stupid pH wont stay up

[Unicorn]

Ok, so some ppl here know I'm cycling my new 120g tank
My Nitrites have been up for the longest time and wont drop to finish the cycle.
Well, during all the stuff I already have going on I forgot to check my pH.
Last week it was fine being >8.0 but yesterday, when it finaly dawned on me to recheck it, it was 7.4
I added API buffer knowing very well that my dKH will go through the roof, but I just wanted to get the pH up first and then deal with the dKH later.
pH went up to 8.2, dKH was 15.
So today I did a 20% water change to reduce some of the Nitrite and dKH levels.
After several hrs of letting the tank do it's thing I rechecked my lvl again and what do I get: pH barely 7.8 and my dKH 11-12.
Using the API Reef Master Test Kit
What should I do? re-dose the buffer and have high dKH again?
there must be another way
PLEASE HELP because I know the pH has to be stable for the Nitrites to go down and the cycle to complete

[Unicorn]

Nobody?!?! Pls help :,(

[Kickingfish]

You should check your CO2 levels and instead of using alk booster try just adding baking soda. Alkalinity seems fine so soda should do the trick. If CO2 is high suggest partial water changes.

[Unicorn]

Originally Posted by Kickingfish

You should check your CO2 levels and instead of using alk booster try just adding baking soda. Alkalinity seems fine so soda should do the trick. If CO2 is high suggest partial water changes.

Thx
Don't have anything to check CO2, thought I had great gas exchange due to water agitation. Guess I will need to buy a CO2 test kit then. is there something like that?! Never seen one o.O

How much of baking soda should I dose?

[Kickingfish]

Try baking soda first. Bet it does the trick. Gallons times 0.15 will give you grams needed to raise pH 0.1. Add one dose every 4-5 hours till you get pH where you want. Good luck.

[Unicorn]

Just googled the baking soda thing and most sites say that it would increase my alk but doesn't affect pH much

[Unicorn]

well, I added the baking soda (aka sodium bicarbonate)
I will recheck lvl again tomorrow

added roughly 20g... keeping my fingers crossed

[ccCapt]

If your still cycling, don't worry about pH now. It will fluctuate wildly during the cycle. Please do yourself a favor and don't start adding any type of buffers for pH because ALL will raise your alk. Once you start messing with your water chemistry and get it out of whack it's hard to get back in line.

Just have patience and let it run it's course. You can do all the water changes you want. They won't hurt anything. A water change is NEVER a bad thing.

[Kickingfish]

It'll work! Good luck with everything.

[Unicorn]

Thx, I'll need it

Originally Posted by ccCapt

If your still cycling, don't worry about pH now. It will fluctuate wildly during the cycle. Please do yourself a favor and don't start adding any type of buffers for pH because ALL will raise your alk. Once you start messing with your water chemistry and get it out of whack it's hard to get back in line.

Just have patience and let it run it's course. You can do all the water changes you want. They won't hurt anything. A water change is NEVER a bad thing.

I expected drops in pH due to cycling, just feel stupid for letting it drop so low.
Trying not to add any more buffers as it doesn't seem to help much.
Just was hoping to keep the pH somewhat stable during the whole process.

Thanks to u both

Will retest the water tomorrow and see if the baking soda did anything. If dKH is not effected I may add some more... Dunno.

Did the pwc already and won't be able to do it again for another 2 days due to work and school. Next one is scheduled for Saturday though

[warvillian]

When are you checking your PH? Most generally PH is always lower with the lights off. You typically want to check PH after the lights have been on for 2 hours or more.

[Unicorn]

Originally Posted by warvillian

When are you checking your PH? Most generally PH is always lower with the lights off. You typically want to check PH after the lights have been on for 2 hours or more.

When I checked the main light was already on for 6hrs
I have my Main Light and refugium light on opposite schedules and therefore there is always a light on somewhere in the tank system

Ironically I do the opposite light schedule to keep my pH stable... Go figure LOL

[Unicorn]

so, just got back from class and checked on my tank:
pH 7.8
KH: 14

so no great results... it juts suxx
well, best thing to do would be a water change but sadly I have neither the time right now nor the water

water is being produced as we speak
just got back from 6hr of lectures and have to sleep now so I can work my 12hr shift at 6:30pm... knowing myself I will be tossing and turning with those values but I cant do anything until saturday
BTW Nitrites didnt drop either
guess I just have to wait and see
dont wanna mess around with any chamicals anymore either

[David S]

As cccapt has said,dont add anything whilst cycling,you only need to test for Amm,trites and then trates during cycling.

[Unicorn]

Originally Posted by David S

As cccapt has said,dont add anything whilst cycling,you only need to test for Amm,trites and then trates during cycling.

But doesn't a low pH affect the cycle? I'm stuck with trites right now and can't get em to drop

[David S]

whats the amm test at right now? and how long and what size tank?

[Unicorn]

Originally Posted by David S

whats the amm test at right now? and how long and what size tank?

Amm tests zero, I redose to 2ppm daily to keep the bacteria fed. Drops really fast to zero though

120g tank with 55g sump

Been cycling for 3 weeks and 2 days now (since august 23rd)

[rdnelson99]

Originally Posted by ccCapt

If your still cycling, don't worry about pH now. It will fluctuate wildly during the cycle. Please do yourself a favor and don't start adding any type of buffers for pH because ALL will raise your alk. Once you start messing with your water chemistry and get it out of whack it's hard to get back in line.

Just have patience and let it run it's course. You can do all the water changes you want. They won't hurt anything. A water change is NEVER a bad thing.

Hey ccCapt. I am a bit confused. Straighten me out if you can (may not be possible but....). While I agree that a "PWC is NEVER a bad thing" once you have cycled and you have added livestock, it seems counter intuitive during the cycle. The point of the cycle is to encourage growth and multiplication f the BB right? BB consume the AM then the nitrite? Having higher levels of both will cause the BB to thrive right? So, based on all that, seems to me that PWC will remove the Am and Nitrite that you need for the BB to thrive. What am I missing here?

[David S]

i would stop dosing amm now,then wait for the trites to drop and your trates will raise.

[Unicorn]

Originally Posted by David S

i would stop dosing amm now,then wait for the trites to drop and your trates will raise.

But won't the bacteria starve and die off?!