What did i do to my cycle (HELP!)

[Ezzie]

I did a 50% water change yesterday and these were the results:

ph: 6
ammonia: .25-.50ppm
nitrite: 0ppm
nitrate: between 0-5.0ppm

I still dont understand why my ammonia isnt going down, even with a water change that large!
I have started just using tap water conditioner as apose to prime, i had a feeling i was over dosing that and it was messing more with the cycle.

Where am i do you think in it? Why arnt i having ANY readingings of nitrite??

 

[Coyne]

I did a 50% water change yesterday and these were the results:

ph: 6
ammonia: .25-.50ppm
nitrite: 0ppm
nitrate: between 0-5.0ppm

I still dont understand why my ammonia isnt going down, even with a water change that large!
I have started just using tap water conditioner as apose to prime, i had a feeling i was over dosing that and it was messing more with the cycle.

Where am i do you think in it? Why arnt i having ANY readingings of nitrite??

What were your readings before the PWC?

 

[Ezzie]

A little (well major) update..

I decided since my cycle was basically slumped that i would just start over again.
I took the foam background off my fluval EBI tank and am going to clean the filter (not the media) and condition the tank from the beginning again.
I think this is easier then being half way through somewhat of a cycle and being lost with the readings, now i can start fresh and keep track =) Im also going to purchase more plants / different driftwood and get them settled before bothering with the fishies Some may think this was a terrible idea but for me i think its better to start totally over and from the beginning then half way through something that wasnt changing (even with water changes the ammonia wouldnt change??)

 

[Ezzie]

Well back to square one! and these are the readings:

ph: 7.5
ammonia: 0-.25 (i had an issue with the tap water, always have but sometimes it comes as 0 others as .25)
nitrite: 0
nitrate: 0

 

[Fresh2o]

Well back to square one! and these are the readings:

ph: 7.5
ammonia: 0-.25 (i had an issue with the tap water, always have but sometimes it comes as 0 others as .25)
nitrite: 0
nitrate: 0

Sometimes its better to cut your losses and start again. Good luck with the restart. I had to do the same thing but for different reasons. In April the ammonia in my new tank would go from 0.50 (after a major WC) to 4-8 in a matter of 8-10 hours. Something was going on because I was NOT adding ammonia (which was not being concerted anyhow). Scrapped everything and started over. This time I ran the new filter in an established tank for 9 days, moved it and some established media to the new tank, started dosing with ammonia and by day 6 it was converting 4 ppm in about 24 hours. Nitrites would rise and fall within that time. I believe the key was the established media.
Oh, in 2012 my municipal water was (amm/trite/trate) 1.0/0/10 out of the tap. It got better in January.

 

[librarygirl]

I suspect the driftwood caused a PH drop which affected the bacteria. At a PH of low 6's the bacteria basically stop functioning. Some people can use driftwood and it doesn't affect the water, others it drops PH. I've had this problem too. Is the wood still in the tank or did you remove it? I'd just take it out and let it soak in a bucket for a while, keep changing the water in the bucket with hot water to help the wood leech out. You can test the water in the bucket too to see how the wood is affecting the PH. Then for the tank, do some 50% water changes until you can get PH back up to at least 7 or where it usually is. Once the PH is stable again the cycle should reset itself.

 

[Ezzie]

The driftwood was removed when I first noticed my guppies acting sick and found it really messed with the ph, it's been soaking now for 3-4 weeks, I actually decided to look for a different piece of wood so ill proberly let this one continue soaking and use it for my future betta fish tank

I didn't know about the ph affecting the bacteria growth! Hopefully now ill be able to get on track with a normal cycle, I only use tap water conditioner now but am considering using prime as it removes the ammonia, something that is seemingly present In my tap water.

I will do another test when I arrive from work and see if its still coming with a reading, I know metals and other things can cause a false reading.

I currently only have one grown guppy and one baby from my last spawn in the tank, do you recommend adding some more to get my ammonia going from their waste?

 

[Ezzie]

The filter also has established noodles from my big Oscar tank, when I first got the filter I let it run in the tank for a week to get the bacteria going, should I do this again or just leave it considering it has the noodles?

 

[Ezzie]

I have bought some new driftwood today, the smaller "branchy" looking kind that im going to start soaking instead of my big chunk of wood, Im also considering getting some more substrate for my plants but im not sure, im also going to purchase another light so i can get some carpeting plants growing!

Finally have a direction of where to go with this tank

 

[Ezzie]

First readings since starting over:

ph: 7.5
Ammonia: .25
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0

I suspect somethings giving a false reading for the ammonia, i have been through it before though im not sure what would be causing it to be so high except possibly my tap water. Should i do a water change tomorrow or let the ammonia rise?

 

[Ezzie]

What happened now?!

I have a new situation today guys, and i'm totally lost!

I woke up this morning and my water was REALLY cloudy I left it thinking my partner stirred something up but this afternoon it was worse!
Its so bad i couldnt even see to the other side of the tank

I did a 50% water change to try and clear it up and just did a water test, the results are confusing!

Ph: <6.0 (WHY IS MY PH LOW AGAIN GAHH)
ammoina: 0
nitrite: 0
nitrate: 0

The only thing i have added in the last 24 hours are some more plants (2 swords and 2 ferns) that i washed under running water then planted and 4 white clouds AFTER i noticed the water was totally cloudy.
I have also used some stability after i did the water change as i bought that today to try and help my previous water problems as well as my tap water conditioner.

Since then all but 1 of the white clouds are dead and my lone surviving guppy is still there. My baby one had managed to jump out and i found him on the floor

So my new questions, what in the world is going on!
How did my PH drop so much within a day and why suddenly is my ammonia reading 0 all of a sudden...?
should i do another water change or simply leave the tank to settle itself?

 

[freshwaterashley]

Sounds like you did the same thing that i did.. just posted a thread about cloudy water and somone said that i might have cleaned too well and took out too much good bacteria ... i was told to leave it.. ill still do my normal 20% pwc but im hoping by the end of the week my water will be back to normal

 

[Ezzie]

i did another 50% water change last night but this time replaced water with the water from my big established tank and my readings are coming back with something now!

ph: 6 (still low, not sure why)
ammonia: .25
nitrite: .25
nitrate: 40

I will do a 30% water change again today to lower the readings but im happy that im finally getting somewere, maybe thats all it needed was a little seeded water boost!

Im also having a small algea bloom! Ill be cleaning the glass tonight and buying new plants as well tomorrow!

 

[librarygirl]

So is the driftwood still in the tank or no? Is your other tank holding a steady PH?

Have you tried the tap water test? Test your tap's PH right out of the faucet, then leave a glass to sit out for 24 hours (stir it occasionally) and then test PH again; this is your "true" PH and what your tank's PH should be. If it's higher than 6, then something in the tank is causing PH to drop. You might want to get some crushed coral or crushed argonite at this point (sold at most fish stores in the saltwater section) and add a few teaspoons to a mesh media bag or clean (never washed with detergent) nylon stocking and put it in your filter to help buffer the water. Keep testing PH and add/remove coral until you can get the PH to stabilize around where it should be (around 7-ish).

 

[Ezzie]

No its not in the tank currently, i have new wood thats soaking

My tap water tests at 7+ so im not sure why its suddenly dropping, ive never had a problem with it before! But i will do the water test after leaving it for 24 hours and see.

Im not sure where i would find crushed coral / crushed argonite around my area :S ive never seen this before in pet or aquarium shops but ill certainly look.. I did see a PH stablizer that "makes" the tank water go and remain at 7 but it says not to use it when you have plants or those PH drops that you can adjust it accordingly