Ph dropped, not sure why, help?

[pstuder33]

Hello everyone! This is my first post on this site and want to thank everyone in advance.
So, I have 2 gouramis(pearl and opaline) and had 4 mollies, now just 1 mollie. And a african dwarf frog.
It's a 29 gallon tank
Tetra whisper ex 30 filter
Also have a small sponge filter
Ammonia is .5ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 40ppm.

My tank just recently finished cycling, ironically that's when the mollies started to die. I tested the water and had the above results, with a ph of 6. I found this to be very odd because my tap water is ph of 8.2-8.4 with ammonia of a little less then 1ppm.
I assume the ph drop is why the mollies died. Any ideas as to it dropped like that?


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[icydeath]

Is it possible you are using a buffer? (that seems unlikely as you wouldve noticed LOL)

A more plausible answer would be if you are dosing CO2 (if you are planted) and accidentally dosed way more than normal. Or you may be adding something else that could drop your pH... If I remember, certain water conditioners can pH drop.

What chemicals do you use for your tank?

 

[pstuder33]

It is not a planted tank, just fake ones. As for chemicals I just use prime during water changes


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[icydeath]

Also adding too much peat to your tank, not doing water changes (I'm sure you are, just trying to cover all the bases), not maintaining your filter, and feeding too much of certain foods can do that. But your pH had an extreme drop so TBH I'm not entirely sure.

 

[pstuder33]

Too much peat? And I do 30%wc at least weekly, sometimes more often depending how the water tests were looking while it was cycling.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[icydeath]

Oh if you are using Prime it probably isnt dropping your pH. You should do a 30% water change every 3-4 days and see if the pH continues to drop.

EDIT: Peat is something some people use in their planted tanks. Kinda like an organic fiber.

 

[pstuder33]

I haven't changed the filter in a while too, mainly because it took a while to cycle, and I didn't really know what I was doing. Now I have a grasp on that aspect of the tank. If I change the filter media, will that affect the bacteria?


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[icydeath]

If you have sponge, get your water bucket and do a small water change (fill it with dirty tank water). Do this about once every three months depending on how heavily stocked you are.

Then just clean the sponge in the dirty tank water and you can put that back

To address your question, changing it all at once will take all your bacteria out so what you should do is (since you JUST finished cycling) just clean it out in the dirty tank water or change only a small portion of the media.

Next time you cycle a tank, add fish slowly because you may be placing a lot of stress on the beneficial bacteria.

Remember, don't expose them to chlorine and dose the tank volume of prime after you siphon water out and before you fill the tank.

 

[pstuder33]

How about the changing the HOB filter?


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[icydeath]

What filter and what filter media do you have? And the sponge you can just wash out. Replacing filter media is pretty much only for the HOB. Sponge filters and sponge filter media (in all types of filters) are easy to clean. Just clean in the dirty water!

Also, try to get a batter powered air pump so your fish can survive a black out.

Lastly, don't let the media dry out when you are cleaning it and if the power goes out or the filter breaks, put the filter media in the tank and put it under an airstone or on top or around the sponge filter.

 

[pstuder33]

The filter media is just like fabric pouch with carbon in it. Tetra makes it


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[pstuder33]

Also, thank you for the advice!


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[icydeath]

Ahh okay. Check the instructions on the box then, but as I remember you can't re use those so replace it every 2-3 months I think. What I like to do is I get a thin filter sponge pad (I use pink ones with a lighter pink side on the other part that is courser) and slide those in where you have room so you always have some beneficial bacteria left in the filter.

 

[icydeath]

Haha didnt see your thanks, so sorry if I came off rude not responding.

No problem though! Feel free to PM me if you ever need help with anything else.