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RE: Planted Goldfish Tank (was: a few questions)
> 1. Goldfish are considered a cold water fish.
"Actually, Goldfish tolerate a wide range of
temperatures. Their reputation as cold water fish
stems from the fact that they can survive in an
outdoor pond even if the water is frozen over. Here
on the sunny, warm Gulf Coast, my 400 gallon (give or
take) pond sees water temps at 82-84 degrees in
summer. The key seems to be insuring that the water
is well oxygenated."
Yeah, I wondered about oxygenation as a factor as well. I doubt that would
be a problem in my tank, it looks like a champagne glass most of the time.
But I also wonder about "tolerate". It's my understanding that while the
fish may tolerate conditions outside their normal environment, that their
bodies are under constant stress which leaves them vulnerable to disease.
> 2. Most of the sources I read recommended a pH of
> 7.4 or higher for goldfish. My tank always runs at
> 6.8 or so, and the plants never do well above 7.0.
"As with temperatures, goldfish tolerate a wide range
of pH levels. They're quite happy in slightly acidic
water--my pond's pH never seems to get above 7.0,
owing to the large amounts of oak leaves that I can
never seem to keep out of the water. A number of
people also use barley straw and peat to assist in
algae control, and the tannins they produce also lower
pH."
Well, this raises another question then: Is the artificially lowered pH of a
CO2 injected tank really the same thing (chemically and/or biologically) as
the pH of water that has a lower pH due to other reasons? I can't see how
the pH of water that is lowered by oak leaves or barley is the same as water
affected by CO2 injection, but I'll admit to being nonconversant in this (or
any) kind of chemistry. Perhaps a chemist on the list can step in. How does
CO2 affect a calculation that involves H?
Tom