Water Changes ?

[Sonata]

Originally Posted by Reygan2

I have a ph of 7.6. During a cycle in one of my tanks the ph kept dropping to near 6, stalling my cycle. Water changes absolutely helped get the cycle started again. If his tap is 6.8, then it makes perfect sense that water changes would help, along with leaving the ph altering chemicals out of the tank. Simple.
No way could water changes alone lower the ph in his tank.


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Agreed

[PNWaquarist]

Originally Posted by Sonata

When my PH went from 6.2 to 8.8 in less than 24 hours, I lost 2. It was the only chemical change. Ammonia had remained @ .5. That was not a coincidence. The drastic PH flluxuation killed them.

That's not necessarily true. Exposure to 0.5 ppm ammonia for multiple days can kill them. The timing of their death and the pH change could've been coincidental. It's also possible that the ammonia levels heavily stressed them and the sudden pH change finished them off.

If I were you, I'd return the fish to the store, get your pH issue figured out without fish in the tank, and do a fishless cycle. I have nothing more to add to this thread. Good luck.

[Caliban07]

0.5ppm ammonia is considerably more toxic at a ph of 8.8 as opposed to 6.2. It's more probable that the ph fluctuation indirectly killed your fish due to the percentage of free anmonia in the water made possible by the rise in ph.


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[PNWaquarist]

Originally Posted by Caliban07

0.5ppm ammonia is considerably more toxic at a ph of 8.8 as opposed to 6.2. It's more probable that the ph fluctuation indirectly killed your fish due to the percentage of free anmonia in the water made possible by the rise in ph.


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Excellent point


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[Sonata]

Originally Posted by PNWaquarist

That's not necessarily true. Exposure to 0.5 ppm ammonia for multiple days can kill them. The timing of their death and the pH change could've been coincidental. It's also possible that the ammonia levels heavily stressed them and the sudden pH change finished them off.

If I were you, I'd return the fish to the store, get your pH issue figured out without fish in the tank, and do a fishless cycle. I have nothing more to add to this thread. Good luck.

Neither do I.

[Brookster123]

Originally Posted by Caliban07

0.5ppm ammonia is considerably more toxic at a ph of 8.8 as opposed to 6.2. It's more probable that the ph fluctuation indirectly killed your fish due to the percentage of free anmonia in the water made possible by the rise in ph.


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Valid point!

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