DeirdreHoyle
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Hi all,
I have a 29 gallon freshwater tank currently cycling. There are no fish in the tank because I got hit with an outbreak of Ich and all of my 8 fish died. The tank has been empty for about a month with the filter still running and I have been doing 50% water changes every two-three days. My question is this: why is my pH so low?? My pH has been at 6.0 (or possibly lower, that's just the lowest my test goes) for pretty much the whole time I've had it. I thought a low pH meant too much organic matter like rotting food or fish waste, but there is literally nothing like that in the tank. I vacuum the gravel every time I do a water change so there can't be much bacteria in the substrate, it might be the filter? I cleaned that pretty well once my last fish died though to get rid of any left over Ich parasites. Any reason why my pH would be so low? My tank parameters are as follows:
pH: 6.0
Ammonia: between 0.5 and 1.0 ppm
I don't have a nitrate test yet but planning to get one over the weekend.
Filter: Penguin Bio-wheel 200
Temp: Has been at 86 degrees for 3 weeks (to kill Ich), but I just lowered it to 82.
No plants, gravel substrate.
I have a 29 gallon freshwater tank currently cycling. There are no fish in the tank because I got hit with an outbreak of Ich and all of my 8 fish died. The tank has been empty for about a month with the filter still running and I have been doing 50% water changes every two-three days. My question is this: why is my pH so low?? My pH has been at 6.0 (or possibly lower, that's just the lowest my test goes) for pretty much the whole time I've had it. I thought a low pH meant too much organic matter like rotting food or fish waste, but there is literally nothing like that in the tank. I vacuum the gravel every time I do a water change so there can't be much bacteria in the substrate, it might be the filter? I cleaned that pretty well once my last fish died though to get rid of any left over Ich parasites. Any reason why my pH would be so low? My tank parameters are as follows:
pH: 6.0
Ammonia: between 0.5 and 1.0 ppm
I don't have a nitrate test yet but planning to get one over the weekend.
Filter: Penguin Bio-wheel 200
Temp: Has been at 86 degrees for 3 weeks (to kill Ich), but I just lowered it to 82.
No plants, gravel substrate.