Cycle issue

[BradT80]

A couple months ago i had switched my substrate and it threw my tank all off and it started the nitro cycle pretty much all over again. After a month and a half, not a **** thing was happening. I decided to nix the filter cartridges and made my own filter media. I used the imagitarium filter sponge(cut to fit the size of the filter), then a good layer of imagitarium filter fiber, topped with a mesh bag with Fluval biomax. Within days, the cycle finally started to progress. During the process, i was doing water changes and treating the water appropriately, and managed to only lose 1 fish in the process. Issue im having now, is the parameters are confusing me and im not sure what to do. PH is 6.6, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 10, but the ammonia is whats confusing me. After the ammonia spiked and started coming down, its gotten to .25ppm and is staying there. Nitrite spiked at about 2.0ppm, and came down to 0ppm within 5 or 6 days. But i cant seem to get the ammonia to completely disappear. Fish are all healthy and color is the brightest theyve ever been, but i dont want to expose them to any of this anymore, they deserve better!!! Tank is a 29gallon. Currently running an Aqueon quietflow 30 with the home made filter media. Stock is 10 Tiger Barbs(5 regular, 1 albino, 3 green, and 1 purple globarb), 12 Neon Tetras, and 4 Peppered Cory's

 

[Aiken Drum]

Do you really mean 25ppm or is ot 0.25ppm? I would be surprised if anything could survive in 25ppm ammonia.

Assuming its 0.25ppm then i would check some bottled water as that will be 0 ammonia and compare it with what you are seeing from your tank water. Its a common issue that a 0ppm reads like 0.25ppm.

Even if it is 0.25ppm, then that wont be too detrimental to your fish, especially at your low pH. At lower pH more of the ammonia will actually be ammonium, which is much less toxic. Ultimately if there is a problem your fish will tell you. If they are happy and healthy that is the ultimate test of your water parameters.

 

[fishwonder]

.25 ppm is essentially 0, especially if you have a water company that uses Chloramine. Your low pH of 6.6 is slowing your bacteria growth by almost 90% which slows ammonia oxidation. Need to try to get that up to 7 or above to get it started again.

 

[Mr. Overfilter]

Solid information, FW.

 

[BradT80]

.25 ppm is essentially 0, especially if you have a water company that uses Chloramine. Your low pH of 6.6 is slowing your bacteria growth by almost 90% which slows ammonia oxidation. Need to try to get that up to 7 or above to get it started again.

This is my first tank, so i dont have much experiance. But like i said, the tank cycled. Ammonia peaked at about 2ppm and started to come down once the nitrite peaked. Nitrite peaked at the same 2ppm, and started to come down as soon as nitrates were registering on the tests. I had 2 or 3 days where readings were 0,0 10, and now theyre consistantly .25,0,10. Like i stated, i dont have much experiance with fish tanks but the PH doesnt seem to have effected the cycling much before this. I havent done anything different either as far as feeding. I feed them once in the morning and once at night, and little to nothing is left over(anything left over the cory's take care of any way lol).

 

[BradT80]

.25 ppm is essentially 0, especially if you have a water company that uses Chloramine. Your low pH of 6.6 is slowing your bacteria growth by almost 90% which slows ammonia oxidation. Need to try to get that up to 7 or above to get it started again.

Btw, ive tried furiously to raise the ph lol ive used the API proper PH 7.0, as well as the Seachem Neutral Regulator powder. NOTHING changes is. The PH out of the tap is a perfect 7.0, but for some reason, the second i put it in the tank, it drops. Best ive had it at was a 6.8. Before i switched to the 29g i had a 20g long and it was ALWAYS at 6.0, so 6.6 il take lol

 

[fishwonder]

Btw, ive tried furiously to raise the ph lol ive used the API proper PH 7.0, as well as the Seachem Neutral Regulator powder. NOTHING changes is. The PH out of the tap is a perfect 7.0, but for some reason, the second i put it in the tank, it drops. Best ive had it at was a 6.8. Before i switched to the 29g i had a 20g long and it was ALWAYS at 6.0, so 6.6 il take lol

So do what folks do to raise pH, simple Baking Soda. 1 tsp per 25 gallons of water. Mix in cup with water and pour it in. Check you pH in 30 mins and adjust as needed. The better way for a more stable pH, just add a small amount of crushed coral in a mesh bag in your filter. Don't need much, as 2 TBS will handle 100 gallons and your pH should be around 7.2-7.6. Need to check it every 3 months as the coral does break down over time. Quit using chemicals! More info here.

https://aquariumscience.org/index.php/4-4-5-raising-ph/

Edit - I use crushed coral, 2 TBS in my 75 gallon and the pH has never gone below 7 in the last 8 months.

 

[charliebankston]

So do what folks do to raise pH, simple Baking Soda. 1 tsp per 25 gallons of water. Mix in cup with water and pour it in. Check you pH in 30 mins and adjust as needed. The better way for a more stable pH, just add a small amount of crushed coral in a mesh bag in your filter. Don't need much, as 2 TBS will handle 100 gallons and your pH should be around 7.2-7.6. Need to check it every 3 months as the coral does break down over time. Quit using chemicals! More info here.

https://aquariumscience.org/index.php/4-4-5-raising-ph/

Edit - I use crushed coral, 2 TBS in my 75 gallon and the pH has never gone below 7 in the last 8 months.

Good advice. I've used baking soda before, and currently have crushed coral in my malawi African tank. Keeps my ph and gh high. Ph around 8