# Basic/Alkaline Freshwater Fish THE LIST!!!



## zof

Ok I'm tired of hunting a pecking for Basic water fish to stock in my aquarium and decided its time for someone to start a list as a starting guide for those of us with pH of 8 and higher. Go ahead and let me know if I'm reinventing the wheel or not but I search our forums (gave up after page 5) and even googled it (gave up after page 2) and couldn't find anything resembling a list. Now this will only work with the help of you, I will start it and will try to maintain it but you my fellow fish keepers will make this list great!!!! The fish for this section will mainly be fish that do well in a pH of 8 or more, but I think I will keep a subsection of fish that are almost there that might do alright, lets say a pH of around 7.6? Input is always welcomed also.

In submitting a fish please include the common name, pH range and if possible also include the following GH range, temperature range, scientific name, link to an external reference.

This will be organized the same way our profiles are organized, I will also start the list by listing those already in our profiles. You may click on any of the names highlighted in gray to be taken to forum profile for that fish.

*Anabantids
*Blue Gourami (pH 5.5-8) (GH 3-30) (Temp 75-83F)
Croaking Gourami (pH 6-8) (GH 5-19) (Temp 73-81F)
Kissing Gourami (pH 6-8) (GH <= 30) (Temp 72-82F)
Paradise Fish (pH 6-8) (GH <= 30) (Temp 61-80F)
Pearl Gourami (pH 5.5-8) (GH <= 30) (Temp 75-86F)


*Cichilds*
Chilumba Cichild (pH 8.5?) (GH ?) (Temp 72-79F) more info needed
Electric Yellow Cichild (pH 8.1?) (GH ?) (Temp 75-82F) more info needed
Firebird Cichild (pH 8?) (GH ?) (Temp 73-81F) more info needed
Mason Peacock Cichild (pH 8?) (GH ?) (Temp 72-81F) more info needed
Pearly Compressiceps Cichild (pH 8?) (GH ?) (Temp 75-81F) more info needed
Red Top Zebra Cichild (pH 8.2) (GH ?) (Temp 75-82F) more info needed
Red Zebra Cichild (pH 7.8-8.4) (GH ?) (Temp 76-84F) more info needed
Tropheus (pH 8.3?) (GH ?) (Temp 74-81F?) more info needed
Yellow Regal African Cichild (pH 8?) (GH ?) (Temp 73-81F) more info needed

*Ancient Fish*
Philippine Bumblebee Goby (pH 8?) (GH ?) (Temp 74-84F) more info needed, brackish/freshwater


*Catfish*
Emerald Catfish (pH ?-8) (GH <= 30) (Temp 71-82F)
Spotted Driftwood Cat (pH 6-8) (GH <= 25) (Temp 77-82F)
Synodontis Ocellifer Catfish (pH 8?) (GH ?) (Temp 76-84F) more info needed

*Livebearers*
Guppy (pH 5.5?-8) (GH ?) (Temp 72-84F)
Platy (pH 7-8.2) (GH ?) (Temp 68-82F)
Molly (pH ?) (GH ?) (Temp ?) more info needed
Swordtail (pH 7-8.2) (GH ?) (Temp 76?-84F)


*Characins*
Black Window Tetra (pH ?-8) (GH <= 30) (Temp 68-79F)
Blind Cave Tetra (pH 7-8) (GH <= 25) (Temp 68-77F)
Bloodfin Tetra (pH 6-8) (GH <= 30) (Temp 64-82F)
Buenos Aires Tetra (pH 6-8) (GH <= 20) (Temp 64-82F)
Cochu (pH ?-8) (GH <= 15) (Temp 72-79F)
False Penguin Tetra (pH ?-8) (GH <= 20) (Temp 72-82F)
Pristella Tetra (pH ?-8) (GH <= 35) (Temp 74-82F)
Red Eye Tetra (pH ?-8) (GH <= 20) (Temp 72-79F)
Silvertip Tetra (pH ?-8) (GH <= 20) (Temp 72-82F)

*Puffer Fish*


*Cyprinids*
Bala Shark (pH 6-8) (GH <= 15) (Temp 72-82F)
Cherry Barb (pH 6-8) (GH <= 20) (Temp 74-81F)
Glowlight Danio (pH 6-8) (GH <= 10) (Temp 72-79F)
Odessa Barb (pH 6-8) (GH 5-20) (Temp 68-78F)
Rosy Barb (pH 6-8) (GH 5-20) (Temp 64-72F)
Scissortail Rasbora (pH 6-8) (GH <= 12) (Temp 73-77F)
Tiger Barb (pH 6-8) (GH <= 20) (Temp 72-79F)
Zebra Danio (pH 6-8) (GH <= 20) (Temp 65-77F)

*Atherinids*


Please use this as just a starter guide and not as a definite resource, always research the fish you want to get before you buy! And by research I mean check multiple sources to see if they agree before trusting any of them.

Also please note the pH range maybe much lower for wild caught fish.


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## zof

Reserved for sub list


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## Oldman47

That is a very short livebearer list you have Zof. What about all of the goodeids, the Heterandria, the Gambusia, the Brachyrhaphis, the Xenophallus umbratilis, the endlers, the Girardinus, the Limias and all of the other fairly easy to find fish at your local club auction. I have only listed livebearers I have in my own home that I know thrive in hard water, there are far more to choose from and then you could start looking at characins, cyprinids, etc. for high pH hard water candidates. Don't forget all those colorful African rift lake fish.


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## zof

See thats what I'm talking about I knew about the endlers but none of the others I will have to research those others. BTW all those on the list are JUST from our fish profiles so far, looking to add more!!! Keep them coming, also looking for reliable info sites about the fish if anyone has one otherwise I'm just going to have to hunt and peck to find the the ranges these fish live in.

BTW just bought 5 Emerald Catfish today, I'd given up on keeping cories with my high pH, while these are not cory they are pretty darn close.


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