Wait a minute--are those the test results for your tap water? That won't be very sueful--there are a lot of things that could happen there to cause fluctuations. What's important is the stability of the water in your tank...
ph ? 4 u
- Thread starter alphabetta
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Repeat the pH time trial in the bowl as done previously, this time with an aerator in the bowl. 3-5 days max would be required before the curve is flat (as it was before).
Your water is either very high CO2, or it has been "pH shocked" by the water processing treatment.
Your water is either very high CO2, or it has been "pH shocked" by the water processing treatment.
The water in the tank behaves exactly the same way as the water in the bowl, it spikes then it bounces around, gradually getting higher, now after 3 wks its ph is almost 9.
I did the bowl test to see if it was the tap water or if there was something in the tank making fluctuations. It seems to be the water itself.
After a little consultation, someone suggested to me that if the water were high in organic matter this could be the problem. He suggested a "cure" for this which I am going to try.
If that doesnt work I will try aerating as you suggested RTR.
Incidentally, I think that 430 ppm of total dissolved solids is high, is that going to be a problem? And also, what do you think of the "organic matter in the water" diagnosis? With our water and where we live I would bet money that there is a lot of o.m. in the water, the question is if its the cause of ph fluctuations.
I did the bowl test to see if it was the tap water or if there was something in the tank making fluctuations. It seems to be the water itself.
After a little consultation, someone suggested to me that if the water were high in organic matter this could be the problem. He suggested a "cure" for this which I am going to try.
If that doesnt work I will try aerating as you suggested RTR.
Incidentally, I think that 430 ppm of total dissolved solids is high, is that going to be a problem? And also, what do you think of the "organic matter in the water" diagnosis? With our water and where we live I would bet money that there is a lot of o.m. in the water, the question is if its the cause of ph fluctuations.
Somehow I missed OG's refugium comments - yes there are folks who do the same for FW w/reverse light cycle veggie filters. At least one of those folks posts here routinely, and has now started experimenting w/24/7 lighted refugia rather than just reverse-light-cycle. 
alphabetta - we have not asked specifically - is this tank planted? If so, what plants? Val? also what is the light level? And the tank volume.
To lose that quantity of GH and KH in a week is not normal.
High-organic water is also uncommon (requires highly specialized processing). If this is the case for your water system, you really need to contact the engineers at the processing plant and learn what is done to the water and what effects they expect you to see.
alphabetta - we have not asked specifically - is this tank planted? If so, what plants? Val? also what is the light level? And the tank volume.
To lose that quantity of GH and KH in a week is not normal.
High-organic water is also uncommon (requires highly specialized processing). If this is the case for your water system, you really need to contact the engineers at the processing plant and learn what is done to the water and what effects they expect you to see.
yes the tank is planted, its just a little 10 gallon, sand substrate, 2 anubias plants, 2 crinum plants, a stand of cypt. walkerii var lutea and 2 bunches of java fern. Plants are doing great. A few larger aqarium gravel stones in and a large rock too. 1.5 wpg. no fish, not cycled.
I live out here in a rural "improvement district" . Our water comes from 2 ground wells. We are 1/4 mile away from a huge lake, area is largely forrested, farmland is also nearby.
I don't know what special proccesses have to occur to produce organic matter in the water supply, I know that this "improvement disctrict" doesn't put forth much effort to improve anything. It does as little as it can to comply with any govt regulations, sometimes it doesn't even meet gov't standards. And thats on other things, not just the water.
So anyway, thats what I have to work with and I am going to try to deal with it first as was suggested to me by the organic material guy, then go from there.
And BTW, I don't even have a clue what you are talking about in that first paragraph.....ok I have a clue but its not a very clear one. I'm still new at aquaria, and I chose low-tech low-care plants for that reason!
I live out here in a rural "improvement district" . Our water comes from 2 ground wells. We are 1/4 mile away from a huge lake, area is largely forrested, farmland is also nearby.
I don't know what special proccesses have to occur to produce organic matter in the water supply, I know that this "improvement disctrict" doesn't put forth much effort to improve anything. It does as little as it can to comply with any govt regulations, sometimes it doesn't even meet gov't standards. And thats on other things, not just the water.
So anyway, thats what I have to work with and I am going to try to deal with it first as was suggested to me by the organic material guy, then go from there.
And BTW, I don't even have a clue what you are talking about in that first paragraph.....ok I have a clue but its not a very clear one. I'm still new at aquaria, and I chose low-tech low-care plants for that reason!
