Cloudyness Issue

[james_fish]

My water is quite cloudy at the moment, fortunately its not affecting my fish as of now. But i would like to get rid of the problem, are there any other ways than buying treatments for the water to reduce cloudy levels? i don't mind buying its just, obviously if there is an easier way then thats brill!

thanks James

 

[drobbyb]

Is it a milky white kind of cloudy or green?

 

[fatheadminnow]

Sounds like a bacterial bloom to me.

How long have you had your tank set up?

Have you cycled your tank?

-FHM

 

[shi24137]

when in doubt, do a water change! its amazing what daily water changes(10-20%) can do for your fish and water. i had the same problem a week ago so i changed 10% of the water every day for a week and it cleared up!

 

[fatheadminnow]

If it is a bacterial bloom though, water changes is not going to clear it. The Heterotrophic bacteria will be multiplying too fast. At best you could slow them down a lot, but it will not stop them or clear it up.

This is why we need to know the color of the cloudiness, if you cycled your tank, and what your Ammonia and nitrite levels are as well; would not hurt.

-FHM

 

[Curiosity101]

If it is a bacterial bloom though, water changes is not going to clear it. The Heterotrophic bacteria will be multiplying too fast. At best you could slow them down a lot, but it will not stop them or clear it up.

This is why we need to know the color of the cloudiness, if you cycled your tank, and what your Ammonia and nitrite levels are as well; would not hurt.

-FHM

^^ 100% Agreed

 

[james_fish]

First off, thanks for your replies.

Its strictly white cloudy, no algae green is visible.
I have had the tank set up about 8 weeks. I changed my filter 2 days ago, it was cloudy before and after.

My immonia level is as of 2 minutes ago... under 0.25 ppm
My nitrite level is as of 2 mintues ago... 0 or as little as possible.#


James

 

[fatheadminnow]

What test kit are you using, and how did you replace your filter?

Also, when you so weekly water changes, do you use a gravel vac and suck up left over debris at the bottom of the tank?

What kind of test kit are you using?

-FHM

 

[aly_starh]

I would do a 25% waterchange asap.

 

[james_fish]

Im using an API Aquariam Pharmaceuiticals freshwater master test kit, It does Ammonia, Nitrate, Nitrite, PH & High PH. I have a Biorb Life 60 (http/www.acressupply.com/new/images2/biOrb-Life-P60-Black-med.png)

The air filter simply unscrews bringing the sponge and all with it, you undo the sponge and insert the new one, then place the air filter tube with the sponge back above the air flow.

As for the vacuuming the gravel i cant access the dirt that falls through the gravel which is obviously a problem. But only now has it clouded up and i dont see a connection. (feel free to correct me, as im only a newb)

 

[drobbyb]

Cloudy water due to bacterial bloom will not clear by means of water changes. You have to get the source taken care of. Heterotrophic bacteria produce ammonia as a by product of the waste they are eating. When you replace a filter sponge, you can't just replace the whole thing all at once. Ninety nine percent of your autotrophic bacteria (the good guys) are colonized in that sponge. If you removed them you are going to have to re-cycle your tank again.

 

[fatheadminnow]

Yup, agreed!^^

You should only replace your filter if it is physically falling apart. You DO NOT listen to the instructions on the back of the box where it says "replace filter media every month" or whatever it says.

Your beneficial bacteria colonize on that media, the media your threw out. These bacteria process ammonia and nitrite so that it will not get above 0 ppm, this is with a fully cycled tank.

If you absolutely have to replace your filter media for some reason, only replace up to 1/3 of it at a time.

You are in what is called a fish-in cycle, you can read about it here. http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=224306

This may also be the cause of your cloudy water?

-FHM

 

[james_fish]

Cloudy water due to bacterial bloom will not clear by means of water changes. You have to get the source taken care of. Heterotrophic bacteria produce ammonia as a by product of the waste they are eating. When you replace a filter sponge, you can't just replace the whole thing all at once. Ninety nine percent of your autotrophic bacteria (the good guys) are colonized in that sponge. If you removed them you are going to have to re-cycle your tank again.

I understand that, before i swapped i took some of the 'good guys' and put them in the new sponge to help the new 'good guys'
It was a tip i got told by an local fishkeeper who owns an aquatics shop.

Whats the best way to eliminate the problem guys?

 

[Curiosity101]

Thing is though, you should only ever swap out 50% of your filter media at one time. Also after 8 weeks there is no way those pads needed throwing out. No way at all.

You wont have colonised the new pads sufficiently enough. Once the bacteria grow they begin to secrete a film over themselves which helps bind them to the filter pads surface... makes them etremely hard to transfer.

 

[fatheadminnow]

It should clear over a couple days.

DO NOT add any chemical claiming it will clear the water.

It sounds like to me you got some decaying matter in the tank that the heterotrophic bacteria are taking advantage of, so...

Try your best to clean the substrate and do not let your ammonia and/or nitrite level go above .25ppm. If they go above this, do a water change to bring it back down.

-FHM