High ph & alkalinity levels in freshwater tank

[CiaoPescado]

Hi, I need some help please! I just recently set up a 5 gal tank that someone gave to me. It was somewhat cleaned by the previous freshwater owner, and I rinsed it out as well as possible! It's a Fluval Chi. So, I set it up yesterday (by now it's been about 26 hours) & tested the water with a test strip. It's showing ph around 7.8-8.1 I'd say, and alkalinity around 200. I'm getting the tank ready to transfer my baby platy ( 6 mos old) from a 10 gal to it. I know it's about a 3 day wait for a full cycle & platies can handle and prefer a high ph & alkalinity. BUT... is it still a 3 day wait for a USED tank? And the 10 gal it was born in, it has a neutral ph & ideal alkalinity. I need to move her ASAP, bc her mother (I only have the 2) is sick with some sort of fungus, and I don't want it to spread to the baby.

 

[Valina]

First, there is (IMO) no such thing as a 3 day cycle. I use ATM Colony to cycle a tank and STILL don't put fish in til at least a week or 2...

But to address your issue -

Can you remove some of the filter media, gravel, water from the 10 gal and put it in the 5 gal? And use some sort of "jump start" product on the cycling? For example...ATM Colony or Dr Tims Freshwater Nitrifying Bacteria. (You can get ATM Colony at Petco, usually.)

Good luck!!

Valina

 

[CiaoPescado]

Hi Valina, thanks for your advice. Taking anything, including water from the 10 gal wouldn't be an option for me, as the other fish in the 10 gal has a fungal infection of some sort. I would hate for the baby to catch that. :-( Plus, all gravel, plants, etc are infested with dumb pest snails, and I don't want those to catch a free ride to a new place, if you know what I mean.
I have already added API Ammo Lock (my tap has ammonia), & API Stress Coat, which makes the tap water safe, adds slime coat, nutrients, etc. & of course, the 10 gal already has that stuff in it as well. It's now been 2 days, I just tested it, & the ph & alkalinity is still the same. Do I just need to add more stress coat (like a higher dose), or is it still cycling? Idk... I've never had this problem with my 10 gal.

 

[Coz]

Cycling a tank has nothing to do with ph or alkalinity. If you just set the tank up, it will be around 6 weeks and wont even start until you get some ammonia in the tank. Ph of 8 is fine for most fish. My lfs keeps all their tanks at 8.2.

Read up on doing a fish-in cycle and get started.

 

[CiaoPescado]

Thanks, Coz! Didn't know cycling didn't have anything to do with ph. I was thinking just to leave it as is, they'll be alright, etc. I know sometimes I overthink things, but I want to take care of my fish! . I'll look into the fish-in cycle thing. I guess it'll be alright to just go ahead & add my baby platy to the tank tonight (Day 3) already then? That's when I added the adult platy to its 10 gal, & it turned out alright. Right? Lol...?