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Post by angelminx on Aug 6, 2014 2:28:41 GMT -5
I don't MEAN to put too much emphasis on this subject, I just happen to be a "born worrier". As long as I don't have to worry about the fluctuations in my pH and Kh readings--i.e.: causing any hardship on my fish--I guess I'll be okay. [Sorry if I have any relapses.] I just wasn't sure if having the KH fluctuate when I'm trying to keep it stable (or raise it a little bit), and thus having my pH fluctuate, was anything to worry about. As long as they aren't huge fluctuations I should be fine, right?
Thanks again for all the input.
p.s. After all the water changes between doses of medication, my GH in the 10G has come down to around 9-10 degrees (tap genreally 8 degrees) from a "normal" of 15-20 degrees.
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Post by Carl on Aug 6, 2014 10:26:04 GMT -5
Correct [qiote]After all the water changes between doses of medication, my GH in the 10G has come down to around 9-10 degrees (tap genreally 8 degrees) from a "normal" of 15-20 degrees.[/quote] Keep in mind that 15-20 degrees GH is not a bad number either, I would be concerned at 28 degrees or 500 ppm GH Carl
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Post by angelminx on Aug 13, 2014 16:59:17 GMT -5
The other day I posted about my lights not comming on (ballast problem, and LEDs "in the mail"). I was wondering about my recent (since then) water quality issues, and if they were directly related to that, or even partly, ie, when I get the new lights will things "go back to normal"?
The lights were out all day on the 11th, and I've had no lights (planted tank) since then:
yesterday's readings at 12:30 PM were: pH: 7.0 (normal ~ 7.4 or 5) KH: 2.5 degrees (has been running at 4 degrees) Nitrate: 8 ppm Nitrite: ~ 1.5 ppm
I added 1/2 tsp Alkaline Buffer, and a tank-size dose of AmQuel Plus (fish showing no signs of stress), and tested again at 5:25 PM: pH: 6.8 KH: 2.5 degrees Nitrite: same Salifert Oxygen Test: 3 mg/l (normal: 12)
I added another 1/2 tsp AKB (and the last of my Stability--more on the way--I forgot to add it earlier); tested again at 9:30 PM (hard to interperet the exact results because of artificial, yellowish lighting): pH: 6.6 KH: 3 degrees Nitrite: just over 1 ppm Oxygen: 3 mg/l
This time I didn't add anything to see if sitting overnight would give the reading a chance to climb back up (which is the usual occurance) 2:10 PM: pH: 6.0! KH: 1 degree! Nitrate: 0 Nitrite: 0 Oxygen: ~9 mg/l
I went ahead and added a whole tsp of AKB this time and will check again a little after 6 PM. Is there something else I need to be doing, or am doing wrong? Will it "correct itself" with the new lights?
HELP!!!
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Post by angelminx on Aug 13, 2014 19:06:47 GMT -5
I just tested my water parameters again in the 55G a little bit ago.
pH: 6.4 KH: 2 degrees Oxygen I am testing later on tonight to see what it is for the evening this time. I also added another tsp of AKB, parameters to be tested again tomorrow. Hopefully they will be up more, but not too much to cause a problem. If they stay the same, or fall, I will add more AKB, but if they rise (unless it's only 0.1 degrees) I will let it go and test later in the afternoon.
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Post by devonjohnsgard on Aug 13, 2014 21:31:53 GMT -5
I think it does have to do with the lights. The oxy effects the pH. I would retest when the lights are running, cause this wont be the norm.
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Post by angelminx on Aug 14, 2014 13:01:31 GMT -5
I tested the oxygen again at 11 PM last night, and it was ~10 mg/l. When I testesd it the 1st time, and got the reading of 3 mg/l, I rinsed the test vial really well, and re-checked it 2 more times and got the same result, while the quarantine tank read the usual 12 mg/l. The quarantine tank has no lights, and it has a couple of trimmed bits of hornwort, and watersprite floating in it, that I take out as they get ragged.
