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Hi all, back again for round 2 of great advice

Our 55 gallon tank is finally cycled, 4 weeks later starting with some rocks and fish, not too bad. No casualties and everyone is happy and active.

Question is I've dropped PH levels in the last 5 days.

It was, Date 6/21
Nitrate 5ppm
Nitrite 4ppm (did a 30% water change that evening and dropped it to 2ppm)
ammonia 0
PH 7.4

Today 6/26
Nitrate 10
Nitrite .15ppm maybe less but still not 0 but close
ammonia 0
PH 6.8

Why did our Ph levels drop, most of our fish (read mostly on this board) like PH levels above 7. Our tap water is 7.6ppm. I did add some salt during the last water change to help (I hope) the stress from the high nitrite levels. Would that have caused the PH drop? Or is that just part of the process

Thanks again for everyone's help.

One last question, our water seems very clean but it seems cloudy if you look through the tank. We have our tank setup that we can see both the front and back or through. Is this just a reflection or is the water cloudy?

55 gallon FW API Master Liquid Test Kit.
4 Silver Dollars, 2 Angles, 2 Danios, 6 Tetras, 4 dwarf Guramis, 2 powder blue and 2 red and 1 Black knife Started 5-25-07

PH could be affected by several things it could be some thing in the tank eg rocks, & filter problems.
Colour of water could easly be over feeding or the tank has not settled in properly yet.

Bacteria levels can certainly affect the Ph levels.

Just to make sure get a full test done at your LFS.
What type of test kit did you use?

Have a look in [link=My Profile] http://www.fishprofiles.com/forums/member.aspx?id=1935[/link] for my tank info

Look here for my
Betta 11Gal Desktop & Placidity 5ft Community Tank Photos

Keith

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Thanks keithgh

The test kit is the API master liquid test kit, sorry for leaving that out.

I've done weekly water changes up to 20% leaving the gravel untouched thus far to help reduce ammonia levels. This last WC was 30% just because the nitrite levels were way too high for me, the ammonia had just fallen to 0ppm so it was step 2 in the cycling process. Now 5 days later I believe it's cycled or within a few days but the cloudy water continues. We rinsed all the new rock and decorations. If the tank has not settled in yet what does that mean and or how long does that take?

The water isn't cloudy but it isn't crystal clear either, hope that makes sense.

thanks again.

55 gallon FW API Master Liquid Test Kit.
4 Silver Dollars, 2 Angles, 2 Danios, 6 Tetras, 4 dwarf Guramis, 2 powder blue and 2 red and 1 Black knife Started 5-25-07

Sounds to me like you're still cycling, especially with the nitrIte levels present.

It is entirely possible that with the 30% water change you forced a mini cycle in the tank. Minicycles occur when a tank is overcleaned, overfed, stock increase, or medications cause a die off in bacterial colonies. The bacterial filtration in the tank is a very delicate balance that can be thrown off easily. The end result being a minicycle.

Depending on what type of salts you used they could have caused ph fluctuations.

Any driftwood get added with the new decor?

^_^

No "real" drift wood. All plastic plants (silver dollars in tank eating Romain lettuce and everyone else) and some type of either plastic or ceramic decorations consisting of a house, pretend drift wood and a river.

Still cycling is fine with me, I'm just glad the numbers are way down and going in the right direction.

I'll keep everyone posted.

thanks again.

55 gallon FW API Master Liquid Test Kit.
4 Silver Dollars, 2 Angles, 2 Danios, 6 Tetras, 4 dwarf Guramis, 2 powder blue and 2 red and 1 Black knife Started 5-25-07

Cycling has been known to do funny things with PH. I'd just leave it alone for now.

...Although the term "tank crash" comes from PH crashing down, which generally leads to fish loss. This is usally seen in freshly started overstocked tanks or small tanks. I don't think this is what's going on in your tank but something to be aware of.

^_^

I thought tank crash referred to an otherwise mature and stable tank suddenly experience a rapid decline in pH?

And I really wouldn't worry too much about a pH of 6.8. A steady pH is far more important (within limits...) than a particular pH, and as previously stated, cycling often does odd things to the pH.