Wiggles24
Aquarium Advice Addict
I honestly can't imagine the baking soda is helping there is other things you can do to raise the ph if its really needed, fish can generally adapt to whatever ph you have as long as it stable
Josh Jennings said:Ok. I did a 60% water change and the water is clear. The ammonia is down to .5ppm and both the nitrate and nitrite is at 0. As for the pH it was off the charts low when we started. I was told by a friend that also has an aquarium to add a very small amount to the last bucket of each water change and that it would rise. I've done that over the past 4 weeks and now the pH is holding at between 7.2 & 7.6. I read in an aquarium mag. that it is best to have the pH at 8 but I haven't gotten it there yet. My friend also told me to be careful to to add too much too fast as it would kill my fish.
So, if I do a 50% water change every time my ammonia gets high will this slow down the cycle of my tank?
Ok. I did a 60% water change and the water is clear. The ammonia is down to .5ppm and both the nitrate and nitrite is at 0. As for the pH it was off the charts low when we started. I was told by a friend that also has an aquarium to add a very small amount to the last bucket of each water change and that it would rise. I've done that over the past 4 weeks and now the pH is holding at between 7.2 & 7.6. I read in an aquarium mag. that it is best to have the pH at 8 but I haven't gotten it there yet. My friend also told me to be careful to to add too much too fast as it would kill my fish.
So, if I do a 50% water change every time my ammonia gets high will this slow down the cycle of my tank?
It is not a coincidence. The cloudy water was a bacterial bloom. when you added the baking soda, you raised the pH, which allowed the bacteria to start growing as your prior pH was extremely low (<6.0). In addition, with a pH of <7.0 ammonia in the water is in the form of ammonium (NH4+), which is not harmful to your fish. As you raised the pH the ammonium in the water converted to ammonia (NH3), which is toxic.Ok. I'm doing a 50/60% water change via there anything else I can do, or not do to help this process? I have been adding very small amounts of baking soda to raise the pH which was very low before. And as the pH went up the water became cloudy and the ammonia issues began. Is this just coincidence?
If you are now using Seachem Prime you can keep ammonia levels up to 1.0ppm without harm to your fish.
Here's a link for tables on ammonia toxicity at certain ph and temps. Will tell you safe levels and what not.
http://dataguru.org/misc/aquarium/AmmoniaTox.html
Magicmarymac said:Embarrassing admission coming.…
I am using the API kit, but really feel like I am guessing on both Ammonia and Nitrate most of the time. I think the ammonia is reading zero…or is it kinda sorta greenish. If it is, what are the results? Nitrate is worse, anything between 20, to 40, and 40 and 80 is pure guessing.
So before I would be able to use those handy charts, I need a different kit?
Any recommendations?
Embarrassing admission coming.…
I am using the API kit, but really feel like I am guessing on both Ammonia and Nitrate most of the time. I think the ammonia is reading zero…or is it kinda sorta greenish. If it is, what are the results? Nitrate is worse, anything between 20, to 40, and 40 and 80 is pure guessing.
So before I would be able to use those handy charts, I need a different kit?
Any recommendations?
No, thats the same problem we all enjoy. Just know, if its orange its good if its red it needs a change.
Ok. New question??? I was told that I should "fast my tank" as in, not feed my fish for one or two days in order to allow my BB to get a jump start and thus clear up my water and help it complete the cycle.
Any truth to this???
Josh Jennings said:Ok. New question??? I was told that I should "fast my tank" as in, not feed my fish for one or two days in order to allow my BB to get a jump start and thus clear up my water and help it complete the cycle.
Any truth to this???