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Post by devonjohnsgard on Aug 14, 2014 16:50:48 GMT -5
I tested the oxygen again at 11 PM last night, and it was ~10 mg/l. When I testesd it the 1st time, and got the reading of 3 mg/l, I rinsed the test vial really well, and re-checked it 2 more times and got the same result, while the quarantine tank read the usual 12 mg/l. The quarantine tank has no lights, and it has a couple of trimmed bits of hornwort, and watersprite floating in it, that I take out as they get ragged. Is this with the LEDs on? I'm just trying to figure out what the normal reading will be with the LEDs and without them. All the parameters including oxy. I wondering if the reading where not normal cause there was no lights for a while.
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Post by angelminx on Aug 14, 2014 17:58:17 GMT -5
There are still no lights on in the tank yet. I contacted Fedex (since I'll be gone most of the day tomorrow), and they said the package is scheduled to arrive on Saturday. So, I will take readings when I first set them up, and then again the next day to see how things are doing and get a base-line., then again a few days later.
I haven't added any ferts since the lights quit working. Also, I haven't used the Quick Vac or done any other cleaning since then, because it's hard to see what I'm doing without lights; I do need to do a top-off, though. I'm going to do a cleaning right after I set the lights up: test, lights, clean,...test. From what I've seen so far, the fish haven't had any problems, I just hope the plants come out of it okay.
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Post by angelminx on Aug 16, 2014 17:35:01 GMT -5
I just got my GroBeams about an hour or so ago. I forgot to test the oxygen level this morning, but it was 10 mg/l yesterday.
This morning (11:35 AM): pH: 7.5 KH: 5 degrees
shortly after installing the GroBeams: pH: 7.6 KH: 5.25 degrees Oxygen: 12 mg/l
It's been really overcast today, so readings could be off a hair seeing as how lighting is not great. When I take readings at night, the yellowish cast of the room lights make it hard to determine exact numbers, too. I'll do another reading tomorrow after the lights have been on a few hours. Also, when I test tomorrow, I will test everything (except ammonia--I thought I ordered that test "refill" when I ordered the other things, but somehow, I forgot again).
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Post by angelminx on Aug 18, 2014 17:03:58 GMT -5
After the LEDs had been on for a few hours Sunday, the readings were:
pH: 7.6 KH: 5 degrees GH: 20 degrees Nitrite: 0 ppm Nitrate: 2 ppm Oxygen: 12 mg/l
I added some Seachem Nitrogen, which took the Nitrate level up to 5 ppm. I waited to test again until today and the Nitrates were 8 ppm. I added another 2 capfuls (5ml) of Nitrogen and tested 20 minutes later. Nitrate: 10 ppm. I added 1 more capful and after waiting another 20 minutes it was ~11 ppm. So I added one more capful (making it 20ml Nitrogen added) and tested after another 20 minutes. This time the reading was ~15 ppm. I'll wait and test again tomorrow to see what the level is at. Normally I don't have to add very much Nitrogen, if any at all, but since there had been no lights for a few days, I'm not sure if that's what affected the levels or not. I'm ordering another Elos Phosphate test kit (since I broke the test tube for it) so I can see how those levels have been affected. I think I only had to add Seachem's Phosphorus maybe 2 or 3 times in the last (?)year or so. I'm still waiting on my Ammonia test kit, but according to the Ammonia Alert everything's fine (I haven't tested this one, because I don't have any ammonia, and have to take it to a store to be able to hold it over a bottle of the stuff.
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Post by angelminx on Sept 14, 2014 0:21:35 GMT -5
I was wondering about the water in the holding "tank" that I set up.
The tap water that I started out with (tested the day before, after sitting for 24 hours) had a pH of 7.5 and a KH of 3 degrees. I filled the (18 gallon tub) with ~ 15 gallons of water, and added 1/2 tsp Seachem Alkaline Buffer (whenever I added the AKB to the 10G tank with an ~ 2 gallon water change I would add 1/4 tsp). I also added the airstone and heater, then tested the next day, after ~ 17 hours. The pH was "8.0" (my new high-range test is running low and I have to add ~ 0.2-0.3 to the results), and the KH was 5 degrees. 24 hours later the pH was "7.8" and the KH 5 degrees. The next day the pH was 7.6 and the KH was still 5 degrees. Today I had to do a water change and top-off so I tested just before (both from the tanks and the holding "tank") and the pH in the tub was 7.4 and the KH 3 degrees! I have not added anything to the water since filling the tub, and have kept the lid on it. Of course the lid doesn't sit square because of the airline tubing and the cord for the heater, but I don't think there has been that much evaporation. Is this supposed to happen?
