pH changed

DrgRcr

DrgRcr

AC Members
Dec 17, 2008
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Central NJ
Well I've got my tank set up, filter, heater, and air stone running, fake plants, and 3M CQ in. A couple of other decos and a few of those deco stones scattered around. It's been circulating for about a day now and the temp is up to 81. In the filter I am running: Tray 1, coarse sponge, carbon, floss/ Tray2, floss/ Tray 3, floss/ Tray 4, Fluval Bio Rings and floss. On a whim, I decided to check my pH again. I double checked my well from the tap and it was still ~7.5 on the high range test. When I checked the tank water it was up around 8. From what I've read the CQ and fake decos should not alter the pH. Is this a result of an initial startup or is it possible that just a few stones could raise it that much? I did notice a slight odor from the water that seemed to smell like the CQ when I opened the bag. Here are a couple of pics.

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Yes, the culprit could be the stones, they can really mess with your pH, take the stones out and place it in a bucket, pour vinegar on the stones and just see if there is a fizzing action around on the stones;if there is, that means the stone is not good, but if the other don't show the fizzing action, the stone's good to go.
 
Might just be CO2 in the tap water gassing of resulting in a pH rise. I'd try testing the pH of the tap water after it's stood for a day.
 
If it is the degassing of the water(well), then is the higher pH going to be what I have or will it return to the lower levels. FWIW, I've had the same water in an 8g bowl, and it still reads about 7.6
 
Well I did the vinegar test and that showed no fizz, so it's apparently not the deco rocks.
 
Tanks tend to lower in pH as they mature, from what I've heard.

I wouldn't worry too much about the pH. It doesn't have the effect on fish that most people think. As long as your water chemistry stays stable fish will be fine.
 
pappy, that is what I'm starting to think, that maybe I'm worrying too much about exact parameters instead of just keeping things consistent. I'll re-check tomorrow, and if it looks steady, I'm going to start my fishless cycle with the ammonia. One other question, look at my original post. In the part where I list my filter media, does this look OK? Thanks.
 
Well here is what I came up with today. I had set a cup of water out last night from my tap. When I got home today(cup sat for approx 20 hrs), I tested it. The cup came up as 7.8 so it has also risen from the original of 7.5-7.6. I also re-tested the tank and it has risen a little more to about 8.3
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. I'm not sure where to go with this. Should I just add the ammonia and get the cycle going to see where it settles?
 
My KH in the tank and from my tap are both 4.5
 
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