Cloudy Water, Can Anyone Offer Any Advice?

[Akasha72]

Hi, as some of you know I'm pretty new to fish keeping so I'm a bit stuck.

I did a 10% water change on Saturday and cleaned my filter sponges cos the filter kept spluttering. I added some new plants yesterday but used some old weights that my Dad gave me. My water is now a little cloudy. Could it be the fact that my filter sponges have been cleaned or the old weights causing the cloudiness??
I've turned my filter up from minimum to about half way to see if that will clear the water. I added some stresszyme today aswell to put back some bacteria after the cleaning.
My fish seem happy enough, they're not behaving any differently than normal. I was thinking if it was still cloudy in the morning I'd do another partial water change and add some stresscoat and stresszyme ...

Does that sound like a good idea?

Thanks in advance

Akasha72

 

[Juggler75]

What did you clean the filter in? If you used tap water then you may have killed off a significant ammount of your bacteria. I wouldn't use weights on plants but a pebble or something already in the tank to anchor them down until they root.

I'd check your water stats and see if you are experiencing a cycle (get ready to do water change if you are)

 

[Akasha72]

I cleaned the filter sponges in a jug full of tank water and rinsed the actual plastic body of the filter under the tap ... did I do something wrong?

 

[Noahs ark6]

I cleaned the filter sponges in a jug full of tank water and rinsed the actual plastic body of the filter under the tap ... did I do something wrong?

thats what i do. How long has your tank been set up, and did you cycle it properly

 

[soybean]

What did you clean the filter in? If you used tap water then you may have killed off a significant ammount of your bacteria. I wouldn't use weights on plants but a pebble or something already in the tank to anchor them down until they root.

I'd check your water stats and see if you are experiencing a cycle (get ready to do water change if you are)

+1

Never clean sponges or any part of the filter in anything other than water taken from the tank. Nor do sponges need cleaning very often and rarely, if ever, need replacing, unless they're falling apart.

Air may have been causing the filter to splutter - a little shake can help it work its way out.

The hazy water is likely a bacterial bloom. Waterchanges will help keep it in check. Check your ammonia and nitrite levels daily and act accordingly because it doesn't sound like your tank is cycled. Stresszyme doesn't add the kind of bacteria you need for your filter to function properly. If you don't know how to cycle a filter, click the link in my sig.

 

[Akasha72]

okay thanks. Not got a testing kit at the moment but I'll go have a look in pets are dead (sorry ) in the morning.

I started out with a 28 litre starter tank and then got offered a 2ft (approx 60ltr) tank for free. The starter tank was left running for about a month with no fish and regular addings of stresszyme - as per the instructions. It had been running for about 3 months when I got offered the new tank. I had to buy a filter as the one in the starter tank wasn't powerful enough. I used all the water from the old tank and all the gravel too and hoped there would be enough bacteria. I added stresscoat to the fresh water and added more stresszyme once the tank was full. The fish have coped fine and their new home is a perminant one as my flat isn't big enough for a bigger tank.
The slightly cloudy water has only come on since the filter had a clean - wishing I'd left it alone now. I thought the spluttering was due to a blockage of some kind. I've learnt a lesson anyway.

Thanks for the help, I appreciate it

 

[soybean]

Like I said, you cannot cycle with Stresszyme - you need a source of ammonia.

I urge you to read the cycling guides in the link below. When you get your liquid testing kit, post the results on here. Any trace of ammonia or nitrite - even a scrape above 0 - means your tank is NOT cycled. Ammonia and nitrite are lethal to fish.

There is also next to no useful bacteria in water or gravel, especially in an uncycled tank.

 

[Akasha72]

okay. Thanks for the advice

 

[Akasha72]

Hi again,
I checked out the water testing kits today at P.A.H and at £33 for the one recommended here it was a little unaffordable for me at the present time. I then got chatting to the guy that looks after their fish department and he told me to take some of my water down and he'd test it for free. He also said the same as you guys about the cloudy water (bacterial bloom) so I knew I wasn't talking to a novice.
Anyway, I took some water down there and it turned out that my ammonia was 0.5. The Nitrite was also slightly up but not far enough to be harmful. He said go home and do a 20% water change and come back in a week with another sample for me to re-test and we'll go from there. All my other levels were fine he said.
I never actually thought I'd find anyone working at P.A.H that knew anything about animals!! (we call it pets are dead in Harrogate cos that's what normally happens within days/weeks of getting anything from there)

So .... is this the beginning of cycling my tank? I've read all the stuff but I still find it a little confusing.

