What Is Going On With My Cycle?

[BigbruiserAl]

only add bicarb if your ph is lower then 6.5(ish) and dont add spoons at time, add a little then some more dumping spoons in will result in a water change if your over dose

 

[CrazyCichlaMomma]

i have no arguement with what you've been told so far, except that a PH of 8 or 9 seems very high (to me). and i find it very strange that there is no baking soda in your house?

baking soda can be used, not only for cooking and baking, it's a great cleaner, it brightens laundry, removes odors all over the house, even in carpet and for making your water harder (though i fight to keep my PH lower here, SA tropical fish don't care much for hard water). baking soda will also put out grease fires and electrical fires that water can not. i'm pretty sure i would panic if there wasn't at least a 5 lb bag of the stuff in my house somewhere.. lol.

 

[Gvilleguy]

For a fishless cycle keeping the pH around 8.4 is a great level - the bacteria love it.

 

[CezzaXV]

It's possible there is baking soda in our house, but it doesn't get used much so whatever's there is probably older than I am!

Assuming it is a stall, how long should it take before my cycle goes back to normal?

 

[Tizer]

if in doubt, 90% water change, redose and you are back on track, can use a kettle of boiling water to bring it back up to temp quickly. booooooooom

 

[CezzaXV]

Thanks Tizer, think it might be worth giving that a go and put some bicarbonate in there with it (my tap water has a pH of 6.4).

 

[HayzH]

this is why im a bit dubious of putting wood in yet as the ph is already plummeting to 6.2 (normal ph is 7.5)

 

[CezzaXV]

Got myself some bicarb now. Gonna do a massive water change tonight and see how it goes.

 

[Gvilleguy]

That should get you right back on track. I deal with 6.0 pH water at my house, and my cycle stalled several times with pH crashes. I would dose it back up with Arm and Hammer and see an immediate improvement.

 

[CezzaXV]

Am I right in thinking that bicarb will help keep my pH more stable? Ive tried googling it but can't find much information. I'm just concerned that I'm gonna add bicarb, redose with ammonia and they're gonna have to invent some new numbers on the pH scale

 

[the_lock_man]

KittyKat's the one to ask, she seems to have chapter and verse on it, but yes, I think it increases the KH, which buffers pH, keeping it stable.

I have a high KH in my tank, keeping my pH at 7.8, in spite of the bogwood.

 

[CezzaXV]

Right, I've got my water change done (pushed my heater all the way to the bottom and only left enough to leave it covered). Added just under half a teaspoon of bicarb, set my phone to ring in an hour, so gonna test my pH then and see if it needs more. I did redose ammonia, which I didn't think til after to consider if it was a good idea, as it'll be hard to tell whether the pH is due to the bicarb or the ammonia, but too late now.


I tested the pH before the water change and it had dropped back to 6.4 even though the ammonia hadn't dropped, so it seems likely it is (hopefully WAS) a stall.

My new test tubes came today. Makes things sooooo much easier. They don't seem as delicate as the API ones either

 

[HayzH]

Right, I've got my water change done (pushed my heater all the way to the bottom and only left enough to leave it covered). Added just under half a teaspoon of bicarb, set my phone to ring in an hour, so gonna test my pH then and see if it needs more. I did redose ammonia, which I didn't think til after to consider if it was a good idea, as it'll be hard to tell whether the pH is due to the bicarb or the ammonia, but too late now.


I tested the pH before the water change and it had dropped back to 6.4 even though the ammonia hadn't dropped, so it seems likely it is (hopefully WAS) a stall.

My new test tubes came today. Makes things sooooo much easier. They don't seem as delicate as the API ones either

hopefully things will get back on track now..i really dunno what my triplets are doing...Tank 3 now seems in the lead???

 

[CezzaXV]

Look at all the tests I've done tonight.




Pretty colours

In other news, I've done some tests since the water change and add of the bicarb. pH seems rather high, but I'm going to leave it as it is for the moment and test my pH in the morning with my 12 hour test and see where we go from there. In fact, I plan to test pH with every 12 hour test from now on and add more bicarb if need be. Even when my pH is ridiculously high, it never stays that way for long.

 

[HayzH]

Look at all the tests I've done tonight.




Pretty colours

In other news, I've done some tests since the water change and add of the bicarb. pH seems rather high, but I'm going to leave it as it is for the moment and test my pH in the morning with my 12 hour test and see where we go from there. In fact, I plan to test pH with every 12 hour test from now on and add more bicarb if need be. Even when my pH is ridiculously high, it never stays that way for long.

i check my PH in all 3 tanks at every 12 and 24 tests....they can just bottom out in hours. My Nitrites and Nitrates seem to like my PH 8.0 or above..so thats what i shall provide