Cloudy Water

[yabadaba]

The water in my 5x2x2 (approx. 500 litre) tank always seems to be cloudy and I'd really like to do something about it, but don't know the cause. The filter is an Eheim 2080 that has been running now for around 9-10 months, so the media is fully mature and water quality seems fine when tested with my API kit. Ammonia and nitrite are both zero and have been for months. Nitrate is at about 10 to 15 ppm and the pH is currently at 8.0, although it does drop to about 7.4. if I don't keep up frequent water changes. I do about 8 buckets twice a week, which I think equates to about 25% a week. The substrate is sand and it has lots of bogwood and quite a few live plants in it.

The water in my other two tanks (a 35L and 110L) is very clear indeed, though the 110L tank has two internal filters running and I change about 1/3 of the water each week. The 35L is probably over-filtered too and I change about 40% of the water at least twice a week (it's so easy - just the one bucket).

The 5x2x2 houses a variety of different community fish (I switched from a Mbuna setup about a month or so ago), though I don't think their waste is necessarily the problem as the cloudiness was present when it was initially lightly stocked and hasn't got any worse as I have slowly added more fish.

Any ideas? If I thought extra filtration would cure the problem I'd take the plunge and add a second Eheim 2080 as that's something I've been planning to do for a while now.

 

[mattlee]

just a thought but could the cloudiness be disturbed sand... either by the fish or filter have you added any polishing pads to the external?

 

[yabadaba]

just a thought but could the cloudiness be disturbed sand... either by the fish or filter have you added any polishing pads to the external?

Hi and thanks for the reply. I'm pretty sure it isn't disturbed sand because the cloudiness is there all the time, only reducing slightly for a short period when I do a water change. Also, my other tanks and the two my boys have all have the same sand in them and fish that do sift through it, but no problems with it clouding the water. Maybe I just need to try and increase the amount of water I change each week? I stick with 8 buckets at a time as that way I can refill with cold (treated) tap water the water temperature dropping too much. It's a pain having to keep boiling the kettle!

 

[mattlee]

have you tried polishing pads to remove the cloudiness?

if so and that hasnt worked and its not a bacterial bloom then im stumped........

 

[yabadaba]

have you tried polishing pads to remove the cloudiness?

if so and that hasnt worked and its not a bacterial bloom then im stumped........

No I haven't tried polishing pads. I've heard of them but aren't sure what they are to be honest. Are they just a really fine filter pad? If so, then the 2080 already has one (it has 1 course and 1 fine pad that get clogged up by far the quickest). Guess it might be a bacterial bloom...I'll look into that.

 

[mattlee]

have you tried polishing pads to remove the cloudiness?

if so and that hasnt worked and its not a bacterial bloom then im stumped........

No I haven't tried polishing pads. I've heard of them but aren't sure what they are to be honest. Are they just a really fine filter pad? If so, then the 2080 already has one (it has 1 course and 1 fine pad that get clogged up by far the quickest). Guess it might be a bacterial bloom...I'll look into that.

the polishing pads are also called floss. they sit last in line to get all the really fine particles from entering the tank, normally on top of the top basket and normally white.

 

[Monty-2010]

Have you got any ornaments or anything that could be dissolving in the tank?