Cloudy Tank

[rachh004]

i have a 55 gal tank. I've had the tank set up for 4 months. Most of the time the water is cloudy. I bought some liquid that is supposed to clear it up and it hasn't. I just got back from a 2 week vacation and the tank was all cleared up. I don't know if this is due to less food from the automatic feeder or because the light wasn't on. Does anyone have an idea why it cleared up?

 

[dthoffsett]

If it was like a white cloud that's generally a large number of free-floating beneficial bacteria looking for a home. It's often seen in newly set up cycling tanks. If your tank is now clear, I imagine you're probably fully cycled, to be sure what are your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate reading?

 

[rachh004]

when i checked the levels a couple days ago the ammonia was 0 but the nitrate and nitrite were a little high

 

[Apolloefc]

Using sand or pebbles?

If you havent cleaned the sand properly it could still cause the water to go cloudy.

From personal experience

 

[dthoffsett]

when i checked the levels a couple days ago the ammonia was 0 but the nitrate and nitrite were a little high

If you have detectable levels of nitrIte, then one or a combination of three things could be happening, 1. you're not totally cycled, 2 you're overfeeding, or 3 you're overstocked. You shoud be doing daily or every other day water changes until your nitrIte read 0.

What's your stocking, and what, how much, and how often do you feed?

 

[rachh004]

when i checked the levels a couple days ago the ammonia was 0 but the nitrate and nitrite were a little high

If you have detectable levels of nitrIte, then one or a combination of three things could be happening, 1. you're not totally cycled, 2 you're overfeeding, or 3 you're overstocked. You shoud be doing daily or every other day water changes until your nitrIte read 0.

What's your stocking, and what, how much, and how often do you feed?

I have 2 cory cats, 2 pleco, 3 sunset platy, 3 guppies, 5 zebra danios, and 6 rasboras in a 55 gal. Im feeding them tropical flakes 2 times a day, a couple a pinches.

To answer someones elses question, i have pebbles.

 

[dthoffsett]

Well, you're not overstocked, the only guess I can make is that you are in the end stages of your cycle, although it has taken a bit longer than normal. I'd just suggest you keep up with water changes and test daily until your nitrite is back down to 0.