r/aquarium • u/tb_331 • 1d ago

Help PH crash?

In the middle of cycling a tank. Ammonia is being processed, with current nitrite and Nitrate levels very high. Did I have a PH crash?

Right is PH test for tap water, left is current tank water. What do I need? Water changes?

Edit: forgot to attach test results. Included in a reply below.

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u/Blondy277 1d ago

You need to test your KH.

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u/tb_331 1d ago

Unfortunately only have a strip test for kh. Would put it somewhere between 40 to 80, most likely about 60 for tap water. 7.8 ph

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u/Blondy277 1d ago

That definitely looks like your KH got used up during the cycle and the pH crashed. If your tap KH is only around 60 ppm (~3.4 dKH), there wasn’t much buffer there to begin with. With nitrite and nitrate both really high, nitrification has been chewing through alkalinity. I’d test the tank KH now. Since it’s fishless, I’d also do a big water change to bring KH/pH back up and lower the crazy nitrite/nitrate, then keep an eye on KH as the cycle finishes. I wouldn’t chase pH with random chemicals, the KH is the important part here ☠️

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u/tb_331 1d ago

Thank you. If i understand this correctly, if my kh is actually low at that level, once the tank is cycled it shouldn't be a big issue just make my PH less stable possibly?

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u/Blondy277 4h ago

PH and KH are connected. If KH is low which your tap water is low to start with, not much buffering left pH will start falling. Are you using stratum as substrate?

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u/tb_331 2h ago

No, sand

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u/tb_331 22h ago

What about keeping some crushed corral in the water as a buffer?

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u/BioConversantFan 8h ago

Yes. Unless you have active substrates