Fishless Cycle > Ph Has Dropped > What Next?

[LondonguyJ]

I decided to make a new thread as opposed to posting this in my cycle log because to me, this is urgent

I have read a number of cycles both here and a several other forums and have come to the conclusion that adding anything/large water changes severely stalls the fishless cycle.

But now I've reached that juncture. My ph has dropped to 6.0 and as I was so against, in all my reading I never came up with a contingency plan should this happen to me.

So your advice here is desperately needed.

J

 

[doresy]

Hi, if that tank in your profile photo is the one you are cycling is that a lump or real bogwood in it? If so that will alter your ph to a degree so try removing it and do a large water change a bring the ammonia level back up to 5ppm.

 

[waterdrop]

Agree, it might be the wood, or it might just be the usual build-up of nitrate that can be so heavy in fishless cycling. A "down-to-the-substrate" big water change with refill and recharge of the ammonia is usually all it takes to restore your pH and mineral content to a reasonable level. WD

 

[drobbyb]

If you continue to have problems, you can add common baking soda during your fishless cycle to buffer your water and steady your pH. If you add enough it will raise your pH, but during a fishless cycle this isn't a bad thing.

 

[OldMan47]

You have been getting typical bad advice from those other sites LondonguyJ. There is no reason to ever avoid a water change, no matter how large on either a cycling tank or one that is mature and full of fish. The bacteria tat we rely on to do the conversion of ammonia to nitrites to nitrates do not live in the water, they live as a film on surfaces. Since that is where the bacteria live, they are not at all affected by a water change. On the other hand, if you have chemistry problems affecting your fish, the most common and best solution is often that very same water change.
If I detect any problem with one of my tank's chemistry, the first thing I do is drain the tank to the point the fish are having a hard time staying wet and then refill the tank with fresh dechlorinated water. The end result is always the same. The fish start to look and behave better right away.