Ph Gone From 6.5 To 6

[Daveyg1969]

Hi just done a Ph test this morning and noticed that the Ph has dropped from 6.5 to 6 overnight.
I have a jewel rio 180 aquarium that has been cycling with freshwater tropical fish for about 5 weeks, the nitrite levels are stable, and the Ph until now, has been at a stable 6.5 for around 2 weeks.

Just wondering if I should worry about this, as I am new to this hobby.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Musho3210]

well first off i must mention that cycling with fish is bad, read up a bit on some of the stickies and you will learn the more humane way of doing it. But that aside have you done a water change at all?

 

[rdd1952]

What are your readings for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate? Also what are the same readings along with pH from the tap? Are you using strips or a liquid kit? When you say nitrite is "stable" do you mwan it is 0 which is the only good reading for ammonia or nitrite. Any positive reading for either means there is a problem (the tank isn't cycled) and ater changes are needed to lower them.

 

[Daveyg1969]

What are your readings for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate? Also what are the same readings along with pH from the tap? Are you using strips or a liquid kit? When you say nitrite is "stable" do you mwan it is 0 which is the only good reading for ammonia or nitrite. Any positive reading for either means there is a problem (the tank isn't cycled) and ater changes are needed to lower them.

I have done readings for ammonia and nitrite and they are both at minimum, been advised to put some coral gravel in a mesh bag and add to my filter, by my local aquarium, which I have done and it has raised the Ph back upto 6.5.
If I start another aquarium in the near future I think I will definitely cycle without fish, as it seems to save a lot of problems.
Thanks for all the help.

Dave.

 

[rdd1952]

The crushed coral should work fine to keep the pH up. Just do partial water changes as needed, up to several a day, to keep the ammonia and nitrite below .25 ppm until the tank finishes cycling.

 

[Musho3210]

What are your readings for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate? Also what are the same readings along with pH from the tap? Are you using strips or a liquid kit? When you say nitrite is "stable" do you mwan it is 0 which is the only good reading for ammonia or nitrite. Any positive reading for either means there is a problem (the tank isn't cycled) and ater changes are needed to lower them.

I have done readings for ammonia and nitrite and they are both at minimum, been advised to put some coral gravel in a mesh bag and add to my filter, by my local aquarium, which I have done and it has raised the Ph back upto 6.5.
If I start another aquarium in the near future I think I will definitely cycle without fish, as it seems to save a lot of problems.
Thanks for all the help.

Dave.

exact number please. I also wonder what the main problem was, not to just cover it up. Have you done a water change yet? And whats your KH and GH?

 

[MHunt]

The reason the pH crashes for no reason is a the water is becoming too soft and it's loosing it's ability to hold a steady pH. The coral sand buffers the water as well as raising the pH. Just be aware though that at a higher pH, the ammonia and nitrite are more toxic to the fish.

What fish have you got in the tank? It would help if you list your fish and general location (even just country would do) in your profile, it would help in answering your questions.

 

[rdd1952]

Just be aware though that at a higher pH, the ammonia and nitrite are more toxic to the fish.

Ammonia toxicity does indeed increase as the pH increases but nitrite toxicity is not changed by pH levels. The reason ammonia is more toxic is that as the pH level rises more of the total ammonia measured by out test kits is actually ammonia and not ammonium (non-toxic). Temperature is also a factor in ammonia toxicity as higher temps also mean ammonia is more toxic.

 

[Musho3210]

i thought that most test kits show both ammonia and ammonia.

 

[rdd1952]

The reading we get on out test kits whether they be liquid or strips, API or Hagen, is Total Ammonia. That is the toxic ammonia and non-toxic ammonium combined. There are charts that you can check to see exactly how much of each you have present it your tank based on the water temperature and pH. But really you don't want an ammonia reading at all so unless you are cycling with fish, it really shouldn't matter how much of the ammonia in the tank is toxic. Any ammonia is bad and indicates a problem.

Edit to correct spelling (non-toxic instead of not-toxic).

 

[Dorkhedeos]

i thought that most test kits show both ammonia and ammonia.

you just said the same thing. Quick question though, if ph raised the total ammonia measured by testkits, wouldnt it be less deadly than what the test says because that measured level is higher than whats actually in the water?

 

[Bignose]

i thought that most test kits show both ammonia and ammonia.

you just said the same thing. Quick question though, if ph raised the total ammonia measured by testkits, wouldnt it be less deadly than what the test says because that measured level is higher than whats actually in the water?

The pH doesn't change the measured ammonia in the test kits. The test kits measure total ammonia, ammonia + ammonium. What pH does is change the balance between ammonia (the dangerous one) and ammonium (the not nearly as dangerous one). This is why pH affects how toxic a certain measurement of total ammonia is.

I made up a bunch of charts a while back, http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=154313 these will show you how to know how toxic ammonia is for a given total ammonia concentration (from the test kit), the pH, and the temperature.

 

[Musho3210]

Just be aware though that at a higher pH, the ammonia and nitrite are more toxic to the fish.

Ammonia toxicity does indeed increase as the pH increases but nitrite toxicity is not changed by pH levels. The reason ammonia is more toxic is that as the pH level rises more of the total ammonia measured by out test kits is actually ammonia and not ammonium (non-toxic). Temperature is also a factor in ammonia toxicity as higher temps also mean ammonia is more toxic.

got mixed up at that part.

 

[rdd1952]

Actually, that was a typo. I have corrected it. Should have been non-toxic instead of not-toxic although I guess they mean the same thing.