Setting up a New Aquarium and Having Prob with Water Prep.

hi i have a 30 gal aquarium and i never test the water
at first i just add the water with aqua safe and then i keep the filter running for about 2 to 3 days and then i add the fish and they are healthy and happy

I'm not positive about the hardness (I don't think it is an issue), and the pH depends on what you plan to keep in it. Look up whatever species you are wanting and see what pH they prefer.

It has been a while since I set up a tank, so I checked one of our books. It says the pH should be between 5.8 and 7. Let the tank run for a few more days and test it again. You can buy products to raise and lower the pH. The only additive we use on our freshwater tank is Prime. It removes nitrates, ammonia, adds slime coat, etc. After a couple of weeks, add a couple of cheap tetras to your tank. They will start the nitrate cycle and help the tank get established. Then add your other fish. If you are looking to raise Cichlids or some other specialized breed, you probably want to do some research on their particular environmental needs. At this point, we no longer test our tank. We use a python to suction off some of the water and debris when we are doing a partial, fill it back up with tap water and dump in some Prime. We have a mixture of tetras, bottom dwellers, a couple of Gouramis and one goldfish won at a fall festival. Good luck and enjoy your tank!

We have a 29 gal tank and we just use the gallons of spring water from Tom Thumb. Never any issues. In the beginning we bought about 35 gallons. Then we keep some onhand to refill when necessary.

About every 3 months or so, we change out about 1/3 of the water with fresh spring water from TT. Everytime I do something to change the water or add water, I add a little stress coat to the water. it supposedly helps the fish.

Good luck