Regular Member nickie73 Posted January 6, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted January 6, 2008 Okay, as all of you know, I, too, have been trying to cycle my 29g tank for about 80 days now, I think. Anyway, I was told to get a KH/GH test. I got some API test strips that have KH/GH on them. According to the colors on the strip, my KH and GH reads at ZERO. No KH/GH at all in my tap, or tank water. Is this possible? I know nothing about KH/GH. All I know is that I STILL have an uncycled tank!!!!! We are at the new house now and my tank readings now are: Ammonia: .25 Nitrite: 0 Nitrate: 0 PH: 7.2 in tank; 7.2 out of tap KH/GH: 0 The only thing I have in both my filters now are the bio-pads. No bio-stars or carbon or anything. I figured that since I am basically starting over again to try and cycle this thing, I might as well start over almost completely. When I transferred the tank to the new house, I put the filters (with the bio-pads in them) submerged in tank water, so they didn't dry out. If there are any BB's on the bio-pads, they didn't die, but frankly, I don't think there is diddly-squat on them other than some brownish-looking muck. I tested the water out of the tap when we got here and there is no ammonia or nitrates in it and the PH is higher here than at the old house. It is 7.0-7.2. Okay people (Koko!!!! ), I need your help, along with Debbie and Lola and countless others to get my tank cycled! What do I need to do???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Pixiefish Posted January 6, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted January 6, 2008 You have to add crushed coral as a substrate also add it to the filter, if it's possible, too. This will raise the buffering capacity of you water which the BB's need to grow properly. Right now you have NO buffer so the KH is getting used up before the cycle can develop. I'm sure I said this ages ago? Trinket may have some other advice - I know she has virtually no alkalinity either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member nickie73 Posted January 6, 2008 Author Regular Member Share Posted January 6, 2008 Thanks, Pix. I didn't know what my KH/GH readings were until yesterday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Fishy Fish Posted January 6, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted January 6, 2008 Hi Nickie How awful that you have NO KH or GH in your tap water! My tap water is fine, but I seem to be losing the KH in the tank. I found this website for Beginner FAQ: Water Chemistry. Down towards the middle there is a section called "Altering your water's chemistry" that you might find useful. Maybe someone else here will have much better ideas, but I thought I'd share what I found. I wonder what your KH/GH were at the other house? Could that be why the tank never cycled? If I can help you with anything, I'll give it a try. I'm learning as I go along myself! Learning through my mistakes, mostly!!! (You have to laugh about it right? It beats crying! ) Good luck!! Debbie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin koko Posted January 6, 2008 Admin Share Posted January 6, 2008 If you can get a ph upper but you need crushed coral or a buffer to keep it up, you will need to test very often to keep it up there, once you get the KH up to 150 minimum then the ph will stable and you will have to test to see if it starts to go down, if the kh goes down you will need to replace the buffer so the ph wont go down on you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Lolafish Posted January 6, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted January 6, 2008 Yay! Nickie is back!!!!!! Woo hoo!!!! Well think of your water quality as being just like RO right now. If I were you, I'd throw a couple inches of Florida Crushed Coral in the tank (you can go bare again down the road...when you're cycling issues go away), and add back in some bio media in your filter, as just using that floss pad is not going to be enough. Are you willing to try a new starter? Like Bio Spira? That's the only thing I haven't tried yet. I'm trying Stability for a second time in my 45, but no miracles yet. I didn't feel like ordering the Bio Spira overnight yet. But not ruling it out down the road. But nothing will work in your tank if you don't get the carbonate hardness up. You can use Baking Soda in the meantime, until you can get to the store to get the substrate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member nickie73 Posted January 6, 2008 Author Regular Member Share Posted January 6, 2008 Carp! I guess I will have to go and get some crushed coral somewhere; not sure where, though. OMG! I just know I am going to do something to kill my fish. Messing with the PH and buffering and all that can be stressful on the fish, can't it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Fishy Fish Posted January 6, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted January 6, 2008 Sweety, you can always keep them in a large rubbermaid, and cycle the tank without them. You'll still have to do the water changes every day with the rubbermaid, but you can safely mess with/adjust the chemistry with them safely somewhere else. Just my opinion. Debbie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member nickie73 Posted January 7, 2008 Author Regular Member Share Posted January 7, 2008 Sweety, you can always keep them in a large rubbermaid, and cycle the tank without them. You'll still have to do the water changes every day with the rubbermaid, but you can safely mess with/adjust the chemistry with them safely somewhere else. Just my opinion. Debbie I may have to do that. Thanks, Deb! