O my LORD!

[mlee0332]

Ph must be 14.0
Alkaline over 300

What happened?

I chacked last night and everything was normal

(Just to add: tank undergowing fishless cycle)

How can I rectify?

 

[Torrean]

I'll try to find the link there is a thread that discusses this.

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=7443

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=59467

these should help
btw i have NO clue what could cause such a radical shift in ph

edit: when you say it must be 14 do you mean that it is off of your chart because if that is the case then it may not be as bad as I thought. 14 is EXTREME.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Hmm...questions!
Have you used any cleaning chemicals/room sprays/deodrant ner the tank recently?
Have you washed your hands in any cleaning chemicals and then put them in the tank?
Have you added anything to the aquarium recently like crushed coral/coral based sand, rocks which may contain limestone or added any plants or raised the filter strength of flow recently?

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Oh and i'd also like to add it'll probably be worth testing your tanks kh as this may help explain the large rise;

KH refers to the ability of our water to resist change in PH. This ability to resist change is known as carbonate hardness or more commonly buffering. Therefore when a KH reading is taken, the higher the KH reading the stronger the ability to resist changes / fluctuations in PH. A strong buffering capacity is beneficial if you have the PH that you require to keep the species of fish you are interested, however if your are trying to alter your PH for any reason a high KH reading is going to make it more difficult to effect this change.

 

[Torrean]

if his tank did go from 7 to 14 overnight isn't that extremely strange.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

If any chemicals or ph altering items have been used in or near the tank it would explain the rise but it also might be worth double checking the results with a different brand of test kit just to make sure the test results are correct

 

[Torrean]

I would assume that the best way to rectify the problem would be water changes but how do you do a water change while doing a fishless cycle. It won't stop it but it will slow it down and if I remember correctly this guy needs his tank pretty soon.

 

[je760]

Like others, I'm still puzzled at the large change overnight. But I don't think the pH is at 14?! otherwise I think you should wear groves when you work on the tank. A pH that high can burn your skin!!

 

[mlee0332]

Hmm...questions!
Have you used any cleaning chemicals/room sprays/deodrant ner the tank recently?
Have you washed your hands in any cleaning chemicals and then put them in the tank?
Have you added anything to the aquarium recently like crushed coral/coral based sand, rocks which may contain limestone or added any plants or raised the filter strength of flow recently?

This is what I did:

I use windex to clean glass, but am VERY careful to squeeze trigger easy and aim down.

I haven't washed hands in anything that I can think of, other than soap of course

The only thing I've added was CLEAR ammonia (The change happened after I purchased a new bottle)

I've been using Biozyme, but I use it on ALL my tanks. This is the only one affected.

No drastic changes as you've listed

I added TONS of ph decreaser, and the water turned cloudy white. The phe came down to 8.8 or so, and cleared up.

I added Ammonia again this morning and the water turned cloudy white again. Ph curently spiked again.

I hope it's not ammonia! It says its clear, but maybe it was mislabled...

Also alkalinity has spiked.

 

[mlee0332]

edit: when you say it must be 14 do you mean that it is off of your chart because if that is the case then it may not be as bad as I thought. 14 is EXTREME.

It is off chart. Chart goes to 8.4, which is a deep red color. The test kit is HOT HOT HOT pink. The reason I say it is 14.0 is b/c I know that's the highest possible pH and I know the pH is SUPER high. It is, though, an estimate.

 

[simonbrown403]

are u sure your test kit is right, i;ve had false readings from mine once or twice, due to contamanets in the test tube.

 

[mlee0332]

I went, right after I tested that one, and tested the other 2 tanks. pH was normal. Then I tested this one again. Same results.

Everyone is right about 14.0. It may be it, but may not. I just siad that b/c its an estimate. The water burned my hand (just a little) and re-opened a wound till it started bleeding (but it only was bleeding for a second or 2).

So its pretty hig. It may possibly be around 10-14 or maybe 9-14. But I know its WAY over 8.4


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

update: The tank was just checked this morning. It is down to 6.8 . I have no idea what's going on that caused it to spike like that. It tok more than 1/2 of a bottle of ph decreaser to lower it to this. I'm fixing to add ammonia and I will test after that to see what happens. Alkalinity is still off chart high though...

O from the day I checked and it was normal to the day it spiked:

I had 80ppm nitrates. The next day, when it was super high, they were less than 40ppm.

Now that the pH is somewhat normal, they have spiked to 160ppm. Also, another stumper .

 

[mlee0332]

it's the ammonia!!!! I just tested pH after adding ammonia, and it was 8.4... form 6.8!!! I guess I better quit using it

 

[gaya]

maybe there's another chemical in the ammonia that's not listed. congrads that you figured it out!

 

[reg2k2]

Ammonia can act as a mild base.
Might try searching the board for records on cycling...I think a couple people have posted charts of theirs..dunno if they include pH, but perhaps someone has experienced the same?

My suggestion to you is to continue with the ammonia. Don't try to change parameters during the cycle, they all get a little whacked anyway, right? When you're through the cycle, see where things stand...I suspect you'll be fine.