# Water TROUBLES!!!!



## bentleytech (Nov 22, 2010)

Hey all,

I am having trouble getting my water in two 10 gallon tanks set. My PH in one keeps jumping to 8.8 and the ammonia level is at 1.0, Nitrate 5.0, Nitrite 0 and my newer tank is the same except for the PH is 7.2. The bad tank has two black skirt tetras, 2 cardinal tetras with ICH and 1 aquatic frog and 2 male guppies and I just took out the remaining 2 female guppies ( had 4 females). The Cardinal Tetras have ICH and I had started the treatment on sunday with Ich Gaurd II but gave up on it yesterday due to it had no effect on the ich. Today I got some salt and put that in after testing the water. This tank has been set up for 3 weeks with weekly cleanings and 25% water changes every sunday night. When I change the water I use 5 ml of chlorine remover and 5 ml of cycle. I have not changed the filter yet. I am also noticing the tank is starting to smell like a dirty pet store. When cleaning I also vacuum the gravel every second water change. I had the water tested 2 weeks ago at Island and they said the water was real good and all levels were in line. Now the main thing I have noticed is that the PH level keeps jumping and I am assuming this is what is killing the fish off.
Any suggestions? Mike


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## Aaron (Apr 21, 2010)

Looks & sounds like they have not cycled yet.


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## corad96 (Nov 24, 2010)

It could be a contaminated tank orniment. has any of your tank decorations been from anywhere other than a pet store?


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## bentleytech (Nov 22, 2010)

Corad96- no all my equipment was purchased the same day and all was cleaned. The part that baffles me is when I had the water tested 2 weeks ago it was fine. Now my PH keeps jumping. I know the tanks have not finished cycling but I didn't expect the PH to be rising daily. I can treat it with PH Down and 24 hours later it is back up again.


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## tony1928 (Apr 22, 2010)

What's the substrate that you are using? pH doesn't usually rise for no reason? Anything else in the tank?


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## bentleytech (Nov 22, 2010)

What is substrate? All I have in the tank is 3 fake plants and a airplane ornament and gravel but i cleaned all of it real good before it all went in and they were put in the first day? I just lost one of the Cardinal Tetras. These fish are dying off pretty quick.I wish I knew what I was doing wrong, getting frustrating saying good bye to these poor little guys.


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## Sandy Landau (Jun 4, 2010)

Some kinds of rock or gravel or ornaments can raise the ph. 
Possibly you took your water in to be tested very soon after a water change? Maybe the pH goes up when the water sits in your tank for awhile. Some gravel is made for African cichlid tanks and is designed to raise the ph. Maybe you have that kind of gravel in your tank?

Where did you get your gravel and what's it called?

Blackskirt tetras are very hardy and guppies can tolerate harder water. But if you have ich in your tank then you should treat all of them for ich. The fish possibly got ich because of the water conditions. Once you've gotten rid of the ich and cycled your tank, then you should be fine for fish. It's frustrating at first when things go wrong. 

If you have any coral in your tank, or anything made for a saltwater tank, your ph will go up.


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## bentleytech (Nov 22, 2010)

The gravel as well as everything else including fish were purchased from Island so I am sure they sold me equipment that was compatable with the fish I was buying. I picked out the fish then purchased the equipment and then after a week I purchased and put the fish in the tank. The water was tested before the fish were put in but after a week of the tank being set up, and was tested so that I knew the fish were going to live and it was the day before the cleaning.
As for the Ich, I am treating the whole tank. I am just not using Ich Gaurd any more. I am using salt instead. But I just started using salt tonight. This is what I don't understand........nothing is new, I change 25% of the water every week and treat all new water with a chlorine remover and Aquafin Cycle. There has been no new fish, plants or anything and yet the PH rises. I am sure this is why I am loosing fish.
What are things that will make PH rise? Can Ammonia and Nitrate come back and will that cause the PH to rise or is it just too early for this tank yet and it needs to finish cycling before I worry about it too much? I am so confused.....this is my 2 year old son's first pets and it's not going so well. He now thinks fish live in the toilet.


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## bentleytech (Nov 22, 2010)

Oh and I have turned the temp up on the heater. It sits nicely at 82 and doesn't fluctuate.


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## djamm (Sep 25, 2010)

well, to me it also sounds like your tank has not cycled. I would start doing more water changes, and changing a little more of the water say 40% every two days.

Good Luck and I hope everything finds a natural balance.


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## bentleytech (Nov 22, 2010)

I will start doing more water changes then. Thanks to all who posted.


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