mfdrookie516
Aquarium Free - 2+ Years
what is your ph? chemicals usually result in ph swings which are more harmful to fish than a "high" ph. Unless its over 8.5 you shouldnt have to worry with it, jmo
New Member, green water!
- Thread starter Rodney
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I dont know the exact number. i had it tested with the color changing stuff. The guy at the local shop told me it was dangerlously high. He told me to do a half what it recomended to do on the back of PH down wait 24 hours, then do the rest. After all that bring a water sample in. I waited a week then I did so and it still tested above normal. He told me to repeat that step again and bring another sample in. I treated it again but never took another sample in. After i drained 50%-60% of the water and re-added it. I added about 1/2 of what i should of since i added new water. Im going to take another water sample and take it in when i have time.
I really need to just splurge and purchase a full test kit but i wouldnt feel normal having all those chemicals lurking around my bedroom.
I really need to just splurge and purchase a full test kit but i wouldnt feel normal having all those chemicals lurking around my bedroom.
Floyd R Turbo
Aquarium Advice Addict
What pH down product are you using? Some contain a phosphate buffer which will make your green water problem worse.
Also, I noticed that you changed your filters, but you've only had the tank set up for a month, pH is high, etc
BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING ELSE...
You need to give us a full breakdown of the following, so we can properly analyze your problem:
1) pH levels (exact)
2) pH of your tap water
3) Ammonia
4) Nitrite
5) Nitrate
6) What kind of filter you use (it looks like a HOB model)
When you say you 'put all new filters in' did you just change out the carbon bags or did you change *ALL* the media?
As for the 'chemicals lurking around the bedroom', the API master test kit has child-safe caps and is the best test kit IMO.
Also as for high pH, high pH is NOT A PROBLEM as long as you don't shift the pH of the water too much too fast. Most fish can live in whatever pH you put them in, most just prefer one or another. My tap pH is OVER 9.0 from the tap, but it drops down to 8.0 within a day in the tank, and by the next PWC I do it's down to around 7.6, and I keep livebearers, I have no problems. I also do 35-40% PWCs weekly, so you're talking about my pH shifting from 7.6 to 8.4 over the course of 10 minutes, and I still have no problems with fish deaths or anything like that.
So "you have high pH" is an extremely relative statement, and should be taken with a grain of salt.
Also "my tap water has high pH" is also relative, because water pH is strongly related to O2 ad CO2 content, so here's what you do, you test your tap pH right out of the tap, then you put some in a 5 gallon bucket with an airstone/pump going and let that run for 24 hours and test it again, then test again after 48. That will tell you what is happening to your tap water in your tank.
Bottom line, DON'T ADD ANY MORE CHEMICALS before you know what's going on.
Also, no one ever asked this, but do you get direct sunlight or just the tank lights?
Also, I noticed that you changed your filters, but you've only had the tank set up for a month, pH is high, etc
BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING ELSE...
You need to give us a full breakdown of the following, so we can properly analyze your problem:
1) pH levels (exact)
2) pH of your tap water
3) Ammonia
4) Nitrite
5) Nitrate
6) What kind of filter you use (it looks like a HOB model)
When you say you 'put all new filters in' did you just change out the carbon bags or did you change *ALL* the media?
As for the 'chemicals lurking around the bedroom', the API master test kit has child-safe caps and is the best test kit IMO.
Also as for high pH, high pH is NOT A PROBLEM as long as you don't shift the pH of the water too much too fast. Most fish can live in whatever pH you put them in, most just prefer one or another. My tap pH is OVER 9.0 from the tap, but it drops down to 8.0 within a day in the tank, and by the next PWC I do it's down to around 7.6, and I keep livebearers, I have no problems. I also do 35-40% PWCs weekly, so you're talking about my pH shifting from 7.6 to 8.4 over the course of 10 minutes, and I still have no problems with fish deaths or anything like that.
So "you have high pH" is an extremely relative statement, and should be taken with a grain of salt.
Also "my tap water has high pH" is also relative, because water pH is strongly related to O2 ad CO2 content, so here's what you do, you test your tap pH right out of the tap, then you put some in a 5 gallon bucket with an airstone/pump going and let that run for 24 hours and test it again, then test again after 48. That will tell you what is happening to your tap water in your tank.
