Phocoena's Cycle Log

[phocoena]

I've been awful at keeping the log up to date, BUT today I got a 12 hour double 0.
Now to qualify it.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I've been awful at keeping the log up to date, BUT today I got a 12 hour double 0.
Now to qualify it.

Happy New Year!

 

[phocoena]

Had a backwards step. Changed out most of my gravel substrate for Sand, although left small patches of gravel in.
So had all the water out.

pH out the tap is back to it's more natural 6.8. (7.4 must be an anomaly then - confirmed natural local tap pH with LFS while purchasing the sand) And we didn't put much hot in going back in to the tank so start off at a temp of 23C-ish. And I made a major booboo, titrating to 5ppm while forgetting about the 1ppm in the tap water.

ARGH. Processing time has slowed down.

What are the best next steps to get this back to a 12 hr cycle. Raise pH and also maintain a temp of 30C.

 

[Smells a bit fishy]

Yeh if you add bicarbonate soda, that raises the PH. Try and get it to about 8 and get the temp to 30.

Your nearly there now, this last part is always the most fustrating, but it will finally get there.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

+1

 

[phocoena]

I've raised back to 7.4 this was what was working previously in about 8 hours (no joke) and back to 5ppm Ammonia - it dropped but after the water change pH drop but it took a while (48 hrs).

 

[phocoena]

down to 0.5 ammonia and 2 nitite after 12 hours. almost there again. (And that was with the pH dropping back to 6.8)

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Yeah, the bacteria don't really like fluctuations in pH.

 

[phocoena]

So what will happen when the time comes to get fish?
The pH then will have to drop back to normal pH do you gradually dose the bicarb to a lower pH and then do a water change?

 

[eaglesaquarium]

So what will happen when the time comes to get fish?
The pH then will have to drop back to normal pH do you gradually dose the bicarb to a lower pH and then do a water change?

No, the bacteria usually just get fussy for about 24 hours and they are fine. When getting fish, just do the water change about 12 hours or less before adding the fish, and don't feed the fish for the first day, maybe two. This will give the bacteria a chance to get in gear and your fish will be fine. Test every day for a week after fish to confirm the results are double zeros. If they aren't (which can happen, but would be very, very unlikely, just do a partial water change. It will be just fine, the bacteria will be fine.

 

[phocoena]

ammonia at 0 after 12 hours, nitrite down to 0 in less than 18 hours.