Would it help or harm to switch to Amazon?

[mudskipper]

I am thinking of switching one of my tanks to amazon type water (pH of 5.8, conductivity of of 60 ppm TDS, GH of 30ppm). the tank is a 55G with:
6 3-4" Angelfish,2 3-5" silver dollars, 7 1.5" buenous aire tetra (all of witch come from the amazon. the rest i am not sure if they can go in this water), 3" blood parrot, 1.25" chinese algea eater, 5.5" dojo loach, 6" striped rapheal (one of my favs), 5" unidentifed synodontis cat, 2.75" pictus cat, 6" pleco, and my 10" FW acclimated for 3 years Dragon goby (my second favorate! i now it comes from an amazon estuarie, but not sure how the water compares).
What fish would work and wouldn't? Would it help the the fish, harm the fish, or would they even effect them? there current water that they have had for years is at7.0 pH, GH of 60ppm.

 

[dbcb314]

if all your are healthy and look fine... i wouldn't do it

the shcok of changing the ph and gh that much may kill some of your fish when changing it really wouldn't be necessary

 

[mudskipper]

if i did it graddually, would it be for the best?

 

[Onion01]

I know it isn't what you asked, but I would get rid of that algae eater. They stop eating algae and become mean as they get older. My old 5" algae eater killed a similar sized clown loach and african cichlid a while back.

But anyways, most of your fish should be fine. I would stick them in a bag with the current water, and every 5-10 minutes add one cup of your new water. Do this for 1 hour (or two if you are really dedicated) and they should be fine. I don't think you will lose fish if you do this gradually. Good luck, and post pics

 

[ProblEmZ]

if i did it graddually, would it be for the best?

I think so but if they've been living in the current conditions they are adjusted to those paramaters already. I mean to change it and try to keep it where you want can be a chore, and may stress the fish.

Hopefully a more experienced aquarist can chime in.

 

[Dread]

Since it's working how it is, I wouldn't really suggest changing it unless you want to breed them, and that's what they need. If that's the case, I'd suggest very very slowly changing it over. Maybe over the course of 2 months would be safe, since you are changing just about EVERYTHING. And with the Amazon Water, I think the ANgelfish and Tetras would do the best, and I'm unsure about the Silver Dollars. Aren't they from the Amazon, too? The 'Dragon' Violet Goby probably won't do too great, I have a feeling. With the strict "amazon water," your Angelfish have a good chance of breeding when they get larger, so if that's what you want, it'd be a suitable idea. However, like I said, if they're doing fine now, and you don't have any plans to breed (or if your fish are local bred, and will breed in your water!) then don't change it. It would just be stressful for both the fish, and you.

 

[ShadowBass]

Your dojo loach is a coldwater fish in the first place, so I don't know how he'd handle a large PH change in a tropical tank. 5.8 pH is really low for that species anyway.

As far as the other fish, they can naturally handle that water type, but the process of changing over will do more harm than good. They're already used to the 7.0 pH which is neutral, and that's just fine for all of your fish. Changing the pH would only hold potential for stressing them, so there's no point in doing it unless you're planning on breeding. If you're planning on breeding any of these fish they need to be in their own tank anyway, not in a mixed community like you have. You have fish in there that would eat the fry and eggs.

Changing the pH won't cause a noticeable difference in the way they look if that's what you're going for, since you already have a nice neutral pH and low TDS which is just fine for your fish and I'm sure they're all healthy and happy.

 

[mudskipper]

I know it isn't what you asked, but I would get rid of that algae eater. They stop eating algae and become mean as they get older. My old 5" algae eater killed a similar sized clown loach and african cichlid a while back.

But anyways, most of your fish should be fine. I would stick them in a bag with the current water, and every 5-10 minutes add one cup of your new water. Do this for 1 hour (or two if you are really dedicated) and they should be fine. I don't think you will lose fish if you do this gradually. Good luck, and post pics

I have heard the algea eater stories, but the pleco is lazy, and the little guy cleans glass like none other. if it starts getting nippy it will be turtle food, i i will get some fresh young ones.
you have my interest. i have a ten gallon tub i can acclimate them in. can anyone else backup this method? would i completly take the water out of the tank and replace it with amazonian water?

Amazon Water, I think the ANgelfish and Tetras would do the best, and I'm unsure about the Silver Dollars. Aren't they from the Amazon, too? The 'Dragon' Violet Goby probably won't do too great, I have a feeling. With the strict "amazon water," your Angelfish have a good chance of breeding when they get larger, so if that's what you want, it'd be a suitable idea.

yes silver dollars are amazonian, in fact they and even pirahana are considered tetra. the daragon goby is in full fresh and has been for years. like said they do come from amazon esuaries, and temporaraly like to swim up into the amazon. i guess i will do some research on the goby. but i think it might work.

Your dojo loach is a coldwater fish in the first place, so I don't know how he'd handle a large PH change in a tropical tank. 5.8 pH is really low for that species anyway.

unless you're planning on breeding. If you're planning on breeding any of these fish they need to be in their own tank anyway, not in a mixed community like you have. You have fish in there that would eat the fry and eggs.
.

dojo loach are very hardy, and can handle almost any water, some call it "the indestructable fish" if they are removed from the water after a couple minutes they will start to produce a muscus shell that will keep them from drying out and suffocating. they can be kept in frozen ponds as long as the ponds ae not completely frozen, to 90 degrees. i am not worried about the loach

 

[mudskipper]

if they breed them it will at least be entertaining, i will now the angels are healthy, there will be a nutritious snach for the rest of the fish, and that will be experience for the angels if i want to but them in a breeding tank

 

[ShadowBass]

dojo loach are very hardy, and can handle almost any water, some call it "the indestructable fish" if they are removed from the water after a couple minutes they will start to produce a muscus shell that will keep them from drying out and suffocating. they can be kept in frozen ponds as long as the ponds ae not completely frozen, to 90 degrees. i am not worried about the loach

I'm aware of how hardy they are, but they're not indestructable. People still manage to kill these fish. Even the toughest fish can potentially be stressed by a pH change and prolonged exposure to temperatures out of their natural range.
Yes they can overwinter in a pond, says nothing about their tolerance for high temperatures and pH changes though. They're a coldwater fish so their metabolism is built to slow down so they can survive this. A koi has a similar response when temperatures start to drop, but they too, though tough much like a dojo, can have issues when kept in high temperatures permanantly. At the least it shortens their life span.

I'm not saying it will definately stress him to the point of getting sick or dying, but it is a possibility that you can't ignore just because some people deem them indestructable.