pH Dropped - Help Please

[Steve C]

Just tested my pH, always been 7-7.5, tonight its 4.5-5.
Tank is Jewel Rio 180, standard internal filter, lots of plants, slate and granite, couple pieces of bog wood, gravel substrate. Probably 2-3 weeks since last tested. Tested tap water its 7-7.5. What the hells going on and what should i do.
Water change 30% twice a week. Zero Ammonia and Nitrite, Nitrate 5-10.

 

[Doodles]

Test the KH

Have you got co2 running?

You need to get it back up but slowly, the ph being that low could start to kill off the bacteria in the filter.

 

[Doodles]

Also im going to presume you double checked the reading

 

[Steve C]

Hi dont have a kh test can probably get one tomorrow. No co2 use aqua essentials liquid carbon.

 

[Steve C]

Also im going to presume you double checked the reading

3 times

 

[Doodles]

ok personally i would do a waterchange of say 20-25% to bring it up out of the danger area and def get a KH kit tomorrow. If it is the KH then you can add things to raise it and make it more stable.

How long have you been using the liquid carbo?

 

[Doodles]

3 times

lol i knew you would but had to check

 

[Steve C]

How long have you been using the liquid carbo?

Since the tank was set up back in December, 3ml a day.

 

[Doodles]

ok best thing at this time imo is get the KH checked plus the water change

 

[Steve C]

ok best thing at this time imo is get the KH checked plus the water change

ok will do thanks for the help

 

[Doodles]

Meant to ask, when you check the tap water ph, do you let it stand for 24 hrs first/or add aeration to it before taking a reading?

 

[Doodles]

How long have you had the wood? and what sort is it? Is it releasing any tannings?

sorry for multiple posts, keep remembering things to ask.

 

[Steve C]

errrrr.............. no, Why??????????

 

[scatz]

the ph of the tap water will alter over a 24 hr period, or a couple of hrs if airating, it may be that the tap water actually drops quite low, then the plants and ferts are dropping it even lower, take a sample of tap water again but add an air stone to it for an hour then check again

 

[Steve C]

How long have you had the wood? and what sort is it? Is it releasing any tannings?

sorry for multiple posts, keep remembering things to ask.

4-6 weeks now, bog wood from MA, a little discolouration.

 

[Steve C]

the ph of the tap water will alter over a 24 hr period, or a couple of hrs if airating, it may be that the tap water actually drops quite low, then the plants and ferts are dropping it even lower, take a sample of tap water again but add an air stone to it for an hour then check again

Hi Brian, never tested the tap water before just panicked when tested tank and tested the tap water, will fill a cup and test again tomorrow. Tank has always been 7-7.5 before.

 

[Doodles]

4-6 weeks now, bog wood from MA, a little discolouration.

Hi Brian, never tested the tap water before just panicked when tested tank and tested the tap water, will fill a cup and test again tomorrow. Tank has always been 7-7.5 before.

Could well be the wood helping to affect the parameters. Still def get a KH test kit and let us know.

 

[Doodles]

Normally when you aerate tap water, the reading will go up due to gases dissipating.

 

[Irene0100]

wood, especially new wood will lower ph. might be worth taking one bit out and leave soaking in a bucket for a few weeks until tank is more stable.

 

[Doodles]

Hows it going today?