I think my umbees sick!!!

[duanes]

I am of the opposite opinion about pH and water changes.
The more water changes you do, the less chance for variations in pH.
An example if your tap water is pH 7.8, and after a week you tank pH drops to 6, it means the tank has acidified over that time due to metabolism and fish urine, so doing a daily or every other day water change will keep pH closer to 7.8, and create less fluctuation.
If you wait 2 weeks, pH of the tank can drop even lower (maybe less than 6), so when you do a water change after two weeks with 7.8 tap water, it is even more drastic a drop.
More water changes less pH fluctuation.
Less water changes, and further apart, more fluctuation.

 

[duanes]

One other thought, riverine fish are really quite adaptable when it comes to pH.
Rivers are constantly fluctuating with rain events, mountain snow melt, nd other environmental changes. So I personally wouldn't worry about minor changes in pH.
That said Colombian rivers on that side of the divide, are not like Amazonian soft water, acidic rivers.
So letting an Umbi tank acidify, would not be something I would do.

 

[CANAMONSTER]

I am of the opposite opinion about pH and water changes.
The more water changes you do, the less chance for variations in pH.
An example if your tap water is pH 7.8, and after a week you tank pH drops to 6, it means the tank has acidified over that time due to metabolism and fish urine, so doing a daily or every other day water change will keep pH closer to 7.8, and create less fluctuation.
If you wait 2 weeks, pH of the tank can drop even lower (maybe less than 6), so when you do a water change after two weeks with 7.8 tap water, it is even more drastic a drop.
More water changes less pH fluctuation.
Less water changes, and further apart, more fluctuation.

Duane's, very true. My thought is because his nitrates are so low that his water is being changed very frequently and large amount. No time for ph to drop as water is not aged. My tap water is almost 2 figures difference then 24hr old tap water because of high Co2 levels in it. Not a very high difference but is significant if one day it spikes then next it drops. Just wondering if that could cause a iratation

 

[Zukobongolo]

Just a thought, Umbis come from rivers (like the Magdalena system in Colombia) with a fairly strong flow, (so very highly oxygenated), and these rivers begin in nearby snow capped mountains, so the water stays relatively cool (mid 70sF), especially those larger cichlids living in deeper waters.
The mountains, like the Sierra Madre, and the Andes.
View attachment 1286333
When I was in Colombia a few months ago, I was surprised at how cool the water was. It was cool enough, I could not stay long in the water very long, and this is near the coast where the air was very warm.
View attachment 1286332
Below is a video (not mine) of Umbi fishing, note the flow in the river
GoPro FISHING VIDEO - COLOMBIA
Many large riverine cichlids are prone to bacterial infections if water temps are held in the 80s for any length of time. Don't know if this is the way you keep yours, but a thought.

I actually do keep the water fairly warm so I will definetely lower it. Thanks

 

[Zukobongolo]

Don't do a water change for a while. By doing daily big water changes you might be messing with the pH. Don't add salt. It messes with the fishes kidneys. Lights of leave water alone and don't feed.

I don't add salt in the water because I know what it can do to the fish and there slime coat. But I will stop feeding for a few days. Thankyou for the advice.

 

[duanes]

Canamoster, I agree the OPs nitrates are very low, so no need for daily changes, unless the pH is unstable even with low nitrate, because alkalinity is low.
and I can see with CO2 how yours will fluctuate.
Since plants use CO2 when lights are on, and use oxygen when lights are off, a few degrees of night day pH difference is totally natural.
Don't lower it too abruptly, the umbilical in the photo looks stressed, and abrupt changes may be detrimental.
I am a big believer in water movement for riverine cichlids, and non-high temps, the rivers in the video are moving quite fast, and those areas are where adult umber are found. They may seek out dead spots, but the oxygen level will still be saturated.
I think the tendency these days is to keep most cichlid aquariums too warm.
Most mainland cichlids do fine in mid 70s, the only ones I can think of that require mid mid 80s and higher off the top of my head, are Nandopsis haitiensus, and Alcalapia alcalicus.

 

[Pomatomus]

Salt in low amounts is actually good for freshwater fish, especially when you suspect a disease. Not only can it directly impact the pathogen, but it also causes more slime production and actually makes it easier for the fish to osmoregulate (easier on gills and kidneys). Freshwater fish typically gain water passively through the gills. They don't need to drink and they pee constantly to try to retain ions/salts. A little more ions reduces the need for this. There are obvious exceptions such as discus and scaleless fish, but most freshwater fish show reduced stress and ammonia production when a little salt is added.

The issue is when you get above about 3-4 parts per thousand and your biofilter is impacted. The amount of salt needed to reduce nitrite toxicity is in the parts per million, so it's hard to impact your biofilter with salt when targeting nitrite.

And the replies about more frequent water changes maintaining stable pH are spot on, provided that you don't have a lot of CO2 in your tap water and little agitation/aeration in the tank. More water changes are typically good in your situation, but IMO I would limit it to no more than once every other day since the water change can be a stressful event.