GoldnTexas 104 Posted February 17, 2016 (edited) Tested again this morning, pH = 8.2 Ammonia = 1.0ppm Nitrite = 1.0ppm Nitrate = 0ppm the nitrate test started to color up above the yellow but its not to 5ppm, its still closer to 0ppm but has some very slight orange, so still saying 0ppm. Very happy at the jump in nitrite though over night! So excited! Edited February 17, 2016 by GoldnTexas 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shakaho 6,312 Posted February 17, 2016 Looking good! 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fantailfan1 26,742 Posted February 17, 2016 Wow!! Moving along nicely! 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DawnMichele 6,045 Posted February 17, 2016 Congratulations!!!! 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GoldnTexas 104 Posted February 18, 2016 (edited) Good morning ya'll! Just did my morning test and got what I think is the following readings pH = 8.2 (by the way my tap pH is 7.0 so I'm not sure what that means for water changes later, just thought I would put the info in here) Ammonia = 1.0ppm Nitrite = 2ppm or 5ppm I can't tell the difference... so I will post picture Nitrate = 0ppm Let me know what needs to be done from here please Thank you all again for the awesome help! Chris Edited February 18, 2016 by GoldnTexas 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GoldnTexas 104 Posted February 18, 2016 bump 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shakaho 6,312 Posted February 18, 2016 Do a 50% water change and retest. I can't tell either, but if it is 2.0, it should read 1.0 after the water change. Test the pH of both the tank and tap after the change. 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GoldnTexas 104 Posted February 19, 2016 (edited) I can't for the life of me figure out my tap pH, its between 6.4 and 7.0 depending on what time of day i take the reading it seems... after the water change the ammonia and nitrites were as follows in the picture my tank pH after water change looked like this... was confused by that reading so i took it again... no idea what my tank pH is but it looks like 8.0-8.2 which I don't understand how it would swing THAT much unless it was my sand, or the quartz rocks? I don't want to add many more pictures, but if you want to look at the tests for the tap pH I can attach them in a new message. This pH is frustrating me a lot. Edited February 19, 2016 by GoldnTexas 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GoldnTexas 104 Posted February 19, 2016 Maybe I am looking at the pH the wrong way. I mean it didn't drop almost at all after I refilled it. I took the reading almost immediately and it was still around 8.0-8.2... If it were to have dropped down that would be bad right? Can someone explain this to me so I can gather a better understanding? 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shakaho 6,312 Posted February 19, 2016 (edited) Your ammonia (0.5) and nitrite (0.5) look good. Did you test for nitrate? The nitrite went down more than one would expect from just dilution. I find high range pH very difficult to read. Your first tank reading might be as clear a 7.4 to 7.6 as I've seen. The second looks like 8. Test this morning and see what you get. Also please draw a bucket of tap water, measure the pH, let it sit until this evening, test again and report both. I expect the pH to go up. Read this article for some hints about what might be happening. Edited February 19, 2016 by shakaho 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GoldnTexas 104 Posted February 19, 2016 I found the water report from my municipal utility district and the pH listed on their site is 7.4 if that helps narrow it down a little bit. I put water from tap into a large bowl and retested the tank pH. In the bowl the pH from tap looks between 7.0-7.6 again but having the number from the MUD helps narrow it as they say 7.4. here is the tank pH reading this morning I will test for the ammonia/nitrite/nitrate in a little while, have to feed the toddler breakfast as he just woke up 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shakaho 6,312 Posted February 19, 2016 Get that hungry tyke fed! 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GoldnTexas 104 Posted February 19, 2016 Ok heres the ammonia, nitrite, nitrate this morning... Ammonia nitrite aaand nitrate looks like i have some nitrates! 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
koko 14,281 Posted February 19, 2016 YEAH NITRATES!!! WOOOT!! Looks like your Ph goes up over night..lets see how that bowl of water is doing today 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GoldnTexas 104 Posted February 19, 2016 (edited) I think its the sand... it was that caribsea "instant aquarium" Tahitian Moon sand... when I ordered it I thought it was the dry sand... so I have no idea. I hope I don't have to take the sand out, it was $30 with shipping Edited February 19, 2016 by GoldnTexas 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GoldnTexas 104 Posted February 19, 2016 shakaho, I read your article too, perhaps there is a lot of carbon dioxide added to our water to lower the pH initially? and it will raise up to the true pH after gassing off? is that the reason we're leaving the bowl of water out to offgas? What would I need to do if that is the case to buffer it? when I do water changes would I need to leave out 20-30 gallons of water for 24 hours every water change??? 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shakaho 6,312 Posted February 19, 2016 I see 7.4 to 7.6 on the tap water. It's not the sand. It's your tap water. Read the article I linked you to in post #35. You really don't have a problem, but I need to see what happens to tap water as it sits before I can explain completely. 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shakaho 6,312 Posted February 19, 2016 Awww, you figured it out. No, you won't need to store water. Recall what happened yesterday when you did a water change. The pH went from 7.4 to 8.0 in the time it took to retest it. That says your tank water pH is very stable. If you worry a lot, you could remove 20 gallons of old water replace 10 gallons, let it equilibrate a few minutes and add the other 10, but I doubt you will need to do that. 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GoldnTexas 104 Posted February 19, 2016 awesome! So do I still need to test this bowl of water tonight? 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GoldnTexas 104 Posted February 19, 2016 From this point do I just need to wait on the nitrates to build up? Will they take care of the rest of the ammonia/nitrites? How high should they be before I do a water change? Are we close to getting our fishies?? 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fantailfan1 26,742 Posted February 19, 2016 Does your water report give you a number for KH/alkalinity? 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shakaho 6,312 Posted February 19, 2016 awesome! So do I still need to test this bowl of water tonight? Actually, test it now. Let's see how fast it goes up. 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GoldnTexas 104 Posted February 19, 2016 Does your water report give you a number for KH/alkalinity? No, I just have the api master test kit 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shakaho 6,312 Posted February 19, 2016 From this point do I just need to wait on the nitrates to build up? Will they take care of the rest of the ammonia/nitrites? How high should they be before I do a water change? Are we close to getting our fishies?? I want to see the ammonia and nitrite go away, which should happen in a few days. Then we will add more ammonia and watch it clear. What is the situation with the fishies? Do you have some in another container or are you going to buy some? 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GoldnTexas 104 Posted February 19, 2016 (edited) awesome! So do I still need to test this bowl of water tonight? Actually, test it now. Let's see how fast it goes up. Edited February 19, 2016 by GoldnTexas 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
