Ok, here's an update. I realized that my ph crashing so quickly is pretty unusual so I did some research on hardening the water. Epsom salts were recommended to increase the hardness, and so was crushed coral substrate, which some aquariasts use in FW tanks for this reason. So I added 1Tbs epsom salts/gallon to all three of my tanks and a small amount of crushed coral. As of this morning, all three tanks are holding a ph of 7.6 for 12 hours. None of them have had a stable ph for that long. I guess since bettas are so hardy they've been able to handle these fluctuations, but I want to maintain a steady ph by hardening the water. Even though the ideal ph is 7.0, I've read that a stable ph is better than a specific ph.

My tests this morning were as follows: ammonia: 2.0 (down since yesterday), nitrites: 5.0 (but not 5.0 like they have been and nitrates 120ppm). I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the cycling has sped up again! I'll keep you posted!

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