Bottom line, DON'T ADD ANY MORE CHEMICALS before you know what's going on.
Also, no one ever asked this, but do you get direct sunlight or just the tank lights?
The PH down im using is the most common one by API.
I did change my filters, but to begin with i used old filters, because i heard it is not good to start a tank with new filters. And ive been putting off buying new onces since ( dont know why ) Ok i lied i have a 30-60 gallon aqua tech filter with dual filters, and a 10 gallon one. I put a new filter in the 10 gallon one when i starter. Its aqua tech to. It has the small white filters. I know i dont need that filter but i just put it in for shits and giggles. You can never have to much filterization correct?
I dont have anything to test my water. And when i took a sample in the guy at thestore (reputable store, been in business for 15+ years) he poured some solution in small becen and it showed up dark dark blue, he said it was bad. I asked him what good looked like and he showed me, like aqua color. We also tested for anthing bad that could be in the tank ( dont know what ) and it came out ok.
I had a silver dollar die for no reason when the tank was still clean thats when i decided to get my PH and what not correct.
Yea im done adding chemicals untill i get more tests. My tank is still covered with a blanket btw.
And no i dont have direct sunlight, sun can sorta hit the left side for about 5-7 hours a day, but thats its. in the picture posted there is a windo to the left. -Not noticable in picture-
Sory for any miss-spellings. Im tired from work!
I did change my filters, but to begin with i used old filters, because i heard it is not good to start a tank with new filters. And ive been putting off buying new onces since ( dont know why ) Ok i lied i have a 30-60 gallon aqua tech filter with dual filters, and a 10 gallon one. I put a new filter in the 10 gallon one when i starter. Its aqua tech to. It has the small white filters. I know i dont need that filter but i just put it in for shits and giggles. You can never have to much filterization correct?
I dont have anything to test my water. And when i took a sample in the guy at thestore (reputable store, been in business for 15+ years) he poured some solution in small becen and it showed up dark dark blue, he said it was bad. I asked him what good looked like and he showed me, like aqua color. We also tested for anthing bad that could be in the tank ( dont know what ) and it came out ok.
I had a silver dollar die for no reason when the tank was still clean thats when i decided to get my PH and what not correct.
Yea im done adding chemicals untill i get more tests. My tank is still covered with a blanket btw.
And no i dont have direct sunlight, sun can sorta hit the left side for about 5-7 hours a day, but thats its. in the picture posted there is a windo to the left. -Not noticable in picture-
Sory for any miss-spellings. Im tired from work!
EscVelocity
Aquarium Advice Activist
If your tank is going through a cycle, your ph now isn't going to be what you end up with. While cycling, you will need to keep up on water changes, and test daily for ammonia. Check often for nitrites. (You could have possible misshandled the bacteria on your old filter and killed the colony) If you can't afford the master fw kit, you should atleast buy strips or the liquid test for ammonia and nitrite. If you cant afford anything, then you need to do atleast 30% water changes everyday, until you know exactly whats going on in your tank.
Green water isn't bad for fish(actually provides oxygen and a food source). A tank that isn't mature(has readable amounts of ammonia/nitrites), and fluctuating PH(unstable water paremeters) is bad and stressful to fish.
Green water isn't bad for fish(actually provides oxygen and a food source). A tank that isn't mature(has readable amounts of ammonia/nitrites), and fluctuating PH(unstable water paremeters) is bad and stressful to fish.
I can afford everything thats not a problem. I live in a smaller town that dosent have a pet store or anyplace to get this stuff at, and once i go out of town to a place that has it i always just dont think about it. I will by strips and what not the next time i go in. I just dont think a whole kit is needed. ( probly wrong ) im going to start doing a 10% or 20% every week or so now on.