Akasha72

ps. One of my female platies is sitting on top of the gravel in the same spot since yesterday afternon. The male keeps going up to here and either swimming right next to her or right above her. I'm trying to work out if she's ill or if it's mating behaviour ...?

 

[fluttermoth]

Well, it's not the worst advice I've ever heard, but it's honestly not that great either. Any ammonia or nitrite, especially anything over 0.25ppm can cause long term damage to your fish.

If your ammonia is 0.5, then a 20% wc will only reduce it to 0.4, which is still harmful to fish; you need to do a wc of at least 50%, but more like 75 or 80%.
The fact you have a fish sat on the gravel for more than a few minutes is an idicator that she's feeling very, very sick, I'm afraid; that is not at all normal behaviour.

 

[the_lock_man]

The slightly cloudy water has only come on since the filter had a clean - wishing I'd left it alone now. I thought the spluttering was due to a blockage of some kind. I've learnt a lesson anyway.

If it's any consolation, you'd probably have got it anyway - it's a very common occurence with new tanks.

Might I suggest that if the complete master kit is too expensive at P@H, either try Ebay, where it's know to be cheaper, or just buy individual tests for ammonia and nitrite. In your position, you need to be testing daily, to know whether to change water or not.

Your man at P@H didn't tell you to go far enough. With NH3 at 0.5ppm, a 20% change only reduced it to 0.4ppm - you need to get it down to as close to 0 as you can possibly manage - I'd have suggested 75%. Follow the links in Soybean's signature area, and read the article called "Fish In Cycling".

Edit: I didn't see FM's post when I started replying - but we're pretty much saying the same thing.

 

[Akasha72]

there was me thinking I was doing everything to help my fish. There's only the one fish sitting on the gravel, the rest are swimming around as normal.
So, what do you suggest? Get an ammonia tester and re-test tomorrow and do another water change??

 

[HayzH]

do a w/c anyway....big one..maybe even tonight....getting those readings down to 0 is your priority now and an 80% will be a good start..unfortunatly Ammonia poisioning can take weeks to show physical symptoms..so the sooner you relieve this the better.
Remember to add temp matched dechlorinated water back in x Hope your fishy makes it x

 

[soybean]

there was me thinking I was doing everything to help my fish. There's only the one fish sitting on the gravel, the rest are swimming around as normal.
So, what do you suggest? Get an ammonia tester and re-test tomorrow and do another water change??

You are - you're asking questions and listening to advice!

The master kit may seem a little pricey but a water testing kit is absolutely essential to you right now. You'll be amazed at how quickly nasties build up in an uncycled tank. Weekly testing just doesn't cut it - it needs to be daily, with waterchanges daily as appropriate.

The platy does sound to be suffering a bit, so as advised, be doing at least 75% waterchanges daily. Ammonia poisoning can do long term damage you can't even see to gills and other tissues, so it's important not to expose fish to it for long.

If you don't want to buy the full kit you must at least buy both the ammonia and nitrite tests, but you will probably need all of the kits at some point so it makes sense to buy the full one now. It will last you ages and you'll get your moneys worth from it - and if your fish die it'll cost you more to replace them as well. That's not to try and guilt you, just a possibility.

And if you haven't already PLEASE read about fish-in cycling in the beginners section - it can make it so much easier to do when you understand the science of what you're doing.

 

[Akasha72]

if they don't make it I'll start again but this time I'll get the tank cycling before getting fish.

To be honest I'm really not that worried about all the fish - just this little female platy that's behaving odd. The rest are zooming round and picking at the plants, chasing each other and they're all hardly little fish - chosen for the pure fact that I'm new to this and wanted an easy-ish start. Had a chat with my Dad (he kept tropical fish for years) and he's told me not to panic. If the fish were dropping like flies then something is wrong and needs fixing. One oddly acting fish doesn't mean they're all gonna die (his words!)
My plan right now is to take another water sample to P.A.H tomorrow and get it tested. See what the levels are at then act from there.
I'll keep ya all posted

I've read it Soyabean - thanks. I'm not certain I fully understand it though! Right now the tank is clear, the guppies (all 8 of them) are acting normal. The other 3 platies are fine, the dwarf algea eater is doing his thing and the clown loaches are behaving just as normal.
I'll see what the morning brings and go from there.

Thanks