Tobrienne
06-11-2012, 04:08 PM
Hey Everyone!
So I decided to check my tap waters pH swing. This is what I found:
It went from 7.4 (start) up to 8.2 in one hour. Then every hour for about 3 hours after it stayed at 8.2 so I went to bed and decided to check in the morning. It was still 8.2
My discus tank's pH is 7.4 and it comes from my tap. I have not done a WC since the day before yesterday.
History:
My original air pump and filter blew on my discus tank and therefore I was forced to shove them into a 8 day cycled new tank. It was properly cleaned and the 7-day cycle was done on it with Stability as was recommended by quite a few people. I was trying to sift thru m y threads to see who all suggested but couldnt so I'll give a brief explanation: they had multiples successes with this method. 3/4 full bottle of stability.. shake for 2 solid minutes extremely hard until you cant shake anymore.. the product must be foamy and white. Then add amounts to the tank for 7.5 days and it will be cycled. I read several people doing this method with success so I tried it. It went thru all the proper motions and spikes and then levelled out so I felt it was safe to put my pair in there. So far so good and they seem to be happy with their new home.
So my question is.. since my tanks pH is only 7.4 and my tap water test levelled out at 8.2... something must have buggered up my pH test. There are no additives in the tank therefore I'm not sure why the pH is as low as it is in the tank. I have begun another pH test earlier in the day so I can monitor it more closely and it started out at 7.4 and it's a glass of water with the airline tubing in it. Bubbling away quite happily.
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All of that being said I am fully prepared to have a aging barrel on standby to help with the swings if necessary. I've got 2x 5g culligan jugs that I used to use for my WCs before I got the python. I will be setting up my double output pump into each of these jugs filled with water so that when I need to do my gravel cleanings I will have aged water to return to the tank instead of the tap water I have been using.
I will keep posted my results with the test and any comments or tips on the matter are, as always, appreciated.
So I decided to check my tap waters pH swing. This is what I found:
It went from 7.4 (start) up to 8.2 in one hour. Then every hour for about 3 hours after it stayed at 8.2 so I went to bed and decided to check in the morning. It was still 8.2
My discus tank's pH is 7.4 and it comes from my tap. I have not done a WC since the day before yesterday.
History:
My original air pump and filter blew on my discus tank and therefore I was forced to shove them into a 8 day cycled new tank. It was properly cleaned and the 7-day cycle was done on it with Stability as was recommended by quite a few people. I was trying to sift thru m y threads to see who all suggested but couldnt so I'll give a brief explanation: they had multiples successes with this method. 3/4 full bottle of stability.. shake for 2 solid minutes extremely hard until you cant shake anymore.. the product must be foamy and white. Then add amounts to the tank for 7.5 days and it will be cycled. I read several people doing this method with success so I tried it. It went thru all the proper motions and spikes and then levelled out so I felt it was safe to put my pair in there. So far so good and they seem to be happy with their new home.
So my question is.. since my tanks pH is only 7.4 and my tap water test levelled out at 8.2... something must have buggered up my pH test. There are no additives in the tank therefore I'm not sure why the pH is as low as it is in the tank. I have begun another pH test earlier in the day so I can monitor it more closely and it started out at 7.4 and it's a glass of water with the airline tubing in it. Bubbling away quite happily.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All of that being said I am fully prepared to have a aging barrel on standby to help with the swings if necessary. I've got 2x 5g culligan jugs that I used to use for my WCs before I got the python. I will be setting up my double output pump into each of these jugs filled with water so that when I need to do my gravel cleanings I will have aged water to return to the tank instead of the tap water I have been using.
I will keep posted my results with the test and any comments or tips on the matter are, as always, appreciated.