50 Gallon Tank PH from 7 to 8 spike, I'm clueless..

1)Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate 0 ppm
2)Aquarium pH 8.0
3)Tap pH 7.0
4)Planted tank (recently removed water hyacinth)
5)I dose Prime, Flourish, Flourish Trace, Liquid Carbon.
6)Nerite snails to Fresh water fish.
7)Recently added small amount of brine shrimp with aquarium salt containing water.
8)I have air stone, not strong, just 3 holes blowing bubbles.
9)Subtrate, sand and aqua soil.
10)Foods : vibra bites, fancy guppy

I have few diatoms patches on the sand, it disappears over night though. It only happens when I dose ferts and carbon. Have 2 canister, 2 spray bar, shooting downwards.
Tap water is pH 7.0, the tank previously had pH 7.0 to 7.1. After adding 13 more plants, and aqua soil, it shoots up to 8.0.

Recently, one nerite snail was laying eggs on the wall (I never dose any sort of salt, it does happen though) and some baby snails were alive, some died.

I rule out anomaly from testing, I shake every test tubes and bottles before using them to ensure it's mixed well to not get error.

I have 3 seachem matrix blocks on the sand. Driftwood with moss. Driftwood shouldn't be the culprit.

What are some of the causes that could potentially increase pH?

 

My guess is that it might be the Aquasoil, but others will have to weigh in as I have never used it.

There's no need to add both Flourish and Flourish Trace as they are both trace elements. Flourish states that it is a "comprehensiven" fertilizer, but that is false advertising. They also state that Flourish

• Provides micro elements, trace elements and other nutrients
• Does not contain significant levels of nitrogen or phosphorus

If your plants are doing well I would just stop using the Trace and save some money. No need to supply macronutrients if there are no problems IMO. The tank may get enough from food and fish waste.

Also, "liquid carbon" is an algaecide. It does not add carbon. More false advertising. It does work great when spot treating algae.

 

My guess is that it might be the Aquasoil, but others will have to weigh in as I have never used it.

That stuff is designed to lower pH. So that's out. Same goes for anything organic.

Following info would be necessary to give a more informed opinion:
- KH and GH of the sourcewater and the tankwater.
- Sourcewater pH fresh from the tap and after 24h.
- Tank pH after 12h without the airstone running.

I agree with FishDin on the supplements. One of them would be sufficient.

A picture of the tank is probably the best way to make sure there is nothing in it that may leach anything. People often don't realize their "rock on the back left" is a limestone or things like that.

 

My tap is 7.6 and rises to 8.2 in tank. I would guess it is coming from what your municipality puts in your water to buffer it. The US has a bunch of areas with pretty hefty pH levels and hard water. I do 50% water changes and my fish are fine, even shrimp. Maybe do smaller more frequent water changes to avoid shock.

 

The most suspicious test value is a nitrate test of 0 ppm. Normally, in an established aquarium, urea is converted to ammonia, ammonia is converted to nitrite, and nitrite is converted to nitrates. When dissolved in water, nitrates form a weak solution of nitric acid which tends to drop the pH.

If you are using the API nitrate test kit, are you following the test instructions precisely? The second reagent bottle contains zinc particles that settle to the bottom. The instructions tell you to shake the bottles for a specified period of time to return the zinc particles to suspension. It is also necessary to wait a specified period of time to allow the zinc to react with the test sample. If you are not following these instructions, you can get a zero nitrate reading. I know you state that you are shaking the reagent bottles and test vial to insure mixing, but go back and read the nitrate instructions again to insure you are doing it correctly. You should not be getting a 0 ppm nitrate test.

I would also suggest that you get a general hardness and alkalinity test kit to determine dGH and dKH. Such test kits are inexpensive. Test both your tap water and your tank water. That will provide useful data in analyzing the pH problem.

What test are you using to measure pH? Some are more accurate than others.

 

Sorry about Nitrate reading, it's 30 ppm. Before I added more plants, and Liquid Carbon & Flourish set, I had pH of 7.0 plus minus at constant. I doubt it's pH gH kH of the water. My other small tank has one elodea, the water's pH of 7.0.

I'm suspecting it's region of plant area or the sand I disturbed to release microbubbles.

As for Flourish, I will stop dosing Trace. You guys are right, plants were doing well even without Trace. As for Liquid Carbon, I thought it helped supply of CO2 by converting the content of LC. Is this useless for my plants? I do see red growth from Rotala, could be my Vivid powered at 30%.
I use API kit set to test the water.

 

I doubt it's pH gH kH of the water.

KH is in a constant pressure to equilibrium with atmospheric CO2 and pH. So the KH is essential to solve the question.

Is this useless for my plants?

Liquid carbon products have not been conclusively proven to work. All impartial tests in at least 3 countries ended up negative or at best inconclusive. In combination with the environmentally very questionable ingredients reason enough to not use that stuff.

 

On the water pH, I just found out the mistake I made. It was the contaminated water in the pipette. The contaminated water was mildly alkaline. I'm surprised how small amount just fluctuates pH by 1.

Regarding LC, you're right on being near ineffective. It's also a known neurotoxin and algaecide in small amount of ppm, I didn't believe at first but gave it a shot as my LFS persuaded me that it worked. I haven't noticed "fast" growth, leaves weren't big and red enough on variations of red rotala's & ludwigia's so I'm looking for a change. Considering Aquario Neo's carbon dioxide kit as of right now.

 

On the water pH, I just found out the mistake I made. It was the contaminated water in the pipette. The contaminated water was mildly alkaline. I'm surprised how small amount just fluctuates pH by 1.

Considering how little 5ml are, this is not that surprising, but there you go.

I didn't believe at first but gave it a shot as my LFS persuaded me that it worked. I haven't noticed "fast" growth, leaves weren't big and red enough on variations of red rotala's & ludwigia's so I'm looking for a change.

Read that story more than once. The red is from iron, though, not from CO2.

Considering Aquario Neo's carbon dioxide kit as of right now.

Check if there is really necessity of CO2 injection. Most often it's not necessary.

 

Hopefully, you have learned how important testing accuracy and reporting is. There is a big difference between a nitrate level of 30 ppm and 0 ppm.

Following test procedures precisely is important. All test pipettes and vials should be rinsed thoroughly before testing. Normally, triple rinsing is considered suitable. That means the vessel should be filled completely and then drained three times. Ideally water purified by either distillation, reverse osmosis, or deionization should be used for the rinsing, especially if your tap water contains contaminants of interest. Many tap water samples contain nitrates or ammonia and can be a source of contamination.