Dr. Bombay, Dr. Bombay, emergency come right away!

[knightnurse14]

I've really screwed up and need some help. Already lost my clown loach and want to protect the rest of my guys.
6 days ago I moved a 75 gallon tank to a 125 gallon tank. Previous readings were PH 7.4, nitrite 0, nitrate 40, temp 76F.
After carefully moving my livestock to buckets with siphoned off water I vacuumed and moved all of my gravel to the new tank, dumped onto the undergravel filter with two penguin 660's running reverse flow. I did rinse the sponges in old tank water while moving them. Also broke the power heads down and cleaned them well.
I moved my marineland 350 hang on filter over after cleaning it up well and rinsing the two filter pads in old tank water so as not to lose their good bacteria.
In addition I added a Rena Filstar 3 external filter with sponges, biomedia, and about a 16 oz sock of carbon and a couple of rena water polishing pads.
Two days ago I noticed my Kuhli loaches looked agitated but was working a long weekend and didn't check the water. It looked fine and the fish were eating.
Yesterday I checked my ammonia and it was 0.5 ppm. I freaked and didn't check anything else just did a 40% water change, checked it again in a couple of hours still had 0.25 ammonia and did a second 40% water change. Afterwards ammonia was 0.
Now is where it really goes to crap.
This morning my water was very cloudy, my clown loach was dead and when I checked my parameters with my API kit this is what I have.
PH less than 6. 6 is a low as it registers and my test sample stayed almost completely clear not yellow.
Ammonia maybe a trace
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0.
I am pulling out the carbon sock from the external filter as I just realized it probably caused drastic PH drop but what else can I do to protect my fish.
Should I add a PH buffer or will that just cause more problems.
My fish are acting subdued not not in any acute distress at the moment.
fish are 20 platys, 2 bettas, 2 green corey cats, 1 big old plecostamus, 3 oto's

 

[Bubble_B0y]

it seems like you had a pH crash!
which in turn, affected and killed the fish.....this then led to a spike in your ammonia readings.
You have to be extra careful because, the pH crash can also kill your good bacteria and will cause you to go into cycling again.


You mentioned your pH is really low (6.0 !!)
Over time, tanks naturally drop in pH with the release of fish waste - becoming more acidic.
However, it also depends on your water buffer.
It may be that your water has a low general hardness, and not enough calcium carbonate to stabilize the pH.

I would recommend adding a pH buffer - coral sand will increase the hardness and naturally and slowly raise the pH of your tank.

good luck.

 

[knightnurse14]

so do you not think the carbon dropped my ph?

 

[Bubble_B0y]

carbon shouldn't have any effect on pH.

 

[HN1]

I think you did right by doing a series of large PWCs. Keep testing, keep changing water as indicated and let things settle. The pH should stabilize on its own as long as the water supply and decor are the same. Were you adding anything to buffer pH in the 75?

 

[knightnurse14]

No I've never used buffers. My ph runs about 7.4 and I thought that was okay for a community tank.

 

[HN1]

As long as it is stable 7.4 is fine for most "community" fish. Measure pH after letting a cup of water sit out overnight. Then measure your tank's level. What exactly is the total livestock?

 

[knightnurse14]

I will try that I,ve got about 20 platys 2 Corey cats 2 bettas 3 oto's and a big pleco

 

[knightnurse14]

I want to thank everyone for the advice. I haven't lost any more fish and my tank's ph has recovered to 6.4. I am feeding sparingly and watching my ammonia. I feel confident the tank is going to stabilize and am loving having the big tank in our living room where we can enjoy it more.