If those have you seen my other posts I was forced to do an in-fish cycle. After having weeks and weeks of fluctuating test results of ammonia and nitrites going from .25ppm all the way to 1 ppm and multiple water changes, I am now at the point where my readings have been a consistent .25 ammonia and 0 nitrites for the past couple days. Just out of curiosity I tested the PH and it read 6. Now is that too low? Did I crash my cycle and all the good bacteria are dead and that’s why I have a 0 nitrite reading? What do I do? Suggestions?
Is my tank finally cycled or did I crash it?
- Thread starter Dsudnick
- 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.
If you are consistently seeing zero ammonia and nitrite you are cycled sufficiently for your bioload. If your cycle had crashed you would be seeing ammonia and/ or nitrite.
What has your pH been historically?
If its dropped out of the blue it could be that your carbonate hardness (KH) has been used up, this means your water cant buffer the acid produced by the various biological processes in the tank and your pH crashes.
What water changes have you been doing? A water change usually replenishes KH and stabilises your pH. You might want to put some crushed coral in your filter or a piece of cuttlefish bone in the tank. This will be a steady source of calcium carbonate, adding KH to your water and helping to maintain a steady pH.
Do you know the pH of your source water? Put some water in a bucket overnight and then test its pH.
What has your pH been historically?
If its dropped out of the blue it could be that your carbonate hardness (KH) has been used up, this means your water cant buffer the acid produced by the various biological processes in the tank and your pH crashes.
What water changes have you been doing? A water change usually replenishes KH and stabilises your pH. You might want to put some crushed coral in your filter or a piece of cuttlefish bone in the tank. This will be a steady source of calcium carbonate, adding KH to your water and helping to maintain a steady pH.
Do you know the pH of your source water? Put some water in a bucket overnight and then test its pH.
Last edited:
My PH has been consistently 7ish. Now it’s clear as day a solid 6. The water that I use is from the tap. I treat it and that tests in the 7 range.
Yesterday when I noticed the low PH I did a 30% ish water change which brought the PH back up but now it is back down within 24 hours
Yesterday when I noticed the low PH I did a 30% ish water change which brought the PH back up but now it is back down within 24 hours
You may want to test for KH or ask your water company what your KH is. If its low you may want to buffer it with calcium carbonate as suggested. Or just buffer it anyway.
As said dont test your tapwater pH straight from the tap. You need to let it sit 12 to 24 hours before testing as disolved CO2 will skew the pH result and the tap water pH may change as the amount of CO2 equalises with atmospheric CO2 over time. This also may be whats happening to your pH.
As said dont test your tapwater pH straight from the tap. You need to let it sit 12 to 24 hours before testing as disolved CO2 will skew the pH result and the tap water pH may change as the amount of CO2 equalises with atmospheric CO2 over time. This also may be whats happening to your pH.
OkY awesome, I’ll buy the tests and crushed coral tomorrow, can I mix it in with the rocks in my aquarium or just put them in a mesh bag in my filter, also
Will to much crushed coral be harmful to the fish already in the tank. I have a 55 gallon tank
Will to much crushed coral be harmful to the fish already in the tank. I have a 55 gallon tank
You can do either. Mix it with your substrate or put it in a media bag in the filter. Personally i think the filter works best as you can see when its dissolved and needs replacing or its easier to remove should it not work out.
Its not like using more adds much more into the water, it will a little, but not to be noticable unless you add a whole ton of it. It will dissolve over time, using more will just last longer before it needs replacing.
TUCCI
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
- Joined
- Jun 13, 2022
- Messages
- 15
When I tested ammonia in the past it would always read .25 (in Arizona) in tap water before even being exposed to any fish water, opinions vary but it was constant and my tank ran successfully with a large Oscar and half a dozen Clown Loaches. Neither exhibited any distress. I was doing 50% pwc weekly running 2-2215 Eheims in a 90gal. The water changes of that size was necessary as the Nitrates was difficult to keep down regardless how I adjusted my feedings. Without being there to observe your routine and monitor your cycling I’m going to guess your tank is cycled and proceeding with introducing occupants is what I would do as well. Now, if it raised up above that, then I would take notice but otherwise I would monitor and document in a journal.