Thanks for the info, ill figure it out. I may take the blanket off tonight and take a look on how it looks. I put it on saturday evening. BTW
Thanks for the info, ill figure it out. I may take the blanket off tonight and take a look on how it looks. I put it on saturday evening. BTW
Floyd R Turbo
Aquarium Advice Addict
It sounds like the API low pH test kit, which tests for pH from 6.0 up to 7.6. If it was dark blue, the means your pH is 7.6 or over, which is not necessarily that bad, because it's all relative. I've found out the hard way that you have to do your own research before trusting someone else's opinion. Just because your pH is high doesn't necessarily mean you have to force it to be lower. What you have to do is look at the fish that you have, and figure out which pH range they will happily live in, and what they won't tolerate, and do as little as possible to the water to make them all happy.
As for the filter changes, I am a little unfamiliar with the aquaclear filters. Here's the issue though, if you changed out all the filter media, then you effectively started your cycle over, at least partially. If it has a biological portion that you don't change, like the whisper/tetra filters, then you're OK - those have a bio-cartridge and a separate floss filter with carbon inside, that part you can change whenever you want. But if that's all you have, then when you change it you have to leave the old media in to transfer enough of the bio-colony over, or else you start your cycle over again. It probably has both I'm guessing.
If you started up the tank with filters that came from another system, as long as the filters stayed in water during the move, you should be OK, and your tank wouldn't start over. But the only way to know for sure is to test all levels.
As for the fish, here's what I've come up with:
Silver dollar prefers pH neutral (7) but very adaptable
Bala shark prefers neutral
Plecos are adaptable
So what you might want to do is test your tank water to see where you are in your cycle, test your tap water to see where it's at, do a PWC and test a couple hours later, then 24, then 48. See what effect the PWC has and see what's really going on in your tank.
Then decide on a course of action to maintain a proper (desired) pH level. Usually the best way is to use a non-phosphate buffer to raise the KH level so that the pH will maintain where you need it. Or you can add a piece of coral or a bag of crushed coral into one of the filters, that will naturally lower the pH, even certain driftwood will lower it.
As for the filter changes, I am a little unfamiliar with the aquaclear filters. Here's the issue though, if you changed out all the filter media, then you effectively started your cycle over, at least partially. If it has a biological portion that you don't change, like the whisper/tetra filters, then you're OK - those have a bio-cartridge and a separate floss filter with carbon inside, that part you can change whenever you want. But if that's all you have, then when you change it you have to leave the old media in to transfer enough of the bio-colony over, or else you start your cycle over again. It probably has both I'm guessing.
If you started up the tank with filters that came from another system, as long as the filters stayed in water during the move, you should be OK, and your tank wouldn't start over. But the only way to know for sure is to test all levels.
As for the fish, here's what I've come up with:
Silver dollar prefers pH neutral (7) but very adaptable
Bala shark prefers neutral
Plecos are adaptable
So what you might want to do is test your tank water to see where you are in your cycle, test your tap water to see where it's at, do a PWC and test a couple hours later, then 24, then 48. See what effect the PWC has and see what's really going on in your tank.
Then decide on a course of action to maintain a proper (desired) pH level. Usually the best way is to use a non-phosphate buffer to raise the KH level so that the pH will maintain where you need it. Or you can add a piece of coral or a bag of crushed coral into one of the filters, that will naturally lower the pH, even certain driftwood will lower it.
Floyd R Turbo
Aquarium Advice Addict
Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Freshwater Master Test Kit at Big Al's OnlineThey had a master kit for sale at a pet store i went to last week that was going under. It was 24.99 with 30% off. I should of got it.
$17.99 Big Al's Online (+ $8.99 shipping) = $27.98
You might find it cheaper through Amazon.com or eBay, just google "api master test kit" you get all kinds of links.
These are the filters i use for my 30-60 dual filter
http://i.walmartimages.com/i/p/00/04/74/31/31/0004743131333_215X215.jpg
And ill purchase the test kit next time i go into walmart or some place that sells them.
Thanks for the info!
This has never been such a headache sheesh!
http://i.walmartimages.com/i/p/00/04/74/31/31/0004743131333_215X215.jpg
And ill purchase the test kit next time i go into walmart or some place that sells them.
Thanks for the info!
