I have a 2.5 gallon tank with 1 beta in it. The tank has been cycling for around 3 weeks. I have been doing tests and I ahve now gotten an ammonia spike and I aslo have a dropping ph level. I have been doing water changes every other day to help the cycle but the tank got very cloudy so Ihavnt done a chage in 2 days. Please help and let me know how to raise the ph back up and help me get throught the cycle. Thanks.
Ph drop and ammonia spike
- Thread starter sweethoneyjlp86
- Start date
With such a small tank I would think that doing a water change should help your pH adjust back to normal...unless your water company messed with something. Has your tap been steady lately?
How much of the water have you been changing out? What is your set up like? What are your actual ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH and KH readings?
As ammonia is consumed, so is KH, and so it's possible to have a pH drop if your KH gets too low. But, if you're doing frequent water changes, then it should help to keep your KH and pH levels more stable.
As ammonia is consumed, so is KH, and so it's possible to have a pH drop if your KH gets too low. But, if you're doing frequent water changes, then it should help to keep your KH and pH levels more stable.
ok, I used to do frequent water changes about 20% everyday, but the water started getting cloudy, so I switched to every other day. Then, my ammonia levels went up when I did that, so I need to stop doing that. My readings are:
pH: 6.5
Nitrate: 0
Nitrite: 0
ammonia: 2.0
I don't know what to do, everything was fine for the first couple of weeks. I don't know what is going on. Please help me.
pH: 6.5
Nitrate: 0
Nitrite: 0
ammonia: 2.0
I don't know what to do, everything was fine for the first couple of weeks. I don't know what is going on. Please help me.
The cloudiness is probably a bacteria bloom; this is not pretty but very normal.
The ammonia of 2ppm requires attention, NOW. 75% water change now, test the water again in 12 hours. You have to keep that ammonia below .25.
If when you test in 12 hrs the ammonia is above.25, do another water change. You will probably be doing daily water changes of 50% or more, until the "cycle" is complete. This normally takes 4-6 weeks.
Do not worry about changing too much water, you can't. The bacteria that you grow during the “cycle” do not live in the water.
Be sure to use a water conditioner with every water change.
The ammonia of 2ppm requires attention, NOW. 75% water change now, test the water again in 12 hours. You have to keep that ammonia below .25.
If when you test in 12 hrs the ammonia is above.25, do another water change. You will probably be doing daily water changes of 50% or more, until the "cycle" is complete. This normally takes 4-6 weeks.
Do not worry about changing too much water, you can't. The bacteria that you grow during the “cycle” do not live in the water.
Be sure to use a water conditioner with every water change.
yeah gotta agree with budrecki on that one. 2 ppm is WAY too high for ammonia considering fish's gills will burn if it gets over .25. It sounds like maybe your cycle might have stalled since your ph is crashing and your ammonia is spiking. It might set you back just a touch but its hard to say from wher I'm sitting 
do some big water changes and it should get you back on track. make sure you keep testing the water and work to get that ammonia down to .25 or less
good luck!
do some big water changes and it should get you back on track. make sure you keep testing the water and work to get that ammonia down to .25 or less
good luck!
Ok, I did a BIG water change because the ammonia was down to .50, which I know is still high. How long will it take for the bacteria bloom to go away? I heard that you were supposed to not change the water everyday if you have that, but if I don't change the water, the ammonia spikes. Should I change the water everyday no matter what? Thanks for the help again. Any other information would be helpful also
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I think a 30% water change every day until your ammonia goes down some more and the bloom goes away would be the way to go. I believe water changes will get rid of the bloom, but it takes some time, and you may be doing daily changes for a little while. that's my $0.02 anyway
good luck!
good luck!
30% may not be enough. You have to test everyday, ammonia and nitrites, and change the water accordingly. For example, if your ammonia tests at 1ppm, a 50 % wc will bring it down to .5ppm. Thats not good enough. You would need to do a 75% water change.
As for the bacterial bloom, don't worry! First keep the fish alvie, then clody water.
As for the bacterial bloom, don't worry! First keep the fish alvie, then clody water.
budrecki said:
ahhh yeah that would make sense given the way ammonia acts in the water. and naturally the faster you can get the ammonia level down the better off the fish will be. So yeah, what budrecki said
basically change out enough water to get your ammonia down below .25 and then you can work on the bloom