What does well in hard, alkaline well water? (Aside from african cichlids...)

[dbailey]

I've been running a large african cichlid tank for many years, and I'm getting a bit bored with it so I'm considering switching it over to something else.  I'd prefer to stick with using my well water untreated (makes everything so much simpler), so I'm looking for ideas of what I can keep in hard, alkaline water.

Does anybody have any experience keeping something other than cichlids in well water from a limestone aquifer?  My pH is 8.2.  I don't have a GH/KH measurement, but it's certainly at the very hard end of the scale.

From reading other forums, I understand there are a number of fish and plant species that will do fine (maybe not reproduce, but survive happily) in these conditions. 

In your experience, what locally-purchased fish and plants are happy in our local well water?

Thanks for any insight.

My intention is to set up a small-ish (20-30 gallon) test aquarium.  Once I have some successes, I'll take down my large cichlid tank, sell off the inhabitants, give it a thorough cleaning, and set it back up again.

[Mike L]

What kind of cichlid do you keep. Maybe somthing other then your keeping might be a viable option.

[dbailey]

I have 3 different species of mid-sized mbuna in the tank.  I'd have to do a bit of research to determine exact species, but one is clearly a pseudotropheus, another might be a labeotropheus.  No guesses about the third.

Ideally I'd like to experiment with a planted tank, so any larger cichlids are pretty much ruled out.

[Mike L]

 I  would encourage you to try tanganyikins first before giving up on cichlid.  When I first started with cichlid 30 plus years ago selection in Ottawa was limited so south American and Malawi was all there was.  Then I  saw my first  Julie and have been a Tanganyika fan ever since. Shellies are fascinating to watch any of the Julies, calvus or comp(my favourite). A school of cyps or trophus. One of the neat things about then is that you can have an actual  community setting with say 3 different species that will  coexist without all the constant  chasing that often happens with Malawi cichlid. As for plants Anubis and vals  grow in my tanks. Ph 8.4 gh/kh in the 10 to 14 degrees hardness.. What size tank do you have.

[dbailey]

The tank is a custom size...  2'x2'x~5.5' -- that puts it around 165 gallons.

The Tanganyikans leave your plants alone?  I gave up on plants shortly after I set this tank up, because the fish I had did not leave them alone.

I will consider this option, but I was looking for a more significant change.  I had in mind a large-ish school of mid-upper water fish (maybe rainbows for this niche in a hard-water tank), plus something (what?) to fill the lower niche.  Heavily planted and aquascaped with rocks.  One advantage of the hard water is that I can use limestone rocks which are plentiful, cheap, and stack well.

I've always loved the looks of an amazon-river-style tank but that, of course, is out of the question with this water.

Thanks for the thoughts.

[fish finatic]

I am on well water too and I run cichlid tanks and saltwater reefs. In my opinion almost everything will adapt to its enviorment. You cause more problems trying to adjust your water instead of acclimating the inhabitants to the water.  As long as your tank maintains a stable enviorment you can try almost anything. As to possible stocking ideas. The sky is the limit.

[Mike L]

Agree.  Changing water can be problematic.  Which is why I  say keep at cichlid.  Cyprichromis  are shoaling  fish that are midwater swimmers.  Male's are gorgeous. You can follow up with some Juliochromis trsnscriptus  and maybe some calvus or shellies.Shellies are very interesting. You will do well with that in the tank you have.  Cichlid people help me out.  Don't  let this hobbyist go to the dark sides. Google the species I mentioned.  If your interested  I'm  in Kanata as well. 5 tanks. All tangs. Your welcome over

[dbailey]

Mike, you advice has been excellent.  I've dug out my cichlid books and read up on the genera you've recommended and you definitely have me rethinking.  I actually had no idea that there were mid-water schooling cichlids.  Thanks for that kick in my complacency.  Julidochromis are definitely lovely looking fish as well, and according to what I read they leave plants alone.  This is definitely encouraging.

I'm still going to experiment before I tear down my existing tank, though.  (Yes, it needs to be torn down and rebuilt.  It has been set up for 15 years now, and needs a thorough cleaning regardless of what I end up doing with it.)