pH dropping?
- Thread starter Hoagie777
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Phranque
Aquarium Advice Addict
If you added a pleco, a lot has changed.... they produce a lot of waste, which produces more nitrates, which in turn reacts with the KH in your tank (which buffers Ph). When I run a Nitrate test, I don't try to really discern between the individual colors, but I do keep mine in the orange. If I even start to see a hint of red, it's time to do a couple of back-to-back water changes.
Most people don't have them, but a GH/KH test kit is just as important as Nitrate test, IMO. If you have softer water (low KH), and your Nitrates start climbing as they are, too much KH is consumed and you run a serious risk of a Ph crash.
Most people don't have them, but a GH/KH test kit is just as important as Nitrate test, IMO. If you have softer water (low KH), and your Nitrates start climbing as they are, too much KH is consumed and you run a serious risk of a Ph crash.
OP
OP
Hoagie777
Aquarium Advice Regular
No water softener, but I do have city water. I just tested the city water and it is slightly orange on the the nitrate test. No ammonia though. I have been %50 pwc once a week just because Im obsessed.
OP
OP
Hoagie777
Aquarium Advice Regular
Do you think I should start using API 7.8 or perfect pH or the like?
OP
OP
Hoagie777
Aquarium Advice Regular
Bump. Sorry I'm anxious
librarygirl
Look It Up
Nope. Messing with PH is a slippery slope and can cause more problems in the longrun. What size tank do you have and what other fish are in there? If nitrates climb that high between water changes you may need to bump up your water change schedule to twice a week, that should stabilize PH more as well.
OP
OP
Hoagie777
Aquarium Advice Regular
55gal. Skirt tetras, gourami, 2x jewel cichlids, 2x blue dolphin cichlids, ropefish, pleco, 3x platys
Phranque
Aquarium Advice Addict
Sounds like you may need to up your pwc's to twice a week (or more).
Interesting tank stock..... Jewels & Dolphins are considered peaceful, but that's by cichlid standards. They may get very territorial with the smaller tetras & platys. If you're not having a problem now, that's fine, it may work for you, but keep an eye on the situtation.
And, I don't know if you're aware, but those Blue Dolphins are going to need a considerably larger tank..... they are a slow growing species, but they will eventually hit 8"-10", and a 55g is much too small. If you want to keep them, I'd upgrade a tank size or two (75g-100g) and split your cichlids to the larger tank and make the 55g a smaller tropical community.
Interesting tank stock..... Jewels & Dolphins are considered peaceful, but that's by cichlid standards. They may get very territorial with the smaller tetras & platys. If you're not having a problem now, that's fine, it may work for you, but keep an eye on the situtation.
And, I don't know if you're aware, but those Blue Dolphins are going to need a considerably larger tank..... they are a slow growing species, but they will eventually hit 8"-10", and a 55g is much too small. If you want to keep them, I'd upgrade a tank size or two (75g-100g) and split your cichlids to the larger tank and make the 55g a smaller tropical community.
OP
OP
Hoagie777
Aquarium Advice Regular
Ya I know, but everybody gets along right now. I've been on the lookout for a good deal on 75-125g tank on craigslist.
OP
OP
Hoagie777
Aquarium Advice Regular
Phranque said:
Ok I got my API gh and kh test in the mail and here are the results
KH. About 50 ppm
Gh. About 100ppm
Ph. Holding at about 7.2 after several PWCs
Phranque
Aquarium Advice Addict
ppm?? My API kit gives direct results in DH (Degree of Hardness) based on the number of drops used to change the solution color.... 5 drops of KH solution to change from blue to yellow equals a DH of 5. Anyway, if your readings are correct, each Degree of Hardness = 17.9ppm, so 50ppm of KH is a DH of 2.8, which is bit low. Many articles & discussions I've read recommend not going below a DH of 4 (~72ppm) with the exception of Discus tanks, but those are a whole 'nother creature. BTW, did you happen to test the KH of your tap water to see what you are putting into your tank with your pwc's?
If need be, you can add a little bit of baking soda to your pwc water, or introduce mesh bag of crushed coral directly into your tank. Just be sure to do a little at a time.... KH is something you want to raise gradually.
