fishless cycling - pH problem?

"Gail Futoran" wrote in message
...
"muddyfox" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi,

I'm new to this newsgroup, so please redirect me if this question is
in
the wrong place.

I'm trying to cycle my new aquarium using Ammonia. Things seem to be
on track except that the pH is climbing to very high levels (pH 8.4
today) and I'm concerned that the bacteria I need for my nitrogen
cycle
will not do well in these conditions.

Details:

Small 6 gallon tank
L2000 Ladybird AIr Pump
GPS 370 filter
2 plants
medium well washed gravel + (on day 1) added 2 large handfuls of
gravel
from an established tank to seed the bacterial populations.
Tap water treated with de-chlorinator.

Initial water chemistry before start:

pH 8.0 (interestingly the tap water here is pH 7.0 - the tank had sat
for four days before I began. I don't know where this change came
from.)
NH3(Ammonia) 0ppm
NO2 (Nitrite) 0ppm
NO3 (Nitrate) 10ppm

You're already cycled here!

I suspect that it is tap water NO3 which has been measured...

Day 1 - added 4 drops ammonia solution (9.5%) (I suspect this is
Ammonium Hydroxide which would then give me the OH- ions for
alkalinity). NH3 went up to 1.0 ppm

If you use ammonia, you should only use
pure ammonia. Any grocery store should
carry it.

Day 2 - added 5 drops ammonia

pH 8.3
NH3 2.5ppm
NO2 0ppm

What's happening with the Nitrate?

.... or else the NH3

And, your ammonia is rising because you're
adding ammonia to an *already cycled tank*!

STOP IT!

Day 3 - added 5 drops ammonia

pH 8.4
NH3 4ppm
NO2 0ppm

....would be NO2 (eventually)

So, my questions a


Is this pH a problem for my fishelss cycle?
If so what can I do about it?
If not, how can I lower it before adding my fish?
Is my main cause of high pH the Hydroxide from the ammonia solution,
or
something before that (since my tap water is at 7.0 and my initial
reading was 8.0)?

Any advice, guidance, help would be really appreciated.

Cheers,

Muddy

I'm not sure why you're adding ammonia to
a small tank that has been seeded from
another tank. Since I fishless cycled my
first tank, I've never had to cycle another -
just used gravel, plants, decorations,
filter media, whatever, to seed the new tank.

Perhaps the high pH is coming from your
ammonia "solution". As noted earlier, you
should be using only pure ammonia.

Meanwhile, why don't you stop adding
ammonia (of any kind) to an apparently
already cycled tank??


Do you agree, Gail?
--
www.NetMax.tk

Gail

Hi,

I think you're rigth about the tap water - I tested it and it's just
the same as the tank.

Thanks!

"NetMax" wrote in message
.. .
"Gail Futoran" wrote in message
...
"muddyfox" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi,

I'm new to this newsgroup, so please redirect me if this question is in
the wrong place.

I'm trying to cycle my new aquarium using Ammonia. Things seem to be
on track except that the pH is climbing to very high levels (pH 8.4
today) and I'm concerned that the bacteria I need for my nitrogen cycle
will not do well in these conditions.

Details:

Small 6 gallon tank
L2000 Ladybird AIr Pump
GPS 370 filter
2 plants
medium well washed gravel + (on day 1) added 2 large handfuls of gravel
from an established tank to seed the bacterial populations.
Tap water treated with de-chlorinator.

Initial water chemistry before start:

pH 8.0 (interestingly the tap water here is pH 7.0 - the tank had sat
for four days before I began. I don't know where this change came
from.)
NH3(Ammonia) 0ppm
NO2 (Nitrite) 0ppm
NO3 (Nitrate) 10ppm

You're already cycled here!

I suspect that it is tap water NO3 which has been measured...

Day 1 - added 4 drops ammonia solution (9.5%) (I suspect this is
Ammonium Hydroxide which would then give me the OH- ions for
alkalinity). NH3 went up to 1.0 ppm

If you use ammonia, you should only use
pure ammonia. Any grocery store should
carry it.

Day 2 - added 5 drops ammonia

pH 8.3
NH3 2.5ppm
NO2 0ppm

What's happening with the Nitrate?

... or else the NH3

And, your ammonia is rising because you're
adding ammonia to an *already cycled tank*!

STOP IT!

Day 3 - added 5 drops ammonia

pH 8.4
NH3 4ppm
NO2 0ppm

...would be NO2 (eventually)

So, my questions a


Is this pH a problem for my fishelss cycle?
If so what can I do about it?
If not, how can I lower it before adding my fish?
Is my main cause of high pH the Hydroxide from the ammonia solution, or
something before that (since my tap water is at 7.0 and my initial
reading was 8.0)?

Any advice, guidance, help would be really appreciated.

Cheers,

Muddy

I'm not sure why you're adding ammonia to
a small tank that has been seeded from
another tank. Since I fishless cycled my
first tank, I've never had to cycle another -
just used gravel, plants, decorations,
filter media, whatever, to seed the new tank.

Perhaps the high pH is coming from your
ammonia "solution". As noted earlier, you
should be using only pure ammonia.

Meanwhile, why don't you stop adding
ammonia (of any kind) to an apparently
already cycled tank??


Do you agree, Gail?
--
www.NetMax.tk

Gail

I still have some questions but reading the
rest of the thread I believe the OP now
has things under control.

That said, I defer to your judgment, NetMax.

Gail