Can someone please help?

[greenhorn reefer]

I am almost done my first cycle and have a couple of questions.

1) now that all the ammonia has been converted, my ph is low 7.5. I did not check the store bought RO/DI when I added it but assumed it should be the proper PH to begin with. Also, there is a nitrite reading of .5 and a nitrate of 20-60 ppm. How do I raise the PH and is the drop a result of the reduced ammonia or high nitrate or neither.

2) what percentage of water should be changed on my first change?

3) what should be the percentage in future changes

3 part 2) will future water changes require the water to be heated?

 

[greenhorn reefer]

@melypr1985

 

[TheEngineer]

There's a good chance that your low pH is a result of high CO2 in your house. An easy way to test this is to take a cup of water from your tank outside and run an air bubbler through it for an hour. Test it again. If the pH went up to around 8, you have high CO2 in your house. You can alleviate that a number of ways:

1. Open a window
2. Run an airline from outside to your skimmer inlet
3. Build a DIY CO2 scrubber for your skimmer inlet

There are other potential causes and other potential fixes. That's just a common cause.

 

[Justiful]

For PH what cool said. plus
Get a calcium, alk, mag test kit. It is essential to running a reef tank. Test and see what your levels are then post those and we can get a much better idea what it happening. If the levels are off that could be the reason. Also when you test at night during lights out, or just after they come on PH tends to be .1-.2 lower in most tanks then it is during the day, sometimes a bit higher, but if it is higher that usually means poor oxygenation of the water, a limewood airstone will fix it in most cases connected to an airpump. But if that is already happening then that means you need FRESH air in your house. Open windows more often . Wavemakers and surface movement also helps.

---
As for the water change... I wouldn't do one for at least 8 weeks after your new tank has been running. After that is it as needed or once a week 10% is pretty standard.

I didn't do my first water change for 3 months. I let my tank get dirty to build the biofilter. Then I started water changes bi-weekly 10%. Now I do them weekly 10% as bio-load increased.

 

[melypr1985]

I am almost done my first cycle and have a couple of questions.

1) now that all the ammonia has been converted, my ph is low 7.5. I did not check the store bought RO/DI when I added it but assumed it should be the proper PH to begin with. Also, there is a nitrite reading of .5 and a nitrate of 20-60 ppm. How do I raise the PH and is the drop a result of the reduced ammonia or high nitrate or neither.

2) what percentage of water should be changed on my first change?

3) what should be the percentage in future changes

3 part 2) will future water changes require the water to be heated?

Your PH has been addressed so I'll focus on this other stuff. Don't change the water until the nitrite is down to zero as well, but you can change 20% and be fine.
Future water changes do need to be heated to match your display along with the salinity. I do 10% as often at once a week, though I rarely have time for it. It's best if your consistent with these things so make a schedule and keep to it. 10% every week, 20% every two weeks, or just 10% every two weeks. This can depend on your bio load and your tank's needs.

 

[greenhorn reefer]

There's a good chance that your low pH is a result of high CO2 in your house. An easy way to test this is to take a cup of water from your tank outside and run an air bubbler through it for an hour. Test it again. If the pH went up to around 8, you have high CO2 in your house. You can alleviate that a number of ways:

1. Open a window
2. Run an airline from outside to your skimmer inlet
3. Build a DIY CO2 scrubber for your skimmer inlet

There are other potential causes and other potential fixes. That's just a common cause.

@icecool2

Link for the DIY?

 

[greenhorn reefer]

Everyone, thank you.

 

[TheEngineer]

@icecool2

Link for the DIY?

I don't have one handy, but I've seen them on here. Just do a search and I'm sure you'll get a couple.

 

[Knapp870]

I think we should first ask if you are running your skimmer yet? If not, the aeration from that will help, also running lights will help as the "good" algae in the system helps rais the ph when the lights are on. Running a light on some chaeto in your fuge on a reverse cycle from when your display lights are on helps prevent a large swing. Then, finally the addition of alk/calc or kalkwasser will help raise the PH along with the fresh air everyone mentioned.

 

[TheEngineer]

I think we should first ask if you are running your skimmer yet? If not, the aeration from that will help, also running lights will help as the "good" algae in the system helps rais the ph when the lights are on. Running a light on some chaeto in your fuge on a reverse cycle from when your display lights are on helps prevent a large swing. Then, finally the addition of alk/calc or kalkwasser will help raise the PH along with the fresh air everyone mentioned.

All true and good points. The test for high home CO2 will work regardless of the other questions you raise and are good potential solutions depending on what greenhorn finds.