Now, with that being said, back to your tank stock. Essentially you have two very different types of fish together. Like pH, most fish will adapt to a given KH as long as it is stable..... but, like a schooling fish being alone, they may not thrive as well being out of their preferred conditions. Your tetras & platys are going to love the softer water (KH of 4-6), but it is generally accepted that cichlids thrive a little better in harder water (KH of 8 to 12). Something to think about for later when those dolphins get bigger.......
If need be, you can add a little bit of baking soda to your pwc water, or introduce mesh bag of crushed coral directly into your tank. Just be sure to do a little at a time.... KH is something you want to raise gradually.
Now, with that being said, back to your tank stock. Essentially you have two very different types of fish together. Like pH, most fish will adapt to a given KH as long as it is stable..... but, like a schooling fish being alone, they may not thrive as well being out of their preferred conditions. Your tetras & platys are going to love the softer water (KH of 4-6), but it is generally accepted that cichlids thrive a little better in harder water (KH of 8 to 12). Something to think about for later when those dolphins get bigger.......
OP
OP
Hoagie777
Aquarium Advice Regular
You are awesome. So much information! In my API test kit it had a little conversion chart for # of drops to PPM. After several back to back(day to day) PWCs my nitrates are still on the fringe of being red. Could it be over feeding? I also added several clumps of java moss hoping it would help with the nitrates. Thoughts?
Phranque
Aquarium Advice Addict
Well, let's not push it.....
Being on the "fringe of red" is a lot better than where you were. I would consider doing a few more pwc's to get yourself into the mid to lighter end of the orange, and then test daily to see how fast it comes up. This will tell you how often you need to do your pwc's from here on out. It is possible you could be overfeeding.... just feed in little portions at a time & let them consume everything.
You didn't mention what KH & Nitrates are for your tap water.... this is worth knowing if we're going to figure out your KH & pH situation (which you also didn't mention what your KH/pH was after your multiple pwc's). Also, some people register 5-10ppm nitrates right out of the tap, so if you have nitrates in your water already, a 50% pwc isn't really giving you a 50% reduction. For ease of math, let's say your tank is 20ppm, and your tap is 10ppm. A 50% pwc is only going to take you down to 15ppm... That may be why a few back-to-back pwc's didn't seem to reduce your nitrates as much as you wanted.
As far as the java moss, yes, plants will consume some of the nitrates, but I honestly can't tell you how much, as I haven't got into plants (yet).... that's actually the next thing I'm doing research on myself. I can tell you it won't be much, and don't try do solve a problem by "introducing a solution"..... kinda like getting algae eaters because you have an algae problem. Figure out what your problem is. If you are generating excessive nitrates somewhere, we need to figure out why. Of course, the pleco certainly didn't help out your cause..... they are serious poop machines
Mr.Pleco
Aquarium Advice FINatic
when I got my 50g tank last year I had problems for a bit with high nitrates. I ended up buying something called Special Blend from Petco. It's amazing. It's basically beneficial bacteria and stabilized all my parameters. I've tried a few beneficial supplements over the years and this one works the best. I told my friend about it when he was trying to cycle his tank and he bought it and he cycled it in 2 days.
The rest of your parameters look alright though. There is also a product called NiteOut. Made by the same company that lowers nitrates.
Could be worth a shot if anything.
The rest of your parameters look alright though. There is also a product called NiteOut. Made by the same company that lowers nitrates.
Could be worth a shot if anything.
Sharkbait54
Aquarium Advice Addict
Mr.Pleco said:
Did he use something else? (seeded material) tanks don't cycle in 2 days.
Mr.Pleco
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Yeah, forgot to mention I gave him a seeded filter. But the stuff works.
Alright here we go... so my buddy did give me a seeded pad that I used. It was at the beginning of my cycle and my water parameters did not change at all not even a bit of a move after countless weeks (almost 2 months). With water changes and dosing ammonia nothing would work
, so after these weeks I picked up a bottle of Special Blend and BOOM BAM BOOM WOOOOOOOOO!!!! That tank was cycled in 2 days no joke! (the day after I had perfect water but had to give it a extra day to make sure). Special Blend is a product I would highly recommend, my water has been perfect with no problems at all. I am right now cycling my 10 gallon and just did my first dose of Special Blend today and should have this tank going within the week or even a day or two.
Sharkbait54
Aquarium Advice Addict
That's awsome I'm trying to cycle a 28g also I'll have to look into that
