Hi everyone,

  I've been keeping aquariums containing North America's native fish for quite awhile now (well at least 10 years or so) and I've had a lot of success with that.  However, now I'm going to try keeping Tropical freshwater fish.  One thing I've noticed when researching different plant species and different fish species is that a majority of them prefer the 7.0 and less pH levels.  Being in northwest Ohio, we've got ourselves some 7.8 - 8.2 pH water.  So, my question as a new comer to this area of fish keeping would be, how do you guys get around this?  Are you filtering your water through special media to drop your pH?  Adding driftwood to decrease pH?  Ignoring pH requirements of your fish?  Just keeping fish that are "hardy"?  Only keeping fish and plants that fall within our water parameters (and which species would those be)?  I know it's a lot of questions, but I'm trying to find tropical fish that have a preferred pH level in our range and it seems slim.

Thanks,
Nate

Don't African Cichlids have a preferred pH in our range?

Anywho, I use Manzanita Driftwood...and my pH is a stable 6.7.

Oh, but for most species...it doesn't really matter too much. Especially if you get them from a LFS where they are being kept in our water anyway. Dealing w/ a less than ideal pH is better than adding any chemicals to water (IMO)...either go w/ hardy species or add driftwood.

NateTessler13 said :

Hi everyone,

I've been keeping aquariums containing North America's native fish for quite awhile now (well at least 10 years or so) and I've had a lot of success with that. However, now I'm going to try keeping Tropical freshwater fish. One thing I've noticed when researching different plant species and different fish species is that a majority of them prefer the 7.0 and less pH levels. Being in northwest Ohio, we've got ourselves some 7.8 - 8.2 pH water. So, my question as a new comer to this area of fish keeping would be, how do you guys get around this? Are you filtering your water through special media to drop your pH? Adding driftwood to decrease pH? Ignoring pH requirements of your fish? Just keeping fish that are "hardy"? Only keeping fish and plants that fall within our water parameters (and which species would those be)? I know it's a lot of questions, but I'm trying to find tropical fish that have a preferred pH level in our range and it seems slim.

Thanks,
Nate

Unless you are trying to breed the fish, usually keeping the pH stable is more important than keeping it ideal.  Sometimes even if you are breeding them they won't mind.  Some fish are more sensitive than others.