# Best tetra options with higher than neutral pH



## gryffin (Feb 11, 2008)

I am looking for ideas on what tetra species to try. I had a school of pristella, but two were munched on my festivum and I decided to cut my losses and trade in the remaining 18. Trouble is that my pH runs high- so I'm not sure whether I'd have good luck with certain recommended species like bleeding hearts and diamonds. I'd like to stay South American and I don't want to mess with adjusting the pH in my display tank.

At the moment, my stock looks like this :

120G - 2 uaru, 2 angelfish, 2 festivum, 4 keyholes, 4 g. pindare, 2 bolivian rams
75G - 2 c. regani, 2 . dorsigera, 1 severum (super red), 3 g. steindachneri

It's still a bit subject to change- the red severum was supposed to go my other 120G, but got beat up a bit by another severum in that tank. If I don't move the red sev back, I'll be moving something else from the above list to the other 120G- quite possibly the uaru since the above 120G is planted. The uaru need to grow a bit before I can move them- they are still quite small.

I currently have a school of 15 colombian tetras in my 75G- I like them quite a bit- they are bold, active, and colorful- they also school quite nicely. These can stay in the 75G or go to the 120, though I wonder if they might be too active for the angelfish.

Thanks for any suggestions.


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## adam79 (Jun 27, 2007)

How high is your ph?


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## gryffin (Feb 11, 2008)

Around 7.5


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## adam79 (Jun 27, 2007)

A lot of species are tolerant to that ph. That is what my tap water is and I have serpae, rummies, cardinals, bleeding hearts, and buenos Aries. It is not ideal with most of these and I have had problems with the rummies. Buenos Aires, Red Eyes, and Bloodfins all do well up to 8.0 and could potentially tolerate slightly higher.


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## HONDO (May 4, 2008)

i have kept rummies, cardinals, pristellas, black skirts and serpaes all at around 7.5 with great success.

only thing i cannot seem to keep alive is cories... really weird.


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## adam79 (Jun 27, 2007)

HONDO said:


> i have kept rummies, cardinals, pristellas, black skirts and serpaes all at around 7.5 with great success.
> 
> only thing i cannot seem to keep alive is cories... really weird.


What kind of substrate are your cories on?


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## HONDO (May 4, 2008)

the ones i have not been able to keep alive have been on pool filter sand. I have kept cories with more success in a 29 gallon i once had, and that tank had gravel.


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## gryffin (Feb 11, 2008)

What types of cories have you tried to keep? I could not keep pandas alive (from 3 different sources), but have had great success with aeneus (have had them over 12 months with no losses and I'm raising fry) and have not yet had a problem with my sterbai (have had them about 5 months).


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## adam79 (Jun 27, 2007)

Hmmm.... Cories don't do well on coarse substrate or dirty substrate, but i keep mine on pool filter sand. Many species demand acidic conditions.


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## gryffin (Feb 11, 2008)

I'll keep bloodfins and red eyes on my list. Black skirts are tempting but I'm worried about them being nippy with angels.


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## adam79 (Jun 27, 2007)

gryffin said:


> What types of cories have you tried to keep? I could not keep pandas alive (from 3 different sources), but have had great success with aeneus (have had them over 12 months with no losses and I'm raising fry) and have not yet had a problem with my sterbai (have had them about 5 months).


You may have been keeping your pandas too warm. Sterbai and aeneus do well in temps around 80.


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## gryffin (Feb 11, 2008)

In the end probably. I know they don't like heat, so I tried to keep them in cooler water (~75F), but once I was down to a couple, I put them in with the aeneus (~79F) and that pretty much finished them off.


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## HONDO (May 4, 2008)

gryffin said:


> I'll keep bloodfins and red eyes on my list. Black skirts are tempting but I'm worried about them being nippy with angels.


i just moved my blackskirts out of my angel tank for this very reason. i wouldnt suggest blackskirts for angel tanks, as much as i do like blackskirts. i am enjoying the school of pristellas i now have with my angels, and again my ph is a little high like yours.

*** tried pandas, sterbei and peppered cories. maybe water was too warm (around 80) but i think maybe my severum had something to do with it also. he never showed any agression i ever saw, but he was kind of a sketch ball so maybe at night.... either way, i dont try with cories any more.


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

Pandas are one of the few cories that can handle the heat, they are common in discus tanks (86F).


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## adam79 (Jun 27, 2007)

dwarfpike said:


> Pandas are one of the few cories that can handle the heat, they are common in discus tanks (86F).


What i have read about pandas: is that they inhabil blackwater streams that are fed by snow melt and reach temps into the mid 60's and rarely reach the upper 70's. Planetcatfish.com suggest they be kept between 71.6-77.0 F. Sterbai do well in warm water.


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## gage (Feb 7, 2007)

And peppered cories come from sub-tropical climates (Rio Uruguay) so they demand cooler temps, I keep mine with my Gymnogeophagus gymnogenys "Arroyo Yerbalito"


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