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Huge ph swings

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Daltharang

Members
I recently finished a cycle on the my new 150g tank. I took a large sponge filter from another tank and also dropped some old media in the new filter. I put driftwood and some slate pieces in there that also came out of the old tank. The problem i am having right now is huge fluctuations in my ph. 3 days ago it was at 6.0, my water comes out of the tap right at 7.0. To raise it i spent all day doing small water changes of 15 gallons 4 times that day with 3 to 4 hours between each. It ended up getting the ph back up to 6.4 by the end of the night. It remained that all day yesterday as well, then today i checked it and it had spiked up to 7.8.
I'm finding a lot of information about the ph bottoming out and why, but i'm not finding a ton of information on why it would jump back and forth in such a short time frame. I use prime with my water changes, and my parameters have been 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite and between 10 and 20 nitrate for the past 3 days.
Any help or information would be appreciated.

Thanks
 
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Daltharang

Members
The last time i checked the ph it was at 7.8, that was around 8 pm last night, then this morning it has yet again bottomed out to 6.0 or lower. That is as low as my test kit shows. Any help or information is appreciated.

Thanks
 
lkelly

lkelly

Members
What's the hardness? From what you describe it sounds like you could take a shower and never get that soapy feeling off.
 
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Daltharang

Members
I will need to get a test kit to check the hardness of it as i don't exactly know. I should also mention that the other 3 running tanks in the house all get changed with the same water and all at the same time but do not experience any swings in ph. The only difference was the day i did small water changes all day in intervals on the new tank, but the other 3 all go a 30% 1 time water change that day too.
 
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Daltharang

Members
It is now back up to 6.4, and i have done nothing with the tank in hopes of it leveling itself out, but it seems to be jumping back up now. this is 5 hours after last test of 6.0 or lower
 
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