Cloudy Water.....nothing Working......

[maca9]

Hi

I have a 300l tank which is 8 weeks old.

It was started with the filter media from my old 130l tank so the cylcing never really showed any spike at all.

But the water is cloudy and no one seems to be able to help me fix it!!! The LFS hasn't helped with any of their suggestions.

I am totally lost as to the next step so any advice would be appreciated.

Here's some info on the progress and current status.

Fish all seem very happy - in fact my discus are growing at a fantastic rate. Other than a PH swing (when water was at to low kh) that knocked an old dwarf gourami down all others seem in perfect health.

Ammonia = 0
Nitrite = 0
Nitrate = <12ppm
PH = 6.7

Phosphates very low the LFS tells me.

It has plants in it but not heavily planted at all.

Filtration was only a overhead drip filter with 1000l per hour pump. I've now added a Fluval 1000l internal to assist in case that was the issue. So now a totoal of 2000l of filtration. Hasn't helped!!!

I also have a big piece of driftwood which leaks tannins. So i have a 2 x biochem zorb pouchs in the overhead filter to absorb the tannins. Water doesn't look brown but just cloudy. So on the face of it i don't think its the tannin.

When I add a water clarifier like "Clarity" or "Accuclear" it seems to help for a short period. Won't get the water crystal clear but makes it better for 12 hours or so.


The best response so far has been to a decent water change followed by a dose of a clarifier ("Accuclear" etc). This gets the water 85% clear or pretty good really. THEN over the next day or the cloudines sets in and gets worse again.



The only thing left to try i guess is a UV sterilizer as it might be a algae bloom or bacterial bloom!!!!! The LFS has said that the UV filter will kill these blooms.


Please help............................its been going on for 2-3 weeks now.

Cheers

 

[chrisdoesntmiss]

I am not sure if this is 100% correct but it is my view as i am currently suffering a bacteria bloom.

Leave it and let it live its life cycle. Everytime you change water and add dechlor it is feeding the bacteria with copious amounts of nutrients. The accuclear will be destroying the suspended bacteria, which decompose, produce ammonia and will feed the new bacteria that is growing from the water change.

I hope this works as its what i am doing and it seems to be clearing.

Good Luck and keep us posted.

Chris

 

[chishnfips]

yip sounds like a bacteria bloom, you can also boost the filter with some stress zyme or bacter life, just a supplement to help the filtration get started.

 

[joecoral]

i also agree, sounds like a bacterial bloom. patience is the cure

 

[maca9]

Ok, thanks for the suggestions.

I don't think the filter needs any help (stress zyme etc) as I haven't had any ammonia or nitrite present for weeks.

Sounds like I am left with the option of letting it run its course??? So you think it will get worse (as it is currently doing) and then slowly come right?

Is this when i should start doing water changes again? Once it starts to improve?

I am currently doing a water change once a week. But will stop these to give the bloom a chance to "run its course".

Hopefully this helps.

 

[PRW1988]

Sounds like a bacterial bloom to me, this usually happens when you cycle a tank, give it a fair bit of time and things should get back to normal.

 

[maca9]

Sounds like a bacterial bloom to me, this usually happens when you cycle a tank, give it a fair bit of time and things should get back to normal.

How long should I leave it before a water change?

or do i keep doing the 20% weekly?

Is this somehting that can take months??? Or will it likelty clear in weeks?

Thanks

 

[Davo86]

How long should I leave it before a water change?
or do i keep doing the 20% weekly?
Is this somehting that can take months??? Or will it likelty clear in weeks?

Thanks

have you changed any of the filter media from the original filter? or washed it even? how often were you doing water changes when the cloudyness started?

for the time being i wouldn't add any chemicals, the cloud will usually settle in a few days if left