Please Help.

[SocalSith]

Hello everyone, my name is Cesar, and I have been following Aquarium co-op videos on YouTube for two months, and it has been so amazing.

 

The only downside is I started watching after I set up a fish tank without knowing anything. Now I have so many issues I can't figure out how to fix them, so I'm here hoping someone can help or guide or any tips would be good.

 

Main issue

 

My problems started after a power outage; my Ammonia spiked to over 8.00PPM for over one week; daily water changed until I brought the Ammonia down to 0. for a few days, my water was reading 0, but all of a sudden, my water PH is dropping like flies. My PH was always a stable 7.0; now, it keeps falling to 5.8. I have done water changes that will bring the PH to 6.00, but it's back down to 5.8 or lower by the morning. I started doing daily water changes, but it will drop overnight.  I began to notice that my fish tank had white residue all over the rim, glass, and filter.

On top of that, my water is looking greenish, cloudy, dirty. I use the same water for the betta tank, and a  5.5 ( this tank the PH when from 7.8 to a 6.0 overnight) tank and a 10G tank which all turn my water same color all plants died in days. (5.5 gallons & 10 G have no fish) I have been trying to cycle with a PH below 6.0 and GH at 300; by the way, I have been feeding every other day, I also have a 20G long tank I want to set up, but I'm afraid of what can happen.

 

currently, my stats read as follow

 

29 Gallon Fishtank

 

-10 Glofish danio

 

- 9 Guppy

 

- 2 Plecos ( was told it was okay to have in my tank)

 

-  5 Tetras ( at this point, I had no idea about overstocking )

 

PH 5.8 was 6.0 earlier

 

Ammonia, according to Seachem and API its 0. PPM

 

Nitrite 0.PPM

 

Nitrate <20. PPM

 

GH 300 PPM

 

KH 0

 

The water I have been using has been RO/DI water. ( which LFS told me that I should be good to go with nothing to be added)

 

today I test my water from my tap and its

 

PH 7.0 - 7.4

 

Ammonia 0 PPM

 

Nitrite 0 PPM

 

Nitrate <20 PPM or less.

 

Chlorine 0  PPM

 

My question is, can it be the water causing the issue? Or can it be something else? would it be safe to use my Tap water? or what water should I be getting? Would you please help? I don't want my fish to die?

Edited October 10, 2021 by SocalSith

[Waka88]

Did you check to see if your water source PH also dropped?

[CalmedByFish]

If the KH is 0, the pH will be unsteady.

It sounds like your tap water would be fine to use. Can you test your tap to see if it has a KH above 0?

[Hayley]

Not familiar w/ RO/DI water, so I'm just going off what I know from friends/research! However, I do think that you to remineralize RO/DI water or combine it with a little bit of your tap water so it gets some necessary minerals back. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong on that, but that's what I recall.

If kH truly is 0, then the pH is gonna fluctuate a lot. I would get a kH and gH test to verify the kH is actually 0, because I know test strips like Tetra's don't measure it super accurately. If kH truly is a problem, then there's multiple solutions to help raise it like crushed coral and different buffers.

[SocalSith]

I left the water overnight in two of my gallons, and it seems to be the same since I tested last night with similar results.

GH 150

KH 80 – 180

[SocalSith]

On 10/9/2021 at 7:25 PM, Hayley said:

Not familiar w/ RO/DI water, so I'm just going off what I know from friends/research! However, I do think that you to remineralize RO/DI water or combine it with a little bit of your tap water so it gets some necessary minerals back. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong on that, but that's what I recall.

If kH truly is 0, then the pH is gonna fluctuate a lot. I would get a kH and gH test to verify the kH is actually 0, because I know test strips like Tetra's don't measure it super accurately. If kH truly is a problem, then there's multiple solutions to help raise it like crushed coral and different buffers.

