pH low

[cthie]

I have a week-old 29 gallon startup with thirty pounds of live rock and 35 lbs. of live sand. Ammonia spike is definately occuring, and my pH is 7.8. I have buffered the tank and done 1 30% water change. I have my skimmer going. I did get a film over all of my rocks shortly after startup and it is still present. Is the low pH part of the cylcing also or is there something I've done wrong or should do? I'm new and trying to learn. Thanks ahead of time for any help.

 

[BillyZ]

your testing levels will fluctuate quite a bit during your cycle. Don't buffer your ph at this point and don't add any other additives at this point either.

for the water change, was you LR cured or uncured? If your LR was already cured then I would also reccomend not doing a water change as the cycle requires that ammonia spike as well as the spike and drop off of both nitrites and nitrates. Once you're ammonia drops to zero your nitrites will rise. Then they will begin to fall and nitrates will rise. Eventualy, your nitrates will begin to fall and this is when most suggest you do a large water change, up to 50%.

if you are curing your LR as well, then you will want to do water changes during your cycle.