Crystal Clear Water, high ammonia n ph Options

[SpaXx]

hello guys i has set-up a 4feets tank(250L) 3 weeks ago with bottom sump tank filtration system( which come with 4 compartments ) and a UV light filter in the tank. current tank living with 5 adult GFs size length from 12-15cm( 3 ranchu 2 ryukin ).

my sump tank setting : 1st compartment japanese matt filter n others filter materials, 2nd compartments japanese ceramic bio-ring( i has alot of coral chips previously but it has been removed due to the high hp level reading as in 8.5 but it seem useless ph still the same, hence i suspect is the ceramic ring raise up the hp level? ) 3rd compartment wool filter and the last compartment zeolite n active carbon ( i added in zeolite 2 weeks ago. suppose to reduce the ammonia as it read at 4ppm but it still maintain at 4ppm do 80% WC and check again with ammonia tester after few hours.. 4ppm still )

fishes look healthy but there's a ryukin size about 14cm become a floater n float aside n it will swim if there's people close to the tank, eating still ( suspect it's SBD but doesnt seem like ) 1 weird thing.. the floater black colour on fins n tails fade sometime n then gain dark sometime and it's black repeat dark light dark light ( it never experienced this before when it is at the another 3feets tanks( ammonia - 0 , ph - 7 ) dont know if it is related to high ph level which doesnt suit to him? or the high ammonia level?

any suggestion?? to tank's high ammonia, hp level? and the ryukin i has mentioned? anyway no ammonia burn sign appear at GFs

[bekko]

Sounds like the tank may not be cycled and you should continue to do heavy water changes. Either that or your ammonia test kit does not work correctly. The SBD could have been bought on by poor water quality.

What is the pH in your house tap water?

-steve

[SpaXx]

tap water ph reading at 7. ammonia test kit shown working properly, i has used it to test another mature tank with the tester. and it's reading 0 ammonia. what's happened to my ryukin i have really no idea. it's a calico maybe the colour fade is due to poor water quality but how about floating? is the high ammonia causing it become floater or the ph level doesnt suit to him?

[bekko]

The high ammonia in a new tank is understandable. The high pH is strange. Did you add baking soda? Was it previously a marine tank? Might be something coming out of the ceramic rings as you suspect.

The ryukin problems are probably related to poor water quality. The combination of high ammonia and high pH is dangerous. High pH makes ammonia even more toxic.

-steve

[SpaXx]

Did you add baking soda? Was it previously a marine tank?

no i dont use baking soda n it's a new tank

The ryukin problems are probably related to poor water quality.

ya i guess so.. he's healthy n horny enough n has just mating with a female ryukin.. afterall then goes back to floater

The combination of high ammonia and high pH is dangerous. High pH makes ammonia even more toxic.

ya i knew that.. 0.3 ppm ammonia is an ideal for ph8.5.. have to find out what's raising the hp to this unexpectally higher level. perhaps i should take a small tub fill in with tapwater n then add in some ceramic ring to see how the ph goes

[SpaXx]

just do the test n found ceramic-ring raise up the ph level any method to lower the ph level by not replace the ring with other materials

[bekko]

Ceramic will not change the pH so there must be something down in the pores of the media that is doing it. You could try soaking in muriatic acid to dissolve whatever is caked inside the media. Vinegar might work too but will take longer.

-steve

This post has been edited by bekko: Wed, 04 Feb 2009 2:06 pm

[SpaXx]

are you sure that ceramic ring won't raise up the hp? i had fill in tap water into a small tub n test it's ph b4 adding ring into it n got it reading as in ph7 after 1 hour n test again the tap water n it shown the same ph level. so i started to add few ring about 10 into the water n test it after 2hours n got the result as in ph8 according to your said that ceramic ring wont change the ph but y i will got this result? really weird n it's freaking me off

[SpaXx]

taken out zeolite at the past two days n has a ammonia check today n finally it's shown 0 ammonia but ph still remain da same 8.5

[goldrush]

Here's one test you may like to try if ceramic rings are causing a surge in pH

The ceramic rings you have in the tank, take them out, and try pouring some white vinegar on them. If they bubble or foam from the vinegar, that means they'll raise the ph in the tank-they somehow contain lime or calcium that maybe leeching out into your tank. As far as I know ceramic rings are inert and do not affect pH but if your ceramic rings are not new or are used in another setup,maybe some contaminants have found their way into the crevices.Just my guess.

[SpaXx]

all the ring is new and it's does make me wonder after my 1st test.. perhaps i should take another test to it that suggested by u. how if proven the ring causing a surge in ph after the test, what should i do to reduce the ph? ( my tank has just fully cycled n shown ammonia 0 n i dont wanna to replace the bioload with other material for rebuild Bb :/ )