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Post by Carl on Sept 14, 2014 10:10:22 GMT -5
The only explanation that comes to mind is that you have either or both a natural or outside source of acid buffer in the water. I would make sure the lid fits true and you have an airstone for gentle circulation.
Carl
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Post by angelminx on Sept 14, 2014 17:56:55 GMT -5
I've seen a pump somewhere that you can dial down/up the level of air flow, but the one I have in service right now (the new one, that I just picked up at Walmart) is a Whisper that is rated for 10-30 gallons. The bubbling looks rather vigorous, so how would you suggest I "dial it down" a bit?
After I did my water change(for the 10G)/top-offs(for both tanks) yesterday, I topped off the holding container (with about 4 gallons of water) without adding anything to the new water. Before the top-off the pH had been 7.4, KH 3 degrees, and when I tested it today it was 7.3/~ 2.75 degrees. I drew some water from the tap today, that I will test tomorrow, but as I said, the last time I tested from the tap it was 7.5/3.
BTW, how would you suggest cutting the lid of the Rubbermaid Roughneck to allow the lid to fit better around the airline and heater cord?
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Post by Carl on Sept 14, 2014 20:01:56 GMT -5
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Post by angelminx on Sept 15, 2014 11:41:59 GMT -5
Does "dialing down" the air pressure to the tank create extra pressure on the pump? Is there a specific piece of "equipment" that can help bleed off excess air? On the 10G I have a gang valve set-up, because I sometimes would do extra routing of air to the 55G as well, so I can use it to bleed off excess as needed, but the holding container is in a completely different room, so I can't hook the two systems together.
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Post by Carl on Sept 15, 2014 12:45:15 GMT -5
Does "dialing down" the air pressure to the tank create extra pressure on the pump? Is there a specific piece of "equipment" that can help bleed off excess air? On the 10G I have a gang valve set-up, because I sometimes would do extra routing of air to the 55G as well, so I can use it to bleed off excess as needed, but the holding container is in a completely different room, so I can't hook the two systems together. Yes, dialing down the air flow puts more pressure on the pump. This is where an air line control kit is most handy and you can both control and bleed off air Product Reference: www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Resunairpumps.html#control_kitCarl
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Post by angelminx on Sept 16, 2014 0:44:45 GMT -5
My tap water parameters today (after 24 hrs) were: pH: 7.4 KH: 3 degrees GH: 7 degrees Nitrate: 7 ppm Ammonia: 0 ppm Nitrite: 0* ppm Phos: 1++ mg/l
The water on the holding container was down to: pH: 7.1 (down again) KH: ~2.25 ppm (down again) Nitrate: didn't test Ammonia: 0 ppm Nitrite: ~0.125 ppm Phos: didn't test
*I tested the Nitrite from the tap water SIX times. After the 1st couple of times, I tried with different test tubes. I don't understand HOW it could be 0 (the tap Nitrites are usually ~ 1 ppm) when the water in the holding container (which came straight from the tap a few days ago at ~ 0.175 ppm) is ~0.125 ppm. All my test reagents have at least a year to go on the expiration dates.
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Post by Carl on Sept 16, 2014 9:36:44 GMT -5
Your numbers are not at all unusual.
For nitrites to increase this very slight amount is nothing to be concerned about. This small amount is to be expected if only from air borne contamination (keep in mind the air pump is still pumping in outside air)
Carl
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Post by angelminx on Sept 16, 2014 15:17:53 GMT -5
One of the things that I found strange is the fact that the tap water had NO Nitrites, when always before it has had at least SOME--usually somewhere around 1 ppm.
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