Low pH in cycle?

[dalto]

I just done a 80% water change before reading this, what shall i do add ammonia again? last time i tested it removed 2.75 ppm of ammonia as only 0.25 was left (probably due to the pH crash)

Yeah, add the ammonia and the baking soda and then you should see the ammonia gone the next day and nitrites still at 0.

 

[Matt_]

Yeah, add the ammonia and the baking soda and then you should see the ammonia gone the next day and nitrites still at 0.

How much baking soda should i add to raise the ph? Thanks

 

[Andy Sager]

Ok I'll try and do that tomorrow then , Just wondering will my pH drop when the cycle has finished? Also will a pH of 6 stall the cycle?

Sorry for the ammount of questions still learning

To clarify, a low PH does not "stall" a cycle but it changes the cycle as most of the bacteria that convert ammonia/ ammonium to nitrites don't function in acidic/ low ph water. You can read about that here: Nitrifying Bacteria Facts
While this article is from the manufacturers of a biological product so it is scewed towards their products, it does discuss, in detail, the science of the nitrogen cycle which is why I recommend reading it.

I would recommend that you look into buffering agents to help keep your PH from falling. It is most likely the lack of carbonate hardness (kh) that is allowing your PH to drop. API makes a fairly inexpensive KH/ GH hardness test kit which will probably help you better monitor your water.

Hope this helps

 

[dalto]

How much baking soda should i add to raise the ph? Thanks

I would throw in 2 tablespoons in a 20g tank. That should bring your KH up fairly high and raise your ph. Since you are in a fishless cycle you don't need to worry about fish.

 

[Matt_]

To clarify, a low PH does not "stall" a cycle but it changes the cycle as most of the bacteria that convert ammonia/ ammonium to nitrites don't function in acidic/ low ph water. You can read about that here: Nitrifying Bacteria Facts
While this article is from the manufacturers of a biological product so it is scewed towards their products, it does discuss, in detail, the science of the nitrogen cycle which is why I recommend reading it.

I would recommend that you look into buffering agents to help keep your PH from falling. It is most likely the lack of carbonate hardness (kh) that is allowing your PH to drop. API makes a fairly inexpensive KH/ GH hardness test kit which will probably help you better monitor your water.

Hope this helps

Thanks for that link very helpful, i'm about to order the test kit had it in my bookmarks for a few weeks but i guess its needed a now. What type of buffereing agenst would you suggest? maybe soemthing like crushed coral?

 

[Andy Sager]

Thanks for that link very helpful, i'm about to order the test kit had it in my bookmarks for a few weeks but i guess its needed a now. What type of buffereing agenst would you suggest? maybe soemthing like crushed coral?

It's all going to depend on what fish you plan on keeping. You may not need to buffer at all if you are going to be keeping fish that prefer soft/ low ph water. The FISH you keep will determine your appropriate next step.
For now, I would wait until you get your test results and desired fish selection so you know what to address. Since you are fishless cycling, there is no harm in waiting.

 

[Matt_]

It's all going to depend on what fish you plan on keeping. You may not need to buffer at all if you are going to be keeping fish that prefer soft/ low ph water. The FISH you keep will determine your appropriate next step.
For now, I would wait until you get your test results and desired fish selection so you know what to address. Since you are fishless cycling, there is no harm in waiting.

I was planning on getting some tetras and a clown pleco thats it. I will report back once I have tested with the GH/KH test kit to see where I stand.

 

[dalto]

I was planning on getting some tetras and a clown pleco thats it. I will report back once I have tested with the GH/KH test kit to see where I stand.

For the purpose of your fishless cycle just use baking soda or similar as your buffer.

Once your cycle is over you can determine how you want to buffer long term.

 

[Matt_]

Hello, My KH/GH test kit just came so now I can share the results I got from it. The KH turned yellow from the first drop , the GH turned green after 4 drops; so results

KH: 1
GH:4
PH 6.6

Hope someone can suggest something for me, thanks

 

[dalto]

Hello, My KH/GH test kit just came so now I can share the results I got from it. The KH turned yellow from the first drop , the GH turned green after 4 drops; so results

KH: 1
GH:4
PH 6.6

Hope someone can suggest something for me, thanks

Is that you tank or your tap? Can you share both?

