RO UNITS....are they needed

[Scubarod]

OK , i have come across peole that are saying that ro units are recommended for pike tanks. what are pros and cons. I have kept these fish without problem before. justas a side note our city water is 7 tp 7.5 ph...little alk. what do you guys think?


Rod

 

[aquanaut]

This is something I have begun to look into... not just for the new Pike but because of what I have found in our water.


pH is 6.8-7.2
Nitrate is <5
Phosphate is 2ppm
Soft to medium hard
kH is always 5-7

Zinc orthophophosphate,Barium, Arsenic and whole lot of other chermiclals are there...

 

[softturtle]

Generally, I think crenicichla (not in all cases) come from areas with softer water, but I don't think that most need it unless you are trying to spawn them. So a R/O unit is not needed but it wouldn't hurt. I use R/O in a few of my smaller tanks and my dwarf Crenicichla love it. I wouldn't try to buffer the water using a chemical either... that is just to risky. I am a fan of steady water conditions. Stability is the key in my eyes.

So unless you are trying to spawn a Crenicichla species, you shouldn't need a R/O unit, but it shouldn't hurt if you want to try. Just keep your water parameters stable and you and your fish shouldd be happy.

 

[Scubarod]

Thanks for teh tips!!!

 

[Peanut_Power]

Yup, mostly just if you are trying to spawn your pikes. When i was in Nebraska my pH was between 7.5 and 8.0...kinda really sucked. I kept pikes for many many years though with no problems.... The harder water seems to help fight off HITH...i didn't really have any problems with it while i kept them there. For some reason soft water makes it easier to get the HITH...so if you DO go RO...make sure you are diligent with your water changes. No problem there though, i mean we are MFKers!!