# How do i raise my Ph and Alkalinity???



## fishgirl99 (May 10, 2014)

Hello Everyone, 
I am a new comer to this hobby and Im freaking out!! I tried the fishless and one fish method to cycle my tank but it stalled, every time! Never showed any nitrites or nitrates, even after a month and a half. I did 25 to 50 percent water changes every week while using my 1 little cory catfish as a test subject. He survived, but I'm quite frustrated. So I decided to try Tetra Safestart. I dumped the water and started all over. I filled the tank waited a day or two, added the safestart and a few hours later the fish. Its day three, the fish seem to be doing well. Eating, active, and over all happy looking. I have the light on for a few hours during the day but turn it off at night. I'm using tap water treated with Jungle Start Right and left over night to get rid of chlorine. I only feed them a tiny bit twice a day. And I watch them eat every bit. My Ph and alkalinity are very low though. My Ph is reading 6.2 or below, gh is between 75 and 150. I'm using Tetra 6 in 1 Easy Strips. Which don't test for ammonia, that part I don't understand and didn't notice when I purchased. My nitrites are 0, nitrates 0 and chlorine 0. How can I raise the ph and alkalinity without putting more chemicals in? I have and air pump should I be using it in addition to my HOB filter? Does it have anything to do with my low stats? Please help!! 

20 gal tank
40 gal HOB filter w/carbon
2 male guppies
3 cory catfish
2 glofish


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

First WELCOME!
Next ditch the strips as you seem truly concerned about doing things right.They are less accurate than the API master liquid test.
I (even at 6.2) wouldn't worry about your pH!
Things like gH and kH are more important!Your gH is not as far off the "beaten path" as your pH,so I wouldn't really try to adust the pH.
If you feel you have to do something(You don't have too) then CC(crushed coral) in a filter bag is your safest best method.It will evenly increase pH and keeping it in a bag allows you to remove it if necessary.
Again I wouldn't worry about pH.
Test your ammonia and nitrites while cycling and post test results.Water changes are the name of the game while cycling "fish in".


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## fishgirl99 (May 10, 2014)

Thanks!! Im having my husband pick up another test kit on his way home. I will take your advice and just keep an eye on my ammonia and nitrites for a while but the cloudy water still has me a bit concerned. Is it normal?


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## bolram (May 17, 2011)

as coralbandit says defiinitely ditch the strips and replace with the liquid test kits as they are much more accurate and reliable readings.
Cloudy?? Have you moved substrate around? or is it more greenish in colour?


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## fishgirl99 (May 10, 2014)

I haven't moved anything around since setup, I wouldn't really say its green more whitish. And its not bad just not pretty to look at.


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## hotwingz (Mar 3, 2013)

Cloudy water often signals a bacteria bloom. Or if there is inefficient amounts of bacteria. This can also happen if you clean your filter(s) too well.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Cloudy water(I didn't see you mention this before?) is a signal of bacterial INBALANCE!
Not the end of the world and have read of many who have dealt with this without major issue.
IMO it is your filter being under supplied in BB(beneficial bacteria) to the bio load.
If yoy can not give ACCURATEtest results ; ammonia/nitritethen who knows?
I would not be in any rush to add more fish.
Long term (keeping fish for years,not saying I owned them) is more important. 
If water is not clear (and you can't/don't test) then don't ad any fish until it clears completely.


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## fishgirl99 (May 10, 2014)

Oopsies! I had it in there about the cloudiness but deleted it and forgot to put it back in. How can I fix a bacterial imbalance? I don't clean my bio filter but recently replaced my mechanical one when I started over. Do I just wait and keep doing my water changes regularly?


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## fishgirl99 (May 10, 2014)

I have a tank next to the one im talking about that's empty should I put some of the fish into it for now to reduce the bioload? and I thought that's what the safestart was for, it says it "prevents new tank syndrome" now im confused, and frustrated. thinking of taking it all down and getting another hamster. at least I know what im doing there... :'( Keeping fish is hard. For now I have all the fish I can handle so that's not a problem. lol


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## bolram (May 17, 2011)

Less lighting tends to help. If this was a algae bloom that is. You can get some treatments that so call "clump" the bacteria/algae so the filter can more easily remove it from suspension. Its worked for me many years ago. Otherwise small and often water changes help bring it down as well as larger changes


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## bolram (May 17, 2011)

fishgirl99 said:


> I have a tank next to the one im talking about that's empty should I put some of the fish into it for now to reduce the bioload? and I thought that's what the safestart was for, it says it "prevents new tank syndrome" now im confused, and frustrated. thinking of taking it all down and getting another hamster. at least I know what im doing there... :'( Keeping fish is hard.


Unfortunately setting up tanks isn't as easy as shops like to make out they are. Remember they just want to make a sale. A tank to cycle can take in some cases 2 months but usually only 3-4 weeks. 

Patience is they key because once they are fully "setup" they are truly rewarding. Don't give up just yet. You've done the right thing of asking.

The safestart is basically dead bacteria that kickstarts a cycle and then maintain the bacteria growth. It still takes some time to get the bacteria growing once you start using it, and its not like what the bottle or shop sellers say that it creates a safe start for fish. Its just merely one of the factors that starts the bacteria needed. Be patient and wait it out. I'd personally try splitting the fish you have over the 2 tanks. Or possibly asking the LFS if they would take them back or exchange for store credit for future use....


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## fishgirl99 (May 10, 2014)

My tank is right next to a window that lets in a lot of light throughout the day. Could that be a contributing factor? Should I put up a thick curtain?


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## bolram (May 17, 2011)

Direct sunlight will and can cause big algae blooms, which is small algae stuck in suspension in the water. Filters find it hard to remove it fast or effectively so would take several days before you see an improvement in clarity. During this time you would need to cut all lighting to it completely (sunlight and tank lights), many cover it with a blanket for the few days to ensure no light gets to it. The best thing would be to relocate the tank if not possible then you would need to cover any part of the tank that is in direct sunlight (possibly a stick on background you could put around the sides and back).
That is going on the basis it is an algae bloom.

If it is bacteria bloom then it would take slightly longer and it is down to the increased bioload in an uncycled tank. As mentioned in my other post the best option to be is split the bioload across the 2 tanks. This gives the filter a chance to catch up so to speak and start forming the required bacteria all filters need. Again this will take some time and will not just happen overnight.

Keep doing small daily water changed though as this ultimately will help


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

The nitrogen cycle in itself is a bacteria imbalance. Cloudy water is just part of the cycle, why fight it? Once it is completed the cloudiness will disappear...but if it does clear it does not mean your cycle has completed.

Curious...why in a fishless cycle did you change water every week? What leads you to believe that your ph and kh(alkalinity) needs to be adjusted? Is your ph stable?


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## fishgirl99 (May 10, 2014)

While doing the fishless cycle I didn't do water changes, just when I was using my cory as an ammonia producer. 

The reason I was thinking my ph needed to be raised was the fact the when I tested the water it showed as being very low(6.2 or less) and I have read that it should register at least 6.5 or more. Is this not the case? Should I just let it ride so to speak?


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## bolram (May 17, 2011)

As said earlier strip tests are very rarely accurate. Wait until you have a liquid test then retest it you may find its completely different. But you shouldn't worry to much about it.
Just let the tank ride it out as you say, these things take time and usually a lot of it.

Just restrict direct sunlight to a minimum as you don't want algae problems as well.


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