Re-cycling after adding live rock

[jla9508]

Last Thursday I added 45lbs of live rock to my tank. My tank had been up and running since June of last year. A few days after putting in the lr I tested my ammonia and it was up to 8.0. I tested everything today and my PH was 7.4, Ammonia .25, Nitrite .5, Nitrate 160. What do I do about the ph being so low and the nitrite and nitrate being so high??

 

[wamp]

Man....
First thing is to retest your tank. Make sure your test kits are good. If you have a LFS that does water test let them do it.
Next, a water change is an immediate need. With levels that high your tank should look like a big cloud and nothing should be alive.
If you added uncured LR it will cause a spike. You should do water changes to keep it under control until te rock gets situated in the tank.
If you can remove the rock and cure it somewhere else, espically if you have fish in this tank.
I would think your test is wrong. That is my first instenct. A PH that low would not suport life for long at all. Water changes will help bring your PH up while removing some of the nitrates also.
Good Luck

 

[jastim]

Use a buffer like Marine Buffer to control your pH levels. You need to check your water parameters a couple of times a day and do a lot of partial water changes as stated above until the tank is stabilized. Definitely consider removing that lr and curing in another location. You probably had some die off on the rock which caused these spikes.

 

[jla9508]

the only thing in the tank is turbo snails and they are doing fine. the water is very clear, maybe it is my test kit. i just did a 5 gal change and i'll test the water again in about an hour.

 

[susiepan]

Just an added thought, check your test kit for a buffer, mine came with one...
Maybe your did too..
Again ... GL
~Susie

 

[jla9508]

I totally forgot about this but I added some TLC the other day which is 100% live bacteria. I was told afer I bought it tha it would mess with my water test readings. I bet this is what has happened.

 

[dale serbousek]

I am no expert, but low Ph levels make water look very, very clear...it is pretty hard to keep things alive in an acidic tank though!

 

[kinghammer]

hey,i used tlc to start my tank.my tank cycled in under 2 weeks.i waited another week anyway and added a snowflake eel,tomato clown and some lr.waited another week and added a v red lion.my water has been perfect.