Cycling Winding Down But Ph Still High!

[thedayawaits]

I have been attempting an expedited cycle of a new tank through incorporating media from an established tank, elevating temperatures to the high 80s, and adding NutraFin "Cycle" while adding ammonia daily and testing ammonia, nitrite, and now nitrate to know when the cycling is complete.

Now, over a 24 hour period, all added ammonia is metabolized to nitrate.
Today's water test, from ammonia concentration of 2 PPM 18 hours ago is:
Ammonia <0.25 PPM
Nitrite <0.25 PPM
Nitrate 7 PPM

However the pH reading was very high - 8.2.
I changed 80% of the tank water, thinking it would be safe now to add fish.
After the water change, Ammonia and Nitrite went to 0, and Nitrate went to 2 PPM.
--> but even after the water change, the pH was 8.0!!

Why is the pH so high? What should I do? Can I rechange or add pH down and add fish now?

 

[DJH584]

Have you tried testing the water you used to fill the tank?

Ideally you should leave a cup of that water out on the side somewhere for twenty four hours and then test the PH of it.
This should give you a guideline as to where your Ph should be at.

What else do you have in the tank in the form of decoration etc.?

David

 

[thedayawaits]

We leave water sitting out for several days to lose the chlorine. I will test some of that and test the other tanks we changed with the same reserve.

The only other things in the tank are some (new) gravel and a (new) stone arch. I want to put some plants in there, but don't want to take from our other tanks which have become infected with a pernicious, very dark green algae. This algae came from our pet store's plant tank which is contaminated, and I need to find another place to buy them.

 

[bristlenoseitplecoman]

I had the same thing happen to me too. My cycling was done and i tested my water and the ph was still 8.2. I am on the edge of city water and found out that unlike the middle city's 7.0 ph mine was really 8.2.

 

[thedayawaits]

Hmm. In the past the water around here has tested 7 to 7.2 but today it is more like 7.6.
Maybe that contributed to the pH not dropping dramatically with an 80% change?

 

[OldMan47]

Don't worry too much about your pH. Unless it reflects chloramines in the tap water, instead of chlorine, it will be no problem. Chloramines change into both chlorine, easily evaporated off, and ammonia, showing up as ammonium hydroxide, a weak base. That weak base will definitely raise your pH but more importantly will be ammonia when your fish experience it. After I use a typical dechlorinator on my own water, I measure 1 ppm of ammonia from my tap water. By splitting the chloramine, my dechlorinator has released a high ammonia level into my new water. What I do is make sure tat my water changes are seldom more than 25% of the tank volume. That way the biological filter can take care of the ammonia before the fish are affected by it. If I need to do an emergency water change, I end up relying on the statement the dechlorinator manufacturer makes that it temporarily makes ammonia less toxic, since my fish cannot wait for a filter that is marginal at best. Otherwise there would have been no reason for that emergency water change.