Cloudy water and Fry

[Redbled]

First, I've had my tank for nearly 10 years now, but just the last week, the water has turned cloudy. About 2 months ago I switched from carbon to just filter floss for my filters. A month ago I started to heat the water with a heater for the first time to see if it improves the conditions. Had never had a problem before really. So the only other different thing I've done lately is to feed my plecos in the tank algae wafers. Any ideas why the water could be cloudy. This hasn't happened since I was a beginner...

Second question. Will plecos eat baby Jack Dempsey fry. I've seperated the parents and fry from the other two fish in the tank, but have a large and small pleco with the Dempsey's. So far, all looks fine after the first week. Fry are still in their yokes. This is a seperate 55 gallon tank from the cloudy one btw.

Thanks

 

[wetwetwet]

Hi Redbled,

Changeing the balance of the tank could have caused an algae bloom - what sort of colour is the cloudy water? removing the carbon and the heater. - does this mean the tank is now warmer than before? - could contribute to algae growth..

From what I have heard it is not recomended to continuously use carbon as it can strip essentials out of the water and as I'm sure you are aware needs to be replaced every 4-6 weeks as it will leach what its removed back into the water....

Stints of 4-6 weeks in and 4-6 out or some only recomend its use for the removal of meds after a treatment....

Have any other tank parameters changed? do you test for nitrAte and maybe phosphate?

If you've had the carbon out for a couple of months try it again to see if it clears up....

If plecos can get to eggs then chances are that they'll get eaten - depending on how good the JD's are at defending them
I've never raised these fry but guess most of it will depend on how good the parents are - which I think with most cichlids is pretty good

I'm sure someone else can give you their experiences with JD fry...


hth

 

[Redbled]

Thanks for the reply, been out of town since Tuesday. Father was in a small plane crash, but will survive, just a bunch of broken parts...The water color is really a white type of cloudy. Since I've returned, I've found I had lost at least 3 fish, and the water is even cloudier. I'm thinking now this is mostly due to the high temps, and me not being here to deal with it. Had some kids in the neighborhood caring for them, and also considering the possibility that they were overfed, though not thinking that could kill them off in such short of time. So heat is likely the culprit, though would like some more opinions on this. My other fish in the tanks, mostly my large Oscar, are very sluggish. Temp was around 82. Did a partial change just now, and have lowered it to around 78. Not planning on using carbon again, but still wanting to make sure that wasn't any part of the problem.

 

[wetwetwet]

Thanks for the reply, been out of town since Tuesday. Father was in a small plane crash, but will survive, just a bunch of broken parts...

OMG sorry to hear that m8 - but glad that he'll mend

The white cloudy is more likly to be a bacterial bloom - I don't know too much about this or how harmfull to your fish....

With the deaths there is also going to be a large ammount of toxins in the water - not to mention the possable overfeeding so I'd carry out a large 50% water change - this should also help with the cloudy water....

Do you have any readings for your water conditions? - this can greatly help in determing what could be causing your problems....and also maintenance/water change schedule (esp. on the cloudy tank)?.....


More opinions please people.....

 

[Redbled]

The ammonia level was .25 I believe. Not much but a trace, have changed 20 percent of the water already, will do 30 more then. Today the large Oscar is upside down. Don't believe I've ever seen one recover after that, but would appreciate some ideas. Had a fan on the tank all night and the water temp went down to 70, which can't be good, but was hoping the lower temps might help. Hope that wasn't to fast of a change.

 

[Redbled]

Oh, 2 more things you had asked. Ammonia is the only test I currently have, and have done water changes every several weeks since I stopped using the carbon.

 

[Redbled]

Yet another thought. As most of my fish have died, and there are just a few left in that tank, was wondering concerning the wisdom of moving the remaining fish to one of my other 2 tanks. I'm also moving in the next year, so would be convenient as well. The cloudiness appears in places to almost be wisps of smoke, rather than cloudiness all over. Hope that's descriptive enough.