Help please. URGENT

[SRIDENZ]

I have today purchased a severum (tru red). Now in the LFS this Lil beauty was in the low ph water system with discus and some others. The ph was like 6.5. My tank is more like 8.4.

I set up a drip feed and left him for two hours before setting him free. Now he seems very innactive. Am I worrying about nothing or has this ph spike been too much for him? Was there anything else I could have done?

 

[HrHagel]

All fish have to adjust to theire new surroundings, some are just better at adapting faster

I'm sure your little sev will do fine!

Otherwise, you can treat your water with various things to lower the ph.

 

[Adhlc]

Why is your pH so high, are you keeping Africans?

 

[DeBlieck]

your ph is to high for americans it could kill him

 

[Aquanero]

Wow that's a huge differance! Why is your water 8.4? Is that what your water ph is normally? You should be keeping afrcans with that kind of water they would love it and you wouldn't even have to do much.

 

[peathenster]

That's an 80x difference

Severums prefer lower pH. Some have been able to keep them at low 8s but it's not ideal. Might be ok if they were born in that water, but a sudden transition like this is not good...

It's generally harder to lower pH than to raise it. You may have to invest on an RO and add driftwood, peat, etc.

What else is in the tank?

 

[JTRG05]

I, and almost everyone in my community have kept New World Cichlids in 8~ish pH. Where I live the bedrock consists of Dolomite, a Limestone that is very basic.

What size is the Severum? If he is just young you can acclimate him to this, and will look just as good as he would have in low pH. If it proves to be a problem you can go the RO route, but will likely be unnecessary.

 

[peathenster]

I, and almost everyone in my community have kept New World Cichlids in 8~ish pH. Where I live the bedrock consists of Dolomite, a Limestone that is very basic.

What size is the Severum? If he is just young you can acclimate him to this, and will look just as good as he would have in low pH. If it proves to be a problem you can go the RO route, but will likely be unnecessary.

WHAT new world cichlids?

I hope you understand that all "new world cichlids" are not the same, and that H. carpintis and severums have different water requirements.

 

[Adhlc]

WHAT new world cichlids?

I hope you understand H. carpintis and severums have different water requirements.

+1. Central Americans would likely do very well in a higher pH like that. But South Americans, like Severums, probably wouldn't do so well.

 

[baldtaxguy]

Preparing the tank to transition the fish before purchase would have been the thing to do. Drop the ph gradually so that you don't further stress the animal. Use some peat or almond leaves.

I disagree with recommendation of investing in an RO system to accomodate a single fish. Along the way, we have all made uninformed decisions when purchasing fish - learn from this and do homework in the future.