* ** **** HELP!! PH is DIVING!!! *** ** *

[Catspa]

Don't know what is happening, but the PH in my quaranteen tank had dropped to around 6.5 !!! I measured it yesterday and it was 8.2. Today I noticed the one fish in it (lawnmower) was breathing heavily, did all the tests, and my PH today is at 6.5.. WTF??? The only thing i did was to leave 4 Spirulia Algea tablets in the tank over night, he didn't eat them - thats the only change i can think of, The tank is a 6g Eclipse, thats been up for 6 months.

I DID a 3/4 water change (Also used Proper PH 8.2) and the ph came up but seems to be diving again.... Fish is showing stress.. as well he should do to ph shock.... BUT I Don't Know what to do now to keep the ph stable... I treated the tank again with a cople of dosses of Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Proper PH8.2 in wich it comes up, but then starts to go back down again... SO WTF is going on, and how can I stablize it. If i can't stabalize it soon i'll have to put the fish in my main tank.

The Sprilia tablets must have caused it!! ANY one have any ideas?

[tinyreef]

test your main tank too (to see if the test kit is good). if not no problem. if so...

 

remove any foods or loose organics. their breakdown creates the acids that are depressing the pH. altho that is faster than i've ever heard.

 

do another w/c 25%~50%. save a little of the fresh w/c and drop in another one of those spirulina algae tablets. measure that control sample's pH later and tomorrow just to confirm the source.

 

leave the lights on for your quarantine tank.

 

btw what are the inhabitants and equipment for the qtank?

[Catspa]

Danm, thanks for reply, but he's died.. I've tested the main tank, and my water supply, everything well within specs. I had siphoned out all the organics that i could, it was the fist thing i did. Yes i've never ever heard of PH dropping so quickly, and so drastically. F'n hobby ####es me off some times, just lost a perfect fish, and its no ones faulght but myself, and i Don't even know why... Now i'm afraid to put anything in the tank, I think i'd like to Pitch it out my F'n window.

 

Yes thats i good idea, i'll save some of the water, and put in another tablet. Just thought of something, i also put in some Seaweed Salad (Green Marine Algea) - I put in a 2" by 2" piece as well as the tablets.. so could have been that. Interesting to note, when i take my hand out of the qtank, it seem to itch, it doesn't do that in my main tank. I noticed this when i put the pice of Green Marine Algae in... I'll test that as well.

 

In habitants, there are non now, it was just the sailfin. Had 2" agronite sand bed, 8lbs of live rock..thermistat, astand eclipse filter.salinity, amonia, nitrite, nitrate, all well within spec.. only the PH.

[BCOrchidGuy]

So sorry to hear of the loss of your fish, a couple things could have happened.

 

Did you check your KH? Carbonate hardness buffers water and helps it to hold a stable pH.

 

Any chance there was an abundance of CO2?

 

Lastly, did you check ammonia? as ammonia rises it lowers pH dramatically.

[Catspa]

No i havent check the KH or GH, but i'd assume they are the same as my main tank, as i use the same water, and use Aquarium Pharmecuiticals Proper Ph 8.2 - wich is a buffer - but its something that i'll test for tommorow, as well as 2 dozen other tests, but i suspect it will be fine.

 

The amonia was slightly raised, but this was expected, and was still well within spec. it was between .25 - .5 Mg/L

 

As for C02, cant see how or why there would be an excess - the filter lid is up all the time, and the water spills back into the tank.. I guess its possible, as a possible side affect of the decomposition of the tablets and aglea..... I don't have a test for it, i'll go get one tomorrow.

 

Still can't believe that this happend so quickly, i've been doing this for a couple of years, and never had this happen, but then again i've never used the algea and spirilia tablets before...

 

anyother ideas, or a consensus.