This has never been such a headache sheesh!
mfdrookie516
Aquarium Free - 2+ Years
rodney, i have one of those and im getting another with a new tank tomorrow. Even though they are cheap filters, they really seem to do a good job. One thing you need to make sure of, dont change both cartridges at once. I usually keep them on a cycle of 2 weeks, i put a new one in, 2 weeks later i rinse the other one ( in tank water), then two weeks later i do the same to the other. I usually change cartridges once a month or every 6 weeks.
so i pulled the cover off. its much much cleaner. It still has a sorta green murk to it. The fish were really skitish when they seen light. The Pleco went around the tank at record breaking speeds.
The silver dollar on the other hand dosent look to healthy. Hes just loafing around. I dont know if hes lonely or what not. I threw a little bit of food in the tank and he didnt do anything just watched it fall. I dont know if he was just suddenly blinded or if hes sick. I really dont want to lose this fish!
I took a cell phone picture because my digi cam was dead... again im sorry for the quality
The silver dollar on the other hand dosent look to healthy. Hes just loafing around. I dont know if hes lonely or what not. I threw a little bit of food in the tank and he didnt do anything just watched it fall. I dont know if he was just suddenly blinded or if hes sick. I really dont want to lose this fish!
I took a cell phone picture because my digi cam was dead... again im sorry for the quality
mfdrookie516
Aquarium Free - 2+ Years
looks much much better rodney Now, if you can possibly try, do a 50% water change. That will remove any of the "dead algae"... if you dont, you could have an ammonia spike. Id go ahead and change it tonight or tomorrow... That could also possibly explain why the silver dollar is just kind of chilling. Signs of ammonia poisoning are red, swollen gills and kind of a lethargic behavior. I would get half of that water out sooner than later.
Now, if you can possibly try, do a 50% water change. That will remove any of the "dead algae"... if you dont, you could have an ammonia spike. Id go ahead and change it tonight or tomorrow... That could also possibly explain why the silver dollar is just kind of chilling. Signs of ammonia poisoning are red, swollen gills and kind of a lethargic behavior. I would get half of that water out sooner than later.yea ill do one tomarow after work. I dont see any swolen glands or anything. Hes hyper now. Im trying to feed him lettace. no luck
i think after this whole alga thing is done and gone ill buy him a few buddys. maybe sharks again. I also want a ropefish but those are jumpers. so meh.
i think after this whole alga thing is done and gone ill buy him a few buddys. maybe sharks again. I also want a ropefish but those are jumpers. so meh.
mfdrookie516
Aquarium Free - 2+ Years
Sorry to hear youve not been feeling good... Ive got the flu, it just came up yesterday, and ive not felt like doing any pwc's either... at least my wonderful fiance has been kind enough to make sure all is well with the aquariums
Yea im not sure what i had. Maybe the stomach flu. I really dont know... Im almost better today. I got the water change done. It looks even better then before, and the silver dollar seems happy. Pleco are being very active even thou its not dark yet?
Whats the difference between betta food, and plain tetra food. I have been feeding my fish betta food. And now they took up the habbit of not eating it. Just put it in there mouth and spit it out. They wouldnt eat cichlid sticks either... hmm...
Whats the difference between betta food, and plain tetra food. I have been feeding my fish betta food. And now they took up the habbit of not eating it. Just put it in there mouth and spit it out. They wouldnt eat cichlid sticks either... hmm...
mfdrookie516
Aquarium Free - 2+ Years
i generally feed mine a variety of foods. I have about 5 different types of food ranging from regular flake, color enhancing flake, bloodworms, tubifix worms, shrimp, and occasionally some lettuce or cabbage... Try some freeze dried bloodworms, my tin foil barbs LOVED those, as do most of my other fish
Ok, if i get a day off this week ill pick some up... I want to add a few more fish to the tank. Its really calming watching fish when your bed bound. 
So im thinking about getting a few more silver dollars, maybe a few sharks... i dont know for sure thou.
So im thinking about getting a few more silver dollars, maybe a few sharks... i dont know for sure thou.
mfdrookie516
Aquarium Free - 2+ Years
just be careful, both of those fish get HUGE... The sharks will outgrow the tank in no time, i had some in a 55 and they outgrew it in about 2 months (they were 4" when i got them)...
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