pH decrease since saturday!? Help

[Erk]

My pH has always been 7.0 in my planted tank, cause I use a 7.0 stabilizer, and I added a new co2 system over the weekend, and decided to run an airstone 24/7 since I was already running it at night, and the directions for the new co2 system said to place the diffuser near water current, so I put in near the airstone, and decided to run the airstone all the time, and the co2 only during the day, which I thought was the way to do it, and now I checked the pH today, with the lights on, and its 6.4!?! :shock:

I really dont know how to handle this from here? I seem to gotten in over my britches! haha...too much equipment, and I dunno how to fix things anymore at this point

Any help is greatly appreciated as always!!

Thanks!

[Erk]

Sorry, but I forgot to mention the fish seem fine as far as I can tell right now, all out swimming around chasing eachother, and the ocean is now picking back on the others, the only one who doesnt really pick on anyone is the new pigeon.

Thanks

[ILLUSN]

6.4 is fine the co2 will drop ph thats how i keep my ph stable dont worry just keep checking it it should stabilize if it gets too low drop the co2 bubble rate

[Erk]

Thanks ILLUSN! My dial to open and let out more bubble versus less out is about as closed up as it can be, with it still make bubbles in my bubble counter......the fish seem more active today then they have....like I said even the ocean is picking back now! :D

Wont I have a swing back up at night? Or are you saying watch it tonight a lil bit after it goes off to see what it does? Or do I need to leave co2 running with the airstone all night, like I believe you just told someone else today?

A quick change down to 6.4 from 7.0 since saturday...Never checked it yesterday, but I did a 40% water change friday the same way I always do and put fresh water in with a pH of 7.0....wont harm my fish??

Thanks again for your help! I really appreciate it! :D

[Erk]

Sorry if that was choppy....I reread it, and it sounds bad! haha


What I was saying is I dont think I can slow down the bubbles anymore then they are, I can check

and at the end....a drop in pH like that, that quick, wont harm my fish? Or should I "prepare" myself? haha

Thanks again

[ILLUSN]

The water shange wont do any harm i've replaced 120L of ph 6.5 water with water 7.3 (dont ask long story) and the fish were fine (actually how i got my biggest spawn ever), run the co2 constant and check ph morning (when lights come on should be lowest co2 conc if you turn on air stone at night) and night( just as lights go off should be highest co2 conc) if the diffrence is 0.5 or less dont worry, fish wont notice. acidic is better then neutral for discus i aim for 6.5 i'm sure most others do too.

[Erk]

Thanks ILLUSN, and Im sorry to hear about your issue with your pH, but Im glad everything turned out ok! :D

I will check tonight when the lights go off, but unfortunately nobody here to check pH when the lights come in the morning until thursday....maybe? I will put the co2 on constant, and yes, the airstone runs constantly now...used to be just at night with the two fermented systems during the day. I will just have to go by whatever the results are when the lights go out? Maybe I can stay up a lil bit later and see what it is right before bed, but again....the issue will be the morning, when the lights come back on.

I dont mind it being low, I just want it to stay steady

Thanks very much! :D

[Erk]

Lights out....pH still at 6.4 with co2 running and the airstone still running....will check it again in the morning before I leave for work, lights will still be off then, but still no way to check right after the lights come on, cant do that till thursday :(

Thanks

[ILLUSN]

if it stays at 6.4 then just leave it there you will have very happy fish :D

[Erk]

Thanks ILLUSN....they do seem happier! :D Except the pigeon kinda hangs out on an angle pointed downward?? I have another thread going about wanting to some sort of treatment to him in the illness and med section. www.discusforums.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12335

I checked pH again this morning before I left for work, and it was still 6.4, but I noticed nothing was bubbling in my bubble counter, so I turned it up a lil bit more, just enough to make it bubble....I will check it again when I get home, Im sure! haha! I guess I will run right through this first co2 cylinder in now time, but hopefully I can get it under control for the next bottle, and things will last a lil longer....Ima try to find them a lil cheaper online today...its nice to work somewhere were you can play onlline all day! haha

Thanks very much! :D [/url]

[Erk]

Came home...checked pH and it is back up to 7.0, and the bubble counter is not bubbling, so I guess SOMEHOW i managed to have them bubbling too fast...I thought it was barely open :?: :evil: Anyways....it will be a lil bit till i get back out to get another cartridge, to try things again, so hopefully I didnt mess them up too bad, with this up and down pH. I got some nice interesting brown slimy like see-thru algae stuff growing on my plants...dunno what that is about but I guess off to the amazon garden? hahaha


Thanks for your help....shoulda got the red sea pro system or whatever its called....I think I can hook any standard cylinder up to that thing!