Is it normal for your PH to go up when you're cycling a tank?

Remind me of the process again.

My memory is not that sharp anymore but I think the process you outlined before would increase pH slightly.

I think OH^-, hydroxide, was produced. A base.

@Neodarwinian Correct. When ammonia gas(NH3) interacts with a H2O they can react and form ammonium(NH4+) and Hydroxide (OH-)

NH3+ H2O————> (NH4+) +(OH -)

I don’t think that my pH would change unless I were to drink the liquid medium itself, so my answer has to be, “No, it is not normal for [one’s] pH to go up while cycling a tank.”

It would also be helpful to explain what you mean by “pH go up”. Do you mean to become “more base” (which is what is represented by an increasing pH value), or to become “more acid” (which is what non-chemists colloquially mean, I think, when they talk about “higher pH”, since lay people don’t often get that “strong bases” can be as damaging in their way as “strong acids”).

The previous respondents to this question are obviously not so confused, but later visitors to this question may be. Also, those who don’t understand that by “a tank” you mean “an aquarium”.

You’re welcome.

May I ask what is cycling a tank?

@uberbatman

Yes, now I remember the process outlined in an earlier question, though vaguely!

@pleiades This should help.

@Mama_Cakes Ah!!! I thought you were referring directly to the human body and further more I thought there was some sort of cycling through an extremely large pool with water or something. Geez la weez! Thanks for the clearing that up for me…

Yeah, sorry for not being more clear with my question. :)

Us fishy nerds know what you’re talkin about :P

@uberbatman :) Tank’s almost there (cycled).

I expect pictures once it’s all set up…and a lot at that :P

Haha. For the amount of time that I talked about it (asked questions), I owe ya some.

Done

@Mama_Cakes I’m going to assume you tested nitrate as well yes? Nitrite is almost always zero in my experience. I think that may be because it’s converted into nitrates so readily.

Nitrates were 5.0 ppm. I will do %50 water change before adding any fish.

That’s really not that bad. It’s pretty unrealistic to expect 0ppm nitrates especially once fish are in the tank.