Hello, all!
So I'm cycling a 38 gallon tank with plants, and I'm in the nitrite development phase. I've been carefully watching the pH in this tank in particular because, a few days after I got a new test kit (still API freshwater master, which I've used before, but I was running out of reagent and test tubes), I decided to test for pH, only to find that my pH is reading 6.0. I tested for the high range pH, and it read 7.4, so I am assuming that my water is either 6.0 or lower.
Then, today, I decided to test my tap pH. It's usually around 7.4-7.6 (the regular pH test kit always shows 7.6, and the high range shows 7.4, my guess is it is around 7.5). However, today the water reads at 8.0!
Where I live it is very difficult to get an actual level of my water hardness, and I've found conflicting results all across the internet. My latest research from usgs.gov suggest my water hardness is "0-60 mg/l" which means my water is soft. According to the same website, my total alkalinity is roughly 200-400.
I'm very confused about what is going on with the water quality. Thirty minutes away, parts of our neighboring city, Starkville (I'm in Columbus, MS), have recently lifted a boil water alert, but I don't think that has anything to do with our water systems.
Mostly I'm wondering what I should do about my tanks. I need to do a water change on the cycling tank so that I can get the pH into a normal range, but I'm worried that the pH is really not good for my existing fish. I've got peacock gudgeons, bristlenose cats, two guppies, two platies, ten cherry shrimp, and a betta (not all in the same tank, of course). Last month their water was a nice and even 7.5ish, maybe a little lower. Are they going to be suffering from this?
When I do water changes, should I worry about the percentages or not? They've had one large water change on the first of this month, and a regular 50% last week. We are due for another water change now. I'm paranoid about doing the water changes though.
I've not tested all occupied tanks, but I'm about to.
I do have in the cycling tank MiracleGro as my substrate, a good number of plants (though I've still not finished planting it yet), and two pieces of Manzanita and three pieces of Cholla wood. Could this be bringing the pH down so far, or is it just because of the soft water plus the high ammonia the tank has been dealing with (though now the ammonia is processing in less than twelve hours).
I don't know if I should do anything, but any advice would be lovely.
So I'm cycling a 38 gallon tank with plants, and I'm in the nitrite development phase. I've been carefully watching the pH in this tank in particular because, a few days after I got a new test kit (still API freshwater master, which I've used before, but I was running out of reagent and test tubes), I decided to test for pH, only to find that my pH is reading 6.0. I tested for the high range pH, and it read 7.4, so I am assuming that my water is either 6.0 or lower.
Then, today, I decided to test my tap pH. It's usually around 7.4-7.6 (the regular pH test kit always shows 7.6, and the high range shows 7.4, my guess is it is around 7.5). However, today the water reads at 8.0!
Where I live it is very difficult to get an actual level of my water hardness, and I've found conflicting results all across the internet. My latest research from usgs.gov suggest my water hardness is "0-60 mg/l" which means my water is soft. According to the same website, my total alkalinity is roughly 200-400.
I'm very confused about what is going on with the water quality. Thirty minutes away, parts of our neighboring city, Starkville (I'm in Columbus, MS), have recently lifted a boil water alert, but I don't think that has anything to do with our water systems.
Mostly I'm wondering what I should do about my tanks. I need to do a water change on the cycling tank so that I can get the pH into a normal range, but I'm worried that the pH is really not good for my existing fish. I've got peacock gudgeons, bristlenose cats, two guppies, two platies, ten cherry shrimp, and a betta (not all in the same tank, of course). Last month their water was a nice and even 7.5ish, maybe a little lower. Are they going to be suffering from this?
When I do water changes, should I worry about the percentages or not? They've had one large water change on the first of this month, and a regular 50% last week. We are due for another water change now. I'm paranoid about doing the water changes though.
I've not tested all occupied tanks, but I'm about to.
I do have in the cycling tank MiracleGro as my substrate, a good number of plants (though I've still not finished planting it yet), and two pieces of Manzanita and three pieces of Cholla wood. Could this be bringing the pH down so far, or is it just because of the soft water plus the high ammonia the tank has been dealing with (though now the ammonia is processing in less than twelve hours).
I don't know if I should do anything, but any advice would be lovely.