Riley My Mbu Is Not Well

[nosoup4you]

I think it's time to get a new test kit or at least a second opinion from your LFS. As already stated, a pH of zero would lead to instant death for anything in the tank.

 

[sharon000111]

i have just done the high range test kit and it reads 7.4...this is a new test kit....could this be wrong.....going to test my tape water

with this kit my tape water ph is 7.2 to 7.5

Glad you are getting the help now.
The undergravel filter should only be removed once the external or internal filters have cycled.
I once had a undergravel filter and it kept getting blocked it was more troulbe than its was worth.
I agree undergravel filters are no good with large fish.

with this kit my tape water ph is 7.2 to 7.5 ...all my other filters have been going since i have been going since i had the tank..if i turn of the ugf will this help my tank...

 

[WILDER]

Thats fine then.
No you need to remove the undergravel filter from the tank.
Its that long since I removed mine forgot what I did.
Can't remember if I do a good hoover once I pulled the grid out.

 

[sharon000111]

Thats fine then.

the tank water is 0.0
the tape water is 7.2 to 7.5
i have just tested the tank again deff 0,0

 

[Miss Wiggle]

that sounds about right for pH,

can you afford a massive great filter like an FX5?

 

[Corleone]

That sounds more like it - 7.4 is a decent enough pH, though I know nothing about any of your fish.

The 0.0, I'm assuming that's the ammonia result? Pure yellow and sky blue are the good 0/0 colors for ammonia and nitrite.

 

[WILDER]

The tank ph can't be 0.
I would pull the uindergravel filter out.

Sorry thought you meant the tank ph was o
0.
Is the 0.0 the ammonia reading.

 

[sharon000111]

im not explaining this very well...
the ph in the tank is 0.0 i have tested it 3 times now

some one said the test kit could be wrong so i done a ph on my TAP WATER (water straight from the tap..not the tank) and that is ph 7.2 to 7.5....so the tap water is 7.2 the tank water is 0.0....sorry for the confusion..i only tested the tap water to make sure the kit i have is correct

The tank ph can't be 0.
I would pull the uindergravel filter out.

Sorry thought you meant the tank ph was o
0.
Is the 0.0 the ammonia reading.

ammonia is 1.0

The tank ph can't be 0.
I would pull the uindergravel filter out.

Sorry thought you meant the tank ph was o
0.
Is the 0.0 the ammonia reading.

amonia is 1.0...shall i take the ugf out then...will this help

 

[dcarmor927]

the pH is probably 6.0...are you using API dropper tests? the lowest indication it gives on the card is 6.0 so maybe there is some confusion with that?...Also i hope your puffer pulls through

 

[sharon000111]

hi...the card raeds at the top
FRESHWATER PH COLOUR CARD
it starts at 6.0.....oh bloody hell have just put my glasses on....yes ph is 6.0 i am sorry sorry everyone...but this is still not good is it sorry ...i am so worried and stressed here i cant even think straight...

 

[WILDER]

Ok so the tap ph is 7.4 and the tanks ph is 6.0
It could be the high ammonia reading thats altering your tank ph.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

ok, 6 isn't as bad as 0 but still bad, and if 6 is the lowest on your test kit then it could actually be lower than this as the lowest reading on the test kit means '6 or lower'.

now if the pH drops below 6 then the filter bacteria stop doing their job which would explain why you've had an ammonia spike.

pH can drop over time in a poorly maintained tank, or one that does not have good enough filtration for the waste being produced.

starting to get somewhere now. firstly you need to get the pH up, perhaps someone with more experience of mbu's can offer some guidance on how sensitive they are for pH changes and then we can work out how best to correct the pH.

i asked a few posts back but you didn't answer, can you afford a really big filter like the FX5 in the next few days?

 

[WILDER]

Think I would rip the under gravel filter out and go from there.

 

[sharon000111]

Ok so the tap ph is 7.4 and the tanks ph is 6.0
It could be the high ammonia reading thats altering your tank ph.

so sorry about that confusion...what shall i do to the tank...shall i leave the ugf or could this be the cause of the ammonia...

 

[WILDER]

I would rip the under gravel filter out best thing I ever did.
There a nightmare for getting blocked and causing bad water quality.