bbryant573
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Can a pH of 6.0 cause your tank to stop cycling? Tonight I am going to be ordering some crushed coral to see if it will raise my pH.
pH question during cycling
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Low pH is a sign that your carbonate hardness (KH) might be low. Its not so much the pH being low that would prevent the oxidisation of ammonia, but low KH would. Is your pH that low? Your other thread has it at 7.6.
bbryant573
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
The pH in my 55g long is 6.0. I have been trying to get this one to cycle since the end of June. It's at a stand still. Everyday the ammonia and nitrites stay the same. I have one Molly fish in it.
Are you using the same water for both tanks? Whats the pH of your tap water? To measure pH of tapwater correctly it needs to be left to stand overnight so it has chance to offgas.
If you arent seeing any movement in ammonia and your pH is that low i would get some crushed coral into the filter or a piece of cuttlefish bone in the tank somewhere as you are planning.
Weird how the 2 tanks are different. Something in the tanks is causing that difference. Do you have different rocks and substrate in the 2 tanks?
If you arent seeing any movement in ammonia and your pH is that low i would get some crushed coral into the filter or a piece of cuttlefish bone in the tank somewhere as you are planning.
Weird how the 2 tanks are different. Something in the tanks is causing that difference. Do you have different rocks and substrate in the 2 tanks?
Ill add to this that 1 molly isnt going to produce enough ammonia in a 55g to cycle a tank. What is the ammonia and nitrite readings in that tank?
bbryant573
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
In the 55gallon long we have sand, lava rocks and plants.
In the 55 bow front we have gravel and I took one plant out of the 55 long and put in the bow front.
I am doing a fishless cycle using SeaChem Prime and SeaChem Stability. What I've noticed that although my tap water ph is about 7, once the water has been dechlorinated with SeaChem Prime and in the aquarium, when I test the aquarium water its ph is about 6. I suspect this could be due to SeaChem Prime converting the ammonia (basic) to ammonium (acidic ) thus ph goes down. Would this be a correct assumption?
No.
Oxidisation of ammonia into nitrate will acidify water over time, but free ammonia transitioning into ammonium will have little to no effect on pH. pH lowering will cause free ammonia to transition to ammonium, it doesnt work in reverse.
A few things that might be happening.
Seachem quite readily tell you Prime will cause inaccurate water test results for a period after use.
Something in your tank is causing your pH to lower.
Or your tap water is low on CO2. When you add it into your tank the CO2 levels will increase over a period of time to an equilibrium with atmospheric CO2 and increasing CO2 will lower pH. Put a jug of water on the countertop overnight before doing your pH test on it. That will give a truer result for the pH of your tapwater.
Your tapwater is low on carbonate hardness (KH). The nitrogen cycle consumes KH and acidifies the water. Once KH is depleted your water can no longer buffer the acid and your pH will crash.
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Caliban07
Aquarium Advice Addict
Add some dolomite powder or some JBL aquador or a USA sourced equivalent. Potassium bicarbonate will also work.
Never allow KH to deplete. It’s important for the biofilter, nearly all aquarium plants and some inverts.
Never allow KH to deplete. It’s important for the biofilter, nearly all aquarium plants and some inverts.
bbryant573
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Can you explain what you just said? What is dolomite powder or jbl aquador. And is potassium bicarbonate baking soda?
bbryant573
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
So I needed to add water to my tanks, so I got a 5 gallon bucket filled it up and added Prime to it and let it set while I tested the tanks. I want to get a reading before I added anything to both tanks.
Here are the results from the 55g long tank that has low pH
The nitrate looks red but it really was an orange color.
You need to do a water change. Probably 2 x 50% water changes a couple of hours apart. Whats been your normal water change schedule on this tank?
bbryant573
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
2ppm nitrite will kill your fish. You have to do water changes. Water changes shouldn't crash cycles and even if it did the health of your fish needs to be the priority.
bbryant573
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Ok I tested the 55g long, the one that has the low pH and here are the water parameters. I am FINALLY seeing some major results from nitrites and nitrates. Ammonia is high though.
Did you do the water changes?
Your other thread said you was getting some more fish. Was that for this tank? Did you get the fish?
Your other thread said you was getting some more fish. Was that for this tank? Did you get the fish?
bbryant573
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
This is the tank that has the low pH, and I have been trying to get to cycle since June. We did get fish but they went into the other 55 gallon tank.
I did not do a water change. Just added water to this tank on Friday evening.
Changing water is essential for fish in cycles. From your other thread.
Without water changes waste builds up in uncycled tanks until it gets to toxic levels. So your fish need some help from you doing water changes. Both of your tanks need water changes. Topping up following evaporation isnt the same, because evaporated water doesnt take the waste with it. There are 2 parts to a water change. Removing water and waste along with it, and refilling with clean water.
Without water changes waste builds up in uncycled tanks until it gets to toxic levels. So your fish need some help from you doing water changes. Both of your tanks need water changes. Topping up following evaporation isnt the same, because evaporated water doesnt take the waste with it. There are 2 parts to a water change. Removing water and waste along with it, and refilling with clean water.
bbryant573
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
And I have been told that in this tank the one with the low pH not to do a water change that it will ruin and crash the cycle.
Presumably you have come here because your other sources werent working for you. But if you prefer to take advice off your FB groups thats entirely up to you.
Ive given you a detailed method for cycling a tank both fish in or fishless. They have worked to get peoples tanks cycled in the past. You can either use them or not.
If a water change crashes your cycle you are doing it wrong. The bacteria responsible for your cycle lives on surfaces like your substrate, the glass, decorations, but mostly in you filter media. A water change isnt removing any of this beneficial bacteria or at least none to any meaningful degree. What it will do is remove waste which will be poisoning your fish. But if the health of your fish isnt a priority then no need to change water.
Anyhows. Im not going to be able to add anything new or different to the topic so im going to duck out from your threads now. Good luck with everything.
Ive given you a detailed method for cycling a tank both fish in or fishless. They have worked to get peoples tanks cycled in the past. You can either use them or not.
If a water change crashes your cycle you are doing it wrong. The bacteria responsible for your cycle lives on surfaces like your substrate, the glass, decorations, but mostly in you filter media. A water change isnt removing any of this beneficial bacteria or at least none to any meaningful degree. What it will do is remove waste which will be poisoning your fish. But if the health of your fish isnt a priority then no need to change water.
Anyhows. Im not going to be able to add anything new or different to the topic so im going to duck out from your threads now. Good luck with everything.
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