PH cycles

[Court_Appointed_Hypeman]

I tried looking for some info online but not having luck looking for a good answer.

I am not at all worried about it, just very curious, for the sake of learning, as to what is behind the small PH swings before a fully established cycle.

Here is a pic from, probe installed end of day 2 of moving cycled dark cured rock into new aquarium. It appears based on api testing i still have unconverted amonia (1-.5 ppm), but no nitrite (which i never see in the first cycle anyway) and 3ppm nitrate.

Without having any livestock or completed cycle, what are the mechanisms behind the swings? They seem to be on a 12 hour parabola.

If anyone has an answer that would be super cool, again not worried, don't plan to fix, just want to learn. I imagine it isnt simply carbonic acid forming and bleeding off.

 

[Court_Appointed_Hypeman]

Nitrate test was with a nyos kit so i trust it,only have api amonia and am guessing it might just be incorrect.

 

[Court_Appointed_Hypeman]

Figured I would update just for reference data.

 

[Gatorpa]

I would guess two things: measurement variability and there are some microorganisms that using CO2.

 

[Court_Appointed_Hypeman]

I would guess two things: measurement variability and there are some microorganisms that using CO2.

Thanks!

Thats what i was starting to figure. It finally climbed up to 8 the day after i added pods and some phyto.

So far the PH trends are making me feel pretty confident its in good shape. My nitrates have also started dropping from 5 to 2 now over the past 4 days. Which i was not expecting.

I've had chaeto in since before the cycle ended because it came way ahead of schedule and its turned very dark green this last week and i believe its growing now. I expected it to perish going in so soon with only a $18 amazon grow light over it.

Seeing photosynthesis, and windows open on the PH monitoring is pretty cool, i check it all the time. I assume this happens to everyone knew to monitoring in the hobby. I pull it up at work like 5 times a day.

 

[Garf]

Big animals by the tank will reduce pH, Americans for example, lol

 

[Court_Appointed_Hypeman]

Big animals by the tank will reduce pH, Americans for example, lol

Me, my wife, 5 kids a dog and cat in a not so large house. You can see on the chart around when we all get home if the windows are closed haha

 

[Garf]

Me, my wife, 5 kids a dog and cat in a not so large house. You can see on the chart around when we all get home if the windows are closed haha

Yep, makes a hell off a difference. My pH drops on weekends, even with systems in place to reduce pH drop.

 

[Gatorpa]

Thanks!

Thats what i was starting to figure. It finally climbed up to 8 the day after i added pods and some phyto.

So far the PH trends are making me feel pretty confident its in good shape. My nitrates have also started dropping from 5 to 2 now over the past 4 days. Which i was not expecting.

I've had chaeto in since before the cycle ended because it came way ahead of schedule and its turned very dark green this last week and i believe its growing now. I expected it to perish going in so soon with only a $18 amazon grow light over it.

Seeing photosynthesis, and windows open on the PH monitoring is pretty cool, i check it all the time. I assume this happens to everyone knew to monitoring in the hobby. I pull it up at work like 5 times a day.

Does the light cycle on the cheto match the mini pH spikes?

If so there ya go, the refugeum is boosting the pH. Since you have a minimal bio load it can be seen easier.

 

[Gatorpa]

Yep, makes a hell off a difference. My pH drops on weekends, even with systems in place to reduce pH drop.

Here’s mine the last few days with the windows open during the day…..
Thats with a line to the skimmer through a CO2 scrubber.

 

[Court_Appointed_Hypeman]

Does the light cycle on the cheto match the mini pH spikes?

If so there ya go, the refugeum is boosting the pH. Since you have a minimal bio load it can be seen easier.

The last 2 days it is causing a noticeable increase when the light comes on, prior to that (since it kicks on when everyone gets home) it appeared to be buffering the co2 increase we cause that showed up as large dips prior.

It was .2oz of chaeto, and now appears to be .5oz. I am thinking since it has grown, its just photosynthesizing more.

It is touching 8.18 right now, i am really liking the fact that the swings are way less than they were, and its slowly raising.

I am wondering what it will top off at. Currently all that's in their chemical wise is some added bacteria, and instant ocean reef crystals mixed to 1.026.

Excited to see where is goes. Planning on getting some inverts added in 7 days and then start a quarentine tank to add some fish. So there is almost 0 bioload at the moment. Aside from whatever 30mls of phytoplankton a day and 3k pods is worth.

Ive been throwing in a single mysis shrimp every couple days to keep some nutrients in. I don't want the nitrates to bottom out. Should probably check phosphates too, but i dont want to waste hannah reagents yet, not until i see some nuisance algae at least.

 

[Court_Appointed_Hypeman]

New Development.

This sparatic .02 changes constantly taking place the last 2 days I thought were interesting.

temp in the top graph in the photo are fluctiations from 78 to 78.5

 

[adammarcos]

If so there ya go, the refugeum is boosting the pH. Since you have a minimal bio load it can be seen easier.