Ammonia suddenly showing up

[meloyelo]

After two months of 0 ammonia and 0 nitrites, I suddenly have been getting ammonia showing back up. It was .25 yesterday and .5 today. I did a 75% water change this afternoon to get some clean water back in the tank. About a month ago I saw that my PH was dropping also. It was consistently 6.8 and over time has dropped down to 6 and possibly lower. Can't really tell since that's as low as my API test reads. Any idea what might be going on here?

 

[jlk]

It sounds like you may have soft, acidic water to start with. Have you done a ph test of your tap? Lets start with this & we can proceed from here. You will need to set out a cup or bowl of tap water atleast overnight preferably with an airstone or bubbler. If you dont have an extra one, just give the water a good stir every so often to release dissolved gasses. Let us know what this reads. You can also take a sample of your tap to your lfs & have them test the Kh & Gh. Most use strips but it will atleast give you some ballpark numbers.

The nitrification process slows down signifigantly once your ph starts dropping below 6.5. At 6 (and below), it pretty much stops altogether so you are seeing your ammonia levels increase because its not being processed. A simple solution would be to add some argonite or crushed coral to your filter (in mesh bag or piece of pantyhose) after another big water change to help stabilize your buffer level & your ph. It may be a bit of trial & error to figure out the exact amount to keep things stable. It also may take a little while for your bb to recover from ph shock. Stay on top of water changes in the meantime.

 

[meloyelo]

I've got some tap water in cup now and will test it later this afternoon. That will be about 24 hours. I'll also get GH and KH checked and post those results. Thanks for the reply.

 

[meloyelo]

PH 6.5
GH 25
KH 0

GH and KH were done with test strips

 

[paytertot]

You definitely need to invest in a liquid test kit, strips are very unreliable. API is a good brand, they have a master test kit.

 

[Fishy Aston]

Liquid Is Needed

 

[meloyelo]

You definitely need to invest in a liquid test kit, strips are very unreliable. API is a good brand, they have a master test kit.

API liquid is what I use. I don't have one for KH and GH though so I had a lfs test those for me. They used test strips.

 

[paytertot]

Ah, gotcha

 

[jlk]

PH 6.5
GH 25
KH 0

GH and KH were done with test strips

Thanks! Granted the strips are far from perfect but it gives us an idea why your ph is crashing so drastically. Kh is your carbonate hardness- it measures your water ability to buffer & keep your ph stable. Without carbonates, the nitrogen cycle can not function. This should be the very minimum in the 50+ppm range. Gh is your general hardness (mineral content)- once again, bare minimum 50+ppm.

My suggestion would be to purchase some argonite or crushed coral & add it to your filter. This will add carbonate to your water & help stabilize your ph with buffers (increasing Kh). You will probably need to add more to your filter on a regular basis as it will dissolve. I would also consider adding a product such as Seachems Replenish or RO Rite to add back necessary minerals that your fish need to survive & be healthy. This will also increase your Gh. Once the ph is stable & there is adequate carbonate/minerals available, your nitrogen cycle should kick back into gear & your bb will be able to process ammonia & nitrite again. I would also recommend (once things are stable) doing smaller but more frequent water changes to maintain tank stability.

 

[meloyelo]

My suggestion would be to purchase some argonite or crushed coral & add it to your filter. This will add carbonate to your water & help stabilize your ph with buffers (increasing Kh). You will probably need to add more to your filter on a regular basis as it will dissolve. I would also consider adding a product such as Seachems Replenish or RO Rite to add back necessary minerals that your fish need to survive & be healthy. This will also increase your Gh. Once the ph is stable & there is adequate carbonate/minerals available, your nitrogen cycle should kick back into gear & your bb will be able to process ammonia & nitrite again. I would also recommend (once things are stable) doing smaller but more frequent water changes to maintain tank stability.

Good deal, thanks for the great info and advice. How much of the crushed coral or argonite should I start out with? I know you shouldn't add to much to fast so things don't jump to quickly. Tank is 55 gallon. Thanks again!

 

[jlk]

I would start with 3 tablespoons and work from there. Check your ph in the amm & pm & see where it goes (if anywhere). If you notice it start to fall, do a water change & add another tablespoon. It may take a bit of trial & error to find a stable point. You can also get your kh & gh rechecked every few days to see where they are heading as well (gh wont change much until you add minerals in). Good luck!

 

[Bobby56]

I would start with 3 tablespoons and work from there. Check your ph in the amm & pm & see where it goes (if anywhere). If you notice it start to fall, do a water change & add another tablespoon. It may take a bit of trial & error to find a stable point. You can also get your kh & gh rechecked every few days to see where they are heading as well (gh wont change much until you add minerals in). Good luck!

I am having the same problem in my 55. My Ph is like 6 to 6.4. I was wondering if sea shells would serve the same purpose? I did a test last night I filled a cup of water with my tap water and put a handful of shells in and it took the Ph to 7.8 so now I'm doing a bucket to see how much it changes then I'm going to add to my filter. You think the sea shells would be fine in my tank?

 

[Bobby56]

I am having the same problem in my 55. My Ph is like 6 to 6.4. I was wondering if sea shells would serve the same purpose? I did a test last night I filled a cup of water with my tap water and put a handful of shells in and it took the Ph to 7.8 so now I'm doing a bucket to see how much it changes then I'm going to add to my filter. You think the sea shells would be fine in my tank?

Forgot to add the cup set for 24hrs

 

[jlk]

Yep, crushed seashells will have the same effect. They may dissolve a bit faster but if you have an unlimited supply of clean seashells, add a bag of crushed shells to your filter. A mesh bag or piece of pantyhose works well. Follow the same advice & have your Kh & Gh checked at the lfs to get an idea of where they read (even if its done with strips) to see if you have a one issue or two issues happening.

 

[Bobby56]

I know this sounds stupid, but is it best to crush them up instead of leaving them whole

 

[jlk]

You have more surface area if you crush them so they are more effective.

 

[Bobby56]

K thanks

 

[meloyelo]

Guess I'll be heading to my lfs to see about supplies. Thanks very much for your help.

 

[Bobby56]

Guess I'll be heading to my lfs to see about supplies. Thanks very much for your help.

I was wondering if u could post your results after you add the coral? I will post mine also, I put some crushed shells in my filter today and will test tonight and tomorrow

 

[meloyelo]

Sure thing, no problem. I added about 3 tablespoons an hour ago. I'll test later to see if any progress and post up results. My PH had dropped back down to 6 again. It was 6.4 yesterday.