Yet another water question-sorry.

[ladyhawke]

I just got a new tank a few weeks ago. For about a week the water was clear and fine. Now it is brown. ??? I don't know what is causing this. My test kit strip shows Nitrate at 20 (says safe level), Nitrate at .5 barely, Hardness at between 75-100, Alkalinity at moderate at 80, and pH at neutral. I used Stress Zyme when I set up the tank and like I said the brown color didn't come until a week or so later. I tried the TetraAqua Easy Balance and a few days later "Crystal Clear", with no positive results. It is just a 10 gallon tank with a few starter fish. It has a filter and an airstone. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, I am frustrated.

 

[gadazobe]

Could be brown algae caused by too much food and/or not enough light. BTW, your nitrites should be 0

 

[yvez9]

is there any bogwood in the tank?

 

[ladyhawke]

Thanks for both replies. The nitrite was barely registering, not sure it was .5, should I redose the tank with Easy Balance? It has been 3 days since the last dose of that but I did just put the "Crystal Ckear" in today. Also, if it is brown algae should I try one of those algae killer liquids they sell at the pet stores to get rid of that?
Thanks again!
Michelle

 

[Shaydensmom]

How "warm" is your water, it could be algea!

I think if you'd send Dragonslair (he wrote some important Topics here- right on top of our threads) a email, I'm sure he can answer your question! To me he seems to know everything and he always loves to help!

If all the readings are fine and the fish ok, you should maybe just keep monitoring the water-levels and wait, very often that cloudiness is only a condition that will go away after a while as soon as the Tank found it;s own Balance- I think it's called New-Tank-Syndrome or so! Hope for you it get's better soon!

Oh, and maybe you'd like to ad a couple of Ghost-Shrimps to your Tank! They feed off the bottom, things like uneaten Fish-Food that fell to the ground, dead fish, snails or dead plants and they LOOOVE Algea, they'll help to keep your Tank clean! Oh, and they are so cute- I love my Ghost-Shrimps!!!

 

[ladyhawke]

Oh yeah, there is no bogwood in the tank. No live plants. It actually looks like I filled my tank with cedar water...hmm, and maybe ghost shrimps might be fun to have in the future if I ever get this problem solved. The water is at 78 degrees.

 

[gadazobe]

Personally I don't like adding any more chemicals than I have to. The best way of getting rid of brown algae is to clean it off of the insides of the tank with an algae magnet or clean cloth. Do a water change and feed less frequently.

 

[ladyhawke]

I just ran my hands down the glass and wiped at one of the plastic plants and the brown is not on them, its just the water itself that is brown in color. This tank is only about 2 weeks old. I am stumped. Thanks for the in put though.

 

[gadazobe]

Then the only thing Ican think of is that there's something in the tank that's leaching the brown into the water. What about the gravel? Could it be that? Or maybe something caught up in the filter? Check everything to see if it's all running ok.

 

[fatguppy]

WE put mopani wood in our tank and it made the water brown for about 3 weeks.

S'ok now though

Jane

 

[yvez9]

Then the only thing Ican think of is that there's something in the tank that's leaching the brown into the water. What about the gravel? Could it be that? Or maybe something caught up in the filter? Check everything to see if it's all running ok.

Good point

my girlfriend had a betta bowl in which the water kept turning red.

found out it was the gravel that was leaching it's color into the water. Obvisouly killing the fish within a few days...