I had no idea I had to remineralize, so a 50/50 ration with tap water would be sufficient, or should I go more tapwater 70/30? To keep more minerals? Is RO/DI water even worth getting based on my issues?, or should I use tap water?

just tested water from tank with the following results

5.8 PH 

GH 300

KH 0

Nitrite 0

Ammonia 0

Nitrate <20

i will need to order the API or other liquid test, since I don't have any

Edited October 10, 2021 by SocalSith

[CalmedByFish]

Just brainstorming here, so somebody else weigh in and correct me. But aren't very high ammonia, and very low pH, both things that kill the beneficial bacteria? Among other problems, could the cycle have crashed?

On 10/9/2021 at 9:36 PM, SocalSith said:

I had no idea I had to remineralize, so a 50/50 ration with tap water would be sufficient, or should I go more tapwater 70/30? To keep more minerals? Is RO/DI water even worth getting based on my issues?, or should I use tap water?

 I don't see any reason at all to use special water. The 4 species you listed are commonly kept in treated tap water. I think for those species, you'd only need RO if something was terribly wrong with your tap. (I'm just saying that from observation though, not experience.)

Edited October 10, 2021 by CalmedByFish

[Biotope Biologist]

Your R/O will remove everything from the water so it does not matter what your tap is if you are using R/O your kH and gH will read 0. If you use R/O you must add back in the desired parameters. Most people accomplish this with crushed coral but there are attachments for the R/O that will add back in things as well.

 

Using R/O water for water changes is what is giving you pH swings the carbonate and bicarbonate ions (kH) are being used up by respiration and decomposition. 

 

Like @CalmedByFish said I don't see why you can't use your tap, bypassing the R/O for the species above. You will certainly have more stable water parameters. I'd reduce feeding as your bacteria population adjusts and only do 20% water changes biweekly while your fish and bacteria adjust. Then you can go back to whatever works best for you and your fish. Fish are quite tolerant of our growing pains so no need to stress too bad over your water.

[BMoreHokie]

I am sure this has  been asked before, but what are the paramters of your tap water? You might be over correcting. Do you have prime? That can reset things to give you time to take a step back and let things resolve themselves.  Remember, you can over correct a situation.

[KentFishFanUK]

Just to clarify, is your RO/DI water from your tap? Or are you buying it elsewhere and your tap water is regular municipal water? 

RO/DI water definitely needs to be remineralised, without any KH (buffer) the normal biological activity in a tank will quickly lower pH. 

If your tap water isn't the RO/DI water it sounds sort of perfect for keeping fish and I wouldn't even bother with the RO/DI water at all. If your RO/DI water is from your tap then definitely look up how to remineralise it. 

Oh and you don't sound overstocked for a 29 gallon at all don't worry. Not sure about the pleco's guess it depends what type they are.

[Dwayne Brown]

I have "kind of" a similar problem as you. My tap water has 0 KH. However it is very acidic which helps balance it out a little bit. I also added some crushed coral a while back which is probably long gone but it helped get the water somewhat "less soft" The First thing I would do is start using tap water that you have treated with a dechlorinater. It will be much cheaper and with the fish and stats you listed it would be perfectly fine. What is the Kh of your tap? If it is low you could add some crushed coral to bring it up to a readable number. Then I would take  a bucket fill it with treated water and some peat moss. Then sift the peat moss out and slowly ad some of this water to your aquarium to raise the PH. This will help create an acidic low hardness water which is common in a lot of south American rivers. 

 

Hope this helps

[BlueLineAquaticsSC]

-Unless your tap has really high ammonia or nitrates or something like that don’t  see any purpose in using R/O water for your tank, it’s more expensive and doesn’t have the minerals you need, tap with a water conditioner will probably be easier and cheaper for you.

-you said your new to the hobby, are you familiar with cycling your tank and are you sure it was cycled before you added fish?

-Do you have anything in your tank like driftwood that could be lowering your pH?

[Patrick_G]

I’d choose one of two paths, I think number two is easier in the long term. 

1. Remineralize your RO water using Seachem Equilibrium and/or Seachem Buffer powder.  
2. Discontinue using the RO water and add about three pounds of crushed coral to the tank. That should raise your KH and help keep your tank water close to the original PH from your tap water.