Why won’t my PH levels in my aquarium (with no fish) stay balanced?
I just set up my 2.5 gallon aquarium yesterday. I used city tap water, previously used fake plants, from when my aquarium was set up a year ago. And instead of aquarium rock, I used glass marble/beads that can be found in craft stores (I had a lot left over from my wedding.) All of these items were thoroughly cleaned and rinsed with a mixture of bleach and water before setting up.
I added part of a “Start Right” tablet (a full tablet is for 10 gallons), followed by a part of a PH tablet. After they dissolved I checked the ph levels and it was at 7.0, where it was supposed to be. A couple hours later I checked it again and it was at 7.8, possibly higher, my test only goes up to 7.8.
I’ve read that certain rock will cause PH levels to be higher, could this be possible with glass marbles?
What else could be causing my PH levels to go high without having fish in the tank?
Thanks for your answers. I’d just like to add that I made sure I rinsed every item really well before I put it in the tank, but will try again. Also, I checked my PH again this morning, after letting the tank sit all night, after putting both tablets in, and it’s still at 7.8, so I didn’t check it too soon, I think I will try buying spring water.