Ph While Cycling?

[monkey_wrench]

Hi,

Does anyone know if there is an optimum ph to keep the water whilst cycling?

thanks

=]

 

[Joinerlavin]

I would say just try and keep it above 7, I am doing a fishless cycle at the moment and the ammonia reduces the pH. So every other day I need to do a 50% water change to bring the pH back up to my tap pH "7.6" to prevent the cycle stalling.

 

[monkey_wrench]

oh good..mines 7.4

Do you have any idea why it has to be above 7?

 

[Joinerlavin]

Not really just assume that the bacteria only survive in anything above 7. Someone else will reply soon thoe with the correct answer for you.

 

[waterdrop]

If you are in a Fish-In Cycling Situation, the optimal pH is whatever your tap water pH is, assuming that is reasonable for what your fish are used to, you are pretty much confined to basing your thinking on the fish.

If you are Fishless Cycling, you have much more leeway to to concoct the "optimal bacterial growing soup" per whatever latest tips we poor hobbyists have been able to dig up from a scientific world that sees little money or health return from doing science on these particular beasts, lol.

For better or worse, my current favorite recipe is pH of 8.0 to 8.4 (based on comments from Tim Hovanec, a guy who did his PhD on these bacteria) and a temp of 29C/84F with attention to there being some calcium hardness and some Iron(Fe) available in the water (they use this things in some of the cell structures, but of course they mainly use lots of fresh oxygen and ammonia for their daily existence.) This kind of detail is mostly way,way overkill and as the guys say above, pH stats in the 7's will work fine, as seen in most cases.

~~waterdrop~~