PH crash after cycle, need an expert!

[eco23]

Hi everyone,

Three members here (including me) just finished our fishless cycles and immediately after the PH crashed to really low levels. I had been monitoring my PH every other day during the cycle and it was staying at 7.2. The day after my cycle completed (nitrItes dropped to 0), my PH plummeted off the charts low and the tank wasn't as hungry for ammonia as before.

Since there's 3 of us this is happening to at the same time, in the same stage of the cycle (the end), this can't be coincidence.

Is there some sort of correlation with a cycle completing and having a PH crash?

 

[Viper]

How high are your Nitrates? Since it's the end of a cycle, your nitrates are probably pretty high. This can cause a drop in pH.

Are the three of you in the same area? Meaning do you all have the same water source? If so, it could also be a low buffering capacity in your water supply.

Most likely its the Nitrates though since it is happening to all three of you at the same time. PWC's will help bring the pH back up since you will be removing some of the Nitrates.

 

[Deckape]

Hi Eco and Viper. Same exact thing happened to me. My nitrates were 20-40ish. I did a PWC 50% and didn't add any more ammonia this morning. I will let y'all know after I get home what the numbers are. Thanks for starting this Eco and all advice is welcome!

 

[eco23]

Thanks Viper,

We're all in separate areas of the country, just happened to complete around the same time. I had already done a couple pwc's during the cycle to get the levels down into readable levels. Nitrates were at around 30, but I just did about a 75% pwc to get my PH back up.

After posting this thread I did a little more searching on google and this seems pretty common and is caused by the cycle.

Just figured I'd get more opinions here since this is the only site I trust.

 

[eco23]

I'm letting the new water circulate for an hour and I'll check water parameters again.

 

[adadkins1]

I belive you can add a little baking soda in order to raise your pH if it is still low after WC.

 

[eco23]

I'm more curious why this happens. What part of the bacteria basically saying "I'm done!" makes your PH bottom out?

 

[Viper]

I believe it has something to do with the acidic waste that is produced by the nitrifying bacteria during the nitrifying process.

Also, I would be careful about adding the baking soda, that can be a slippery slope. It can result in very rapid swings in pH.

 

[eco23]

Just odd to me it stayed stable up to the very day the cycle finished. Maybe when the bacteria gets to the point where it can decimate the nitrItes overnight it lets out a big satisfied burp or something, lol... Honestly though, something like that might not be too far off.

 

[Deckape]

You make an interesting point. Could be right. Will PWCs help stabilized the ph?

Sent from my DROIDX using Aquarium

 

[eco23]

I just posted this question to 7enigma on his article site. That dude seems like a genius so I'm excited to hear what he thinks. Hopefully he'll post back soon. I can't believe that guy still responds to that article since he wrote it so long ago!

 

[eco23]

Alrighty, my 75% pwc got my PH back up to around 7 or 7.2. Comes out of the tap about 7.6. I'd like to know if this is a 1 time thing at the end, or if it's gonna keep happening. Crushed coral may be in my future.

 

[Viper]

It will most likely happen if your Nitrates get in the 30-40ppm range or higher. The typical recommended range for Nitrates is below 20ppm (maybe a little more if you have plants).

If you stick to your PWC's every week, you shouldn't ever have this problem.

 

[eco23]

Is the sudden drop in ph also what's causing my ammonia eating bacteria to slow down their eating habits? It was easily taking 4ppm down to 0 in 24 hours...now it seems to have slowed down dramatically.

 

[Viper]

Yes, it will slow the cycle process. Bumping the pH back up through water changes should get the cycle going again.

 

[eco23]

So my cycle was finished...but this crash basically put it in reverse gear a little bit. I'm a grown man, but I might shed a tear if this all goes pear shaped now.

 

[Deckape]

You have a way with words. Mine is 7 ph, O ammonia, 0 nitrites, 5-10 nitrates. Temp is 75. I am only gonna add 1ml of ammonia. What do you think?

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[eco23]

You have a way with words. Mine is 7 ph, O ammonia, 0 nitrites, 5-10 nitrates. Temp is 75. I am only gonna add 1ml of ammonia. What do you think?

Sent from my DROIDX using Aquarium

Yours sounds good to go. I'd still be a little leery though. Maybe dose it to 2ppm, make sure it handles it in 24 hours. Then try again with 4ppm. If all is good , I'd go get some swimmers!

And obviously watch the PH real closely the next few days.

 

[Deckape]

Cool I dosed to 2 ml instead of 1. Great minds think alike.

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[eco23]

Cool I dosed to 2 ml instead of 1. Great minds think alike.

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This particular great mind is on the verge of panicking a little bit and doing something rash. When I bought all my supplies, I threw in a bottle of one of those bacteria in a bottle products. I forgot I had it because I wanted to do it naturally, but I'm thinking of dumping a bit in. On other posts I've always told people that they probably don't help at all, but I guess they can't hurt anything. Now I'm thinking of taking my own advice.

It's called Smart Start... not Safe Start... Smart Start. It claims it's "100% super concentrated, live nitrifying bacteria which eliminates ammonia and nitrIte in new tanks and also restarts problem tanks after upset (fish death, heavy water change, medication, etc...)"

I just don't want to be on the verge of going backwards after my little celebration dance I did yesterday, and do the wrong thing. I guess it couldn't hurt, and might help bump the bacteria up a bit... thoughts?


*Sorry, it's called Start Smart, not Smart Start. This post is turning into a tongue twister.