Cycling PH etc...

[mrmcmasty]

I have been fishless cycling (for 12 days) I am diligent with water testing and recording the results (I test in the AM & PM) it seems to be going good. The numbers are all doing what I have read they should do... except my ph. It has gone up!?

My ph levels had been steady (7.4 to 7.6) until recently(today and yesterday it was 8.0 to 8.2). I added decoration to my tank 3 days ago. 3 pieces of petrified wood, 1 fake wood deco, 1 piece of welaby wood, 2 live plants, 4 fake plants... so i assumed that was the problem... then I re-tested the tapwater... it is now 8.0 to 8.2 up from 7.4 to 7.6 the last time I tested the tap water was feb 12... so I dont get it... what can I do... should I do?

Heres what I really dont get... 80 of my water was added when I originally set the tank up (the ph was 7.6 then)... the other 20% (8.0 water I guess) was not added until I did an amonia overdose and had to change to get Amonia levels back down... Ok im done... thanks to all who have read this far.

 

[happychem]

Test your tank again.

Also test your tap water after letting it sit overnight. There are two possibilities that spring to mind. Bearing in mind that I'm sick and my mind is a little jumbly at the moment .

The first is that your local water comission changed something, either a short term dose of something or a long term effect.

The second is that for one reason or another there's less CO2 in your tap water. If this is the case, then the pH should equilibrate over time and return to the previous levels. Unless, of course, the previous levels were the anomalous ones.

In any event calling your local water comission should help. Explain to them that you're a hobbyist and that you recently noticed a change in water params. (pH, KH, etc.) and were wondering if there had been some recent maintenance or a permanant change in source water or water treatment methods. This way you can determine whether the water will return to prior levels or whether 8.0 will be a stable pH for you.