Having Tank Issues With Water

[PorterG]

What kind of test kit are you using?

I have two different types, one from petsmart and other from Petco. As well as an ammonia test system and an electronic PH tester.

 

[The_Labyrinth]

Generally, people have issues with getting their pH to drop to an acceptable level, even a neutral pH is a challenge for most. I don't know what you are putting into your tank (Is someone pouring their beer (or worse) in there?) to get your pH so low. I have well water which is consistently at a pH of 6.8, dH of 2 and if I want it to drop it further I need to filter through peat or have a heavy amount of driftwood in the tank to lower it - best efforts, I could never get it drop more than the mid 5s with keeping a good water quality. What accessories do you have in your tank? A pH of 4ish is very unhealthy for just about any fish (or for drinking water) [and it is almost impossible to voluntarily achieve], what is going on here? To drop a tapwater to that low of a pH, something drastic is happening.

 

[PorterG]

Generally, people have issues with getting their pH to drop to an acceptable level, even a neutral pH is a challenge for most. I don't know what you are putting into your tank (Is someone pouring their beer (or worse) in there?) to get your pH so low. I have well water which is consistently at a pH of 6.8, dH of 2 and if I want it to drop it further I need to filter through peat or have a heavy amount of driftwood in the tank to lower it - best efforts, I could never get it drop more than the mid 5s with keeping a good water quality. What accessories do you have in your tank? A pH of 4ish is very unhealthy for just about any fish (or for drinking water) [and it is almost impossible to voluntarily achieve], what is going on here? To drop a tapwater to that low of a pH, something drastic is happening.

It's hanging right around 6 at the moment. Not sure what caused the big drop. Tap water is around 6.3. I put the exact same in my 6.5 gallon tank, was getting it going in case I have to move the fish and restart the tank, and, with no fish at the moment, it is around 6.7. No chemicals or anything. Just continuing daily water changes of about 2 gallons. Might use a gallon from the small tank.

 

[SarahPar]

I would say with the nitrate your filter is insufficient or not that great biomedia. Most medias for filters end up producing nitrate causing the filter to become a nitrate factory of sorts. Nitrate which is not actually the end of the nitrate cycle. The last step of the nitrate cycle is nitrate turning into gas and leaving the tank. This happens from the anoxic/anaerobic filtration in the tank while the earlier steps are from aerobic filtration.
Marine pure balls in the filter with no other media except a 35ppi sponge for water to go through first will stop these nitrate issues. Since they can do anaerobic filtration also, completing the nitrate cycle.

I've never had issues with nitrate in my tanks after implementing this. In fact I have to add nitrate for the plants as fertilizer.

Ammonia and nitrite spiking is likely either due to cycle not being complete or due to water being so acidic it is not able to complete. If the pH drops below 6 in a given system, the Nitrosomonas bacterium will not adequately process the ammonia in the water. If the pH eventually gets low enough, the nitrogen cycle will cease to function all together.

The Role of pH In The Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle

Understanding the nitrogen cycle in an aquarium, especially how pH affects the nitrogen cycle, is going to make keeping an ideal environment for fish possible.

be.chewy.com

Honestly I think you should probably get marine pure and switch out that media for it. And add crushed coral either in the tank or in an extra prefilter canister. Try to only raise the ph a little per week tho as to not shock fish. Using some seachem equilibrium is also good.

 

[PorterG]

I would say with the nitrate your filter is insufficient or not that great biomedia. Most medias for filters end up producing nitrate causing the filter to become a nitrate factory of sorts. Nitrate which is not actually the end of the nitrate cycle. The last step of the nitrate cycle is nitrate turning into gas and leaving the tank. This happens from the anoxic/anaerobic filtration in the tank while the earlier steps are from aerobic filtration.
Marine pure balls in the filter with no other media except a 35ppi sponge for water to go through first will stop these nitrate issues. Since they can do anaerobic filtration also, completing the nitrate cycle.

I've never had issues with nitrate in my tanks after implementing this. In fact I have to add nitrate for the plants as fertilizer.

Ammonia and nitrite spiking is likely either due to cycle not being complete or due to water being so acidic it is not able to complete. If the pH drops below 6 in a given system, the Nitrosomonas bacterium will not adequately process the ammonia in the water. If the pH eventually gets low enough, the nitrogen cycle will cease to function all together.

The Role of pH In The Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle

Understanding the nitrogen cycle in an aquarium, especially how pH affects the nitrogen cycle, is going to make keeping an ideal environment for fish possible.

be.chewy.com

Honestly I think you should probably get marine pure and switch out that media for it. And add crushed coral either in the tank or in an extra prefilter canister. Try to only raise the ph a little per week tho as to not shock fish. Using some seachem equilibrium is also good.

I might check that. I have a Marineland filter system that came with the tank, and had added a sponge filter to the regular Type B filters. Nitrate has been coming down, ammonia has been going between about .25 and 1.00

 

[SarahPar]

I might check that. I have a Marineland filter system that came with the tank, and had added a sponge filter to the regular Type B filters. Nitrate has been coming down, ammonia has been going between about .25 and 1.00

Yeah the tank is uncycled. You should add some crushed coral or aragonite to the tank and better filter media. Ie use one sponge then behind it marine pure gems.