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Pixiefish Posted January 7, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted January 7, 2008 Carp! I guess I will have to go and get some crushed coral somewhere; not sure where, though. OMG! I just know I am going to do something to kill my fish. Messing with the PH and buffering and all that can be stressful on the fish, can't it? You've got to relax a little, hun. Of course you're not going to kill the fish! Adding crushed coral to raise the PH is not going to stress the fish. It will release buffering power slowly and steadily. Just make sure the PH doesn't plunge if you try using baking soda - once the carbonates are used up the PH will start to slide. So you just need to check the PH and KH in this eventuality.PH drops are what they don't like. Buy or order the coral, then get yourself some extra media for the filter and jump start with some biospira. Sorted! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member nickie73 Posted January 7, 2008 Author Regular Member Share Posted January 7, 2008 Carp! I guess I will have to go and get some crushed coral somewhere; not sure where, though. OMG! I just know I am going to do something to kill my fish. Messing with the PH and buffering and all that can be stressful on the fish, can't it? You've got to relax a little, hun. Of course you're not going to kill the fish! Adding crushed coral to raise the PH is not going to stress the fish. It will release buffering power slowly and steadily. Just make sure the PH doesn't plunge if you try using baking soda - once the carbonates are used up the PH will start to slide. So you just need to check the PH and KH in this eventuality.PH drops are what they don't like. Buy or order the coral, then get yourself some extra media for the filter and jump start with some biospira. Sorted! Thanks, Pix!!! I don't think I will try the baking soda. I am going to order some crushed coral today on-line, when I find some. I have some bio-stars for the filter, or should I use something else? As far as the bio-spira, I will definately have to order that as there is nowhere around me to buy it. I may have to wait on that, though, until hubby gets paid again as we are kind of short on cash right now and I know it will be expensive to overnight it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Lolafish Posted January 7, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted January 7, 2008 Nickie, I was thinking today...if your PH is 7.2 ish to start with, there has to be SOME kind of GH/KH readings...otherwise you'de be starting with a PH in the low 6's. Are you sure your KH/GH results are accurate? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Lolafish Posted January 7, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted January 7, 2008 Thanks, Pix!!! I don't think I will try the baking soda. I am going to order some crushed coral today on-line, when I find some. Our LFS's carry it, including major pet dept stores. You can't buy it locally anywhere? Good call on the Baking Soda. It raises my PH with my water, but does nothing for the KH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Lolafish Posted January 7, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted January 7, 2008 Messing with the PH and buffering and all that can be stressful on the fish, can't it? Not really, as it is done gradually. I know the boards are always recommending gradual PH changes, such as .2 daily, etc...but I've done larger jumps than that with no ill effects whatsoever. The only time I've ever seen my fish stress over PH, is when it crashes to the 6 range. They actually seem to do much better in a higher PH. I keep mine in the 7.8-8 range, especially since BB's don't like to work unless they're at 7.8 ish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member nickie73 Posted January 7, 2008 Author Regular Member Share Posted January 7, 2008 Nickie, I was thinking today...if your PH is 7.2 ish to start with, there has to be SOME kind of GH/KH readings...otherwise you'de be starting with a PH in the low 6's. Are you sure your KH/GH results are accurate? I have checked the ph here at the new place and it is 7.0-7.2 out of the tap and in the tank. It may be that those test strips aren't good or something. What KH/GH test do you use? I may need to get another kind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Lolafish Posted January 7, 2008 Regular Member Share Posted January 7, 2008 What KH/GH test do you use? I may need to get another kind. Up till today, I've been using the Tetra brand, becuz it came in the kit I bought last. But I prefer API kits...just at the moment, I can't find the KH sold separately. I think I'll have to order it online. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member nickie73 Posted January 7, 2008 Author Regular Member Share Posted January 7, 2008 I have the API test strips, that was the only way I could get the KH/GH in a test (was also all the vvvvv had). It test PH, KH/GH, nitrite and nitrate. However, according the colors, I have no KH/HG in the tap or tank and the PH is 7.0-7.2???? I also checked the PH with my drop test from API and it reads the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin koko Posted January 7, 2008 Admin Share Posted January 7, 2008 what kinds of things are in the tank hun? like rocks, wood things like that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member nickie73 Posted January 8, 2008 Author Regular Member Share Posted January 8, 2008 what kinds of things are in the tank hun? like rocks, wood things like that? Just some river rocks scattered on the bottom, very few really, and a fake plant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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