Cloudy Water - Not Bacterial Bloom

[Branwyn]

Sometimes I wonder if maybe it is nothing that we (anyone with similar problems) is doing. Could it be something going on with the water itself? Maybe try contacting the water company to see if there are issues regarding the water there?

I have friends on tyhis forum who are just up the road from me and they dont experience this problem so definately something I am doing wrong.

 

[Prime Ordeal]

Do you know what the general hardness and carbonate hardness of your tap water and tank water are? A pH reading of your dechlorinated tapwater that has been left out for twent four hours would be useful too.

Also you feed a wide variety of food. Can I suggest that for a week you feed with only one type of food and make it a different one for each tank.

 

[Branwyn]

Do you know what the general hardness and carbonate hardness of your tap water and tank water are? A pH reading of your dechlorinated tapwater that has been left out for twent four hours would be useful too.

Also you feed a wide variety of food. Can I suggest that for a week you feed with only one type of food and make it a different one for each tank.

the food i listed is not what i use all the time. i use a stable diet of pellets (same manufacturer) with the odd weekly treat of the other foods listed.

and where I live we have soft water. also the 24 hour water PH is 6.0 ph which is the normal for this area and others in my area dont seem to suffer from this problem.

 

[Branwyn]

Ok plan of action

moved baby dollars into nano tank in kitchen. not ideal but least they get their fry food. the two large tanks i have just completed a 75% water change. also cleaned filters and general housekeeping. will now keep in darkness for three days with no food. will add purigen later this evening and will see how things are in a few days.

also end of this week i have to build the aquarium cabinets from scratch which will be interesting so plenty going on right now.

thanks guys for all your advice. just now need to put it into action.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

While I believe the Purigen will clear the water, I'm not sure its your best move. I'd rather have a permanent solution, rather than a band-aid remedy. Its similar to the clarifier, if it only works when the Purigen is in the filter, then you really haven't solved the problem, you are merely treating the symptom. (Remember to keep the Purigen in the filter, if you are going to use it, in line in the filter AFTER the filter bacteria.)

 

[Prime Ordeal]

You still haven't found out why your nitrate is zero, solve that puzzle and the cloudiness may go away as a result. Could it be that your test kit is giving false readings? It may be that your ammonia is not zero either because at pH six, or six and a half, small amounts of ammonia won't be toxic to the fish but may cause a constant bacteria bloom. You really should do the glass of water test first too as that will help point in the right direction of a cause.

 

[Dieses Madchen]

As far as the glass of water test, there is no need as she has stated that friends of hers use the same water and their tanks are fine.

She has also been doing frequent water changes to try and get rid of the coudiness, which could also account for the diluted nitrates.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Well, the glass of water test could work to help determine if there is a precipitate being formed in her tank. It wouldn't have shown up because of the tap water, but there might be something she has added to her tank that is reacting with the water. It does seem to make more sense as a bacterial bloom, but it is hard to peg down.

 

[Prime Ordeal]

As far as the glass of water test, there is no need as she has stated that friends of hers use the same water and their tanks are fine.

Read back to my post in this thread where I explain what she will be able to ascertain from the glass of water test. It's still necessary.

She has also been doing frequent water changes to try and get rid of the coudiness, which could also account for the diluted nitrates.

Most water in the UK has some nitrate in it and she has a fairly heavy stock load and no nitrate absorbers, such as plants for example. The chance of having a zero nitrate reading, even with regular water changes, is slim.

 

[Prime Ordeal]

Well, the glass of water test could work to help determine if there is a precipitate being formed in her tank.

I don't totally discount the possibility of it being a precipitate but I would expect with the amount of cloudiness she's experiencing and the time for which it has been present that there would by now be settling of that precipitate on the ornaments etc. She hasn't reported that so I'm doubtful of it being a precipitate. Branwyn also seems confident that she knows exactly what's going into her tank but if we're going down the 'introduction of unwanted matter into the tank' route then I'd suspect that it would more likely be an organic of some sort causing a bacteria or infusoria bloom. The glass test would get us nearer the truth and stop all the speculation.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Agreed. But, at this point, it seems like there is nothing that can be discounted. Everything seems to be in play.

 

[Branwyn]

As far as the glass of water test, there is no need as she has stated that friends of hers use the same water and their tanks are fine.

Read back to my post in this thread where I explain what she will be able to ascertain from the glass of water test. It's still necessary.

She has also been doing frequent water changes to try and get rid of the coudiness, which could also account for the diluted nitrates.

Most water in the UK has some nitrate in it and she has a fairly heavy stock load and no nitrate absorbers, such as plants for example. The chance of having a zero nitrate reading, even with regular water changes, is slim.

well i know I administer the test for nitrate correctly so pretty confident it is giving me the correct readings. i also treat this test the most important as I know how dollars are so sensitive with just a little level of nitrate in the water.

as for stock i dont think it is heavy. i dont plan on getting anymore stock but if i had common silver dollars then yes it would be heavily stocked but i have the smaller version of spotted silver dollars so my stock levels are spot on for my tank size.

well guys I have found out what the problem is and sometimes it is the most obvious and simple of things. let me sort out a picture to see if you can spot the mistake also

this link is to a FB picture of both the tanks when I was setting them up and before the constant cloudy water. can you see the mistake I have made which has led to the constant unmovable cloudy water?

https/www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2771248804637&set=a.2771248084619.2150047.1360514796&type=3&theater

 

[This Old Spouse]

Nope.

 

[orandas]

the power head blowing on the wood / sand?

 

[Prime Ordeal]

Difficult to tell from the pic but I'd guess it's something to do with the venturi on the filter and that would be bubbles causing the cloudiness as I suggested.