC,

Tap water should be tested for pH after the sample has been heated and aerated for 24 hours to de-gas the CO2 that is tap water. The presence of CO2 depresses the reading, so the true pH of your tap water may be closer to 8.2.

Holey rock may have an effect if it is Texas "holey rock" similar to this sample: http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/tx_holey_rock.php


Oscars will adapt to the pH and the KH if acclimatized slowly, but it may be better not to use the holey rock but substitue a less limey rock.

Last edited by bob wesolowski at 29-Sep-2005 16:40

__________
"To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research."
researched from Steven Wright

Thanks Bob.

I've read that the Oscars could be able to handle the higher ph, but I wanted to pose the question specifically for my case.

I do indeed have the rock that you linked to. I live in Central Texas, so obviously, it's available in every store around here.

I like the look of the white rock, but, I may try to get some different type of rock for my tank in order for the Oscar to thrive.

I'm currently using the rock to anchor my driftwood until it becomes entirely soaked. Then, I may look to change around the tank with other rocks.

Oscars come from South America where water is soft.
Domestic bred oscars can acclimate to 7.8 ph at the highest. If you go higher then that, expect problems. Oscar is also a high bioload fish and in very hard water that just complicates things further.

It is also a real pain to be constantly fighting the ph level in your tank, easier to get fish that will adapt with no problems.. African cichlids would be totally ideal for your tank. South American cichlids not a chance, they would only have a very reduced life expectancy in your high ph, I will guess, and say 2 years tops.. Been there, done that, when I had well water. 8 ph

If your tank's cycled for one week, you have 2 or 3 weeks to go.. Once your Ammonia and Nitrite are 0 and you have nitrates you are done.

Cycling your tank or adding fish will not lower your ph to the desired level for oscars.



Last edited by DaFishMan at 02-Oct-2005 21:39

The Amazon Nut...

Hi,
Oscars are a fantastic fish. When I was raising them the
kids in the neighborhood would collect all sorts of bugs
and bring them to me to watch the fish eat them.
They developed personalities and each was an individual.

However, they get big enough to pan fry. And, they are
obstinate and playful and can be destructive. To begin
with, they HAVE to see from one end of the tank to the
other..unobstructed. They constantly move rocks around
the tank, have been known to smack the rocks against the
sides with flips of their tails, and batter aquarium
heaters into submission. Mine refused to have any kind
of rooted plant in the tank and tore them out of the
gravel everytime i tried.

The "Texas Holyrock" is a form of carbonate and will
continue to raise the pH as the carbonate disolves into the
tank water. About the only way to overcome the tendency
for the pH to rise, is to do frequent water changes with
the lower pH tap water, and that may not be a good thing
over time. Usually it is better to keep the pH constant
at whatever it finally settles at than to keep yoyoing it
up and down. That frequent up and down stresses the fish

Frank


Last edited by FRANK at 03-Oct-2005 01:47

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