 

[Matt_]

Is that you tank or your tap? Can you share both?

That was my tank reading I'll go and test the tap water now, I'll report back once done.

 

[Matt_]

That was my tank reading I'll go and test the tap water now, I'll report back once done.

OK, the tap water is:

KH: 2
GH:4
PH:7.6

Tank water:

KH: 1
GH:4
PH 6.6

 

[dalto]

I am super jealous of your water. Low KH soft water.

So yeah, unless you are wanting to keep some hard water fish such as rift lake cichlids a moderate amount of buffering should be fine. You need to raise your KH just a tad to keep things stable.

A natural buffer such as crushed coral should be fine. You do not need a lot of it.

Alternatively you could use chemical additives of which there are numerous. It just depends how you want to the solve the problem. That being said, dropping in some crushed coral is probably easier to manage than using additives. I would probably use chemicals if you wanted more neutral water. Something like Seachem neutral regulator is pretty easy.

 

[Matt_]

I am super jealous of your water. Low KH soft water.

So yeah, unless you are wanting to keep some hard water fish such as rift lake cichlids a moderate amount of buffering should be fine. You need to raise your KH just a tad to keep things stable.

A natural buffer such as crushed coral should be fine. You do not need a lot of it.

Alternatively you could use chemical additives of which there are numerous. It just depends how you want to the solve the problem. That being said, dropping in some crushed coral is probably easier to manage than using additives. I would probably use chemicals if you wanted more neutral water. Something like Seachem neutral regulator is pretty easy.

Haha I didn't realise it was so good I read online that a KH of around 5-6 is best to keep it buffering the PH, is this correct?

And like i said in a previous post, Im going to have small shoal of tetras and a clown pleco.

And for crushed coral would this be ok: Caribsea Geo-Marine Florida Crushed Coral (10lb) | Charterhouse Aquatics

Or can you use sodium bicarbonate instead?

Thanks for your help!

 

[dalto]

Haha I didn't realise it was so good I read online that a KH of around 5-6 is best to keep it buffering the PH, is this correct?

As long as your are keeping up with water changes anything over 4 should be fine.

And like i said in a previous post, Im going to have small shoal of tetras and a clown pleco.

And for crushed coral would this be ok: Caribsea Geo-Marine Florida Crushed Coral (10lb) | Charterhouse Aquatics

Or can you use sodium bicarbonate instead?

Thanks for your help!

Either of those would be fine. However, now that you reminded me about the fish you want to keep I would probably use Neutral Regulator. Your KH is low enough that is should be pretty effective. Neutral regulator increases KH and should move you pH into the low 7's.

Crushed coral or sodium bicarbonate will raise KH and pH. You probably don't really want your pH any higher than it is for the type of fish you want to keep. You could probably acclimate them to the higher pH but since you are setting your water chemistry anyway, why not set it closer to the ideal?

 

[Matt_]

As long as your are keeping up with water changes anything over 4 should be fine.


Either of those would be fine. However, now that you reminded me about the fish you want to keep I would probably use Neutral Regulator. Your KH is low enough that is should be pretty effective. Neutral regulator increases KH and should move you pH into the low 7's.

Crushed coral or sodium bicarbonate will raise KH and pH. You probably don't really want your pH any higher than it is for the type of fish you want to keep. You could probably acclimate them to the higher pH but since you are setting your water chemistry anyway, why not set it closer to the ideal?

Ok thanks for that, when you say "You probably don't really want your pH any higher than it is for the type of fish you want to keep" are you talking about my tap water or my tank water

As I have already got sodium bicarbonate should i use this to raise the PH/ KH, if so how much shall I use? like you said anything over 4 is fine so aslong as it can achieve that then ill be satisfied

When I do water changes I roughly do 25% - 30% around 25 L