 

[Pg513]

The range of nitrates from 20 to 60 is a lot. 20 is not too bad as where 60 is high. If you plan on a reef, I would get it 10 or below. Just a thought.

 

[greenhorn reefer]

I think we should first ask if you are running your skimmer yet? If not, the aeration from that will help, also running lights will help as the "good" algae in the system helps rais the ph when the lights are on. Running a light on some chaeto in your fuge on a reverse cycle from when your display lights are on helps prevent a large swing. Then, finally the addition of alk/calc or kalkwasser will help raise the PH along with the fresh air everyone mentioned.

No fuge yet. Plan on just having a small acclimation tank within my sump and a small led lighting system but this really isn't for much, other than making treats for my future herbivores. I am running the skimmer but only for aeration (no skimmate collected). My LFS also pointed out that I have not been treating my RO when topping off. They suggested eight.four or reef builder and buffer. Thoughts? @Knapp870 my windows are open most of the time but not the last two days (90* +).

 

[themcnertney]

I am guessing that your tank has yet to cycle 100%. The early stages are the most important as it take time and patience.

 

[Congaken]

Your PH has been addressed so I'll focus on this other stuff. Don't change the water until the nitrite is down to zero as well, but you can change 20% and be fine.
Future water changes do need to be heated to match your display along with the salinity. I do 10% as often at once a week, though I rarely have time for it. It's best if your consistent with these things so make a schedule and keep to it. 10% every week, 20% every two weeks, or just 10% every two weeks. This can depend on your bio load and your tank's needs.

Hi...I have a 20gal. QT going through its cycle...been about a month...Am=0, Nitrate=15ppm, but Nitrite seems stubborn staying at .50 for a week or more...I double-checked my test kit in the DT and it fine...should I leave things alone for as long as it takes, keep feeding slightly, change water and/or just have more patience...is 6 weeks an average time for a full cycle, when its done, should I do it again...sometimes it seems like the nitrite is going backwards...I get a reading of 0 in about 7 or 8 minutes...Thanks...

 

[greenhorn reefer]

I am guessing that your tank has yet to cycle 100%. The early stages are the most important as it take time and patience.

@Dan McNertney
You're 100% correct, my cycle has not completed. I also plan to spike the ammonia, one more time, and monitor it every six hours, to see how robust my bacteria population is. I can get the ammonia to exactly 1ppm using a pre-diluted mix (dr. Tims). If the ammonia is reduced to 0ppm within 6hrs I will feel confident enough about the water change. The problems I believe I will encounter is a large bacterial drop off after my first cycle and water change. I believe the nitrates are so high because of the amount of ammonia I was able to add, in a quick amount of time. I spiked it up to 3ppm at one point. I believe that is the reason for my high nitrate byproduct. I figure, at the nitrates current level, at least 40 ppm, it will take at least a 50% water change to reduce it to 20 ppm. I want to build the tiniest refuge in my sump. Hopefully the macro algae will consume some of the nitrate while I fallow and maintains regularly scheduled water changes.

 

[shovelhead]

I wouldn't use any buffers at all. Let your tank cycle and balance out. Then worry about chasing numbers. Nothing good happens fast! Focus on ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate.

 

[shovelhead]

I like the rock work!

 

[greenhorn reefer]

I like the rock work!

@shovelhead

Thanks!

So do you think that the PH will begin to balance on it's own? Additionally, I don't plan on doing anything soon. All these question pertain to my DT, my QT isn't even close to ready. I can still add a refugium in the sump, when my ammonia and nitrite hit zero? The high nitrate should be beneficial, correct?

 

[shovelhead]

The PH will end up finding a resting place naturally. The nitrates will be removed by water change after your cycle. My PH ended up at 7.8 because my house is air tight. I dose kalkwasser at night and maintain it at 8.0-8.1.

 

[melypr1985]

Hi...I have a 20gal. QT going through its cycle...been about a month...Am=0, Nitrate=15ppm, but Nitrite seems stubborn staying at .50 for a week or more...I double-checked my test kit in the DT and it fine...should I leave things alone for as long as it takes, keep feeding slightly, change water and/or just have more patience...is 6 weeks an average time for a full cycle, when its done, should I do it again...sometimes it seems like the nitrite is going backwards...I get a reading of 0 in about 7 or 8 minutes...Thanks...

I say have patience. If you want to do anything at all for it add more bacteria to the tank. Definitely keep ghost feeding so the bacteria keeps growing. Dont do a water change yet.... 6 weeks is totally average for a real cycle.