Hi, I am an experienced tropical fish tank owner, 6 years. Tank is very very cloudy despite having tried everything I can think of eg complete water change, complete filter change, half the filters one week, the other half the following week, cleaned all the furniture in tank, scrubbed pebbles, cut down on feed quantity(fish flakes). Plants are plastic. this has happened suddenly and has been ongoing for about 3 weeks.
Heeelllppp
- Thread starter wullndot
- Start date
-
- Tags
- cloudy fish tank
The December FOTM Contest Poll is open!
🏆 Click to vote! 🏆
When this first started did you mess with the filters or do anything out of the ordinary? Do you still have the filter media you removed?
This holds majority of your bacteria and since you removed it you will now have to cycle the tank again.
Do you have a test kit? If not I'd pick a liquid one up ASAP and post the water parameters (pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate).
This holds majority of your bacteria and since you removed it you will now have to cycle the tank again.
Do you have a test kit? If not I'd pick a liquid one up ASAP and post the water parameters (pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate).
A cloudy tank would be something you might expect from a newly cycling tank or one that has started a so called mini cycle following a too-thorough clean.
As suggested above, a good liquid test kit will reveal any unusual water parameters.
If it's not that, could it be an algae bloom? Is it a green or browny cloudy or white cloudy?
As suggested above, a good liquid test kit will reveal any unusual water parameters.
If it's not that, could it be an algae bloom? Is it a green or browny cloudy or white cloudy?
Sounds like an algae bloom then. It happens. Maybe have a look at how long your lights are on per day. 6-8 hours is a good guide.
You could try some Green Away by interpet. I've used it and it's quite effective. It doesn't remove algae but it clumps it all up and it falls to the bottom. You just need to give everything a good vacuum until it's all gone.
You could try some Green Away by interpet. I've used it and it's quite effective. It doesn't remove algae but it clumps it all up and it falls to the bottom. You just need to give everything a good vacuum until it's all gone.
Does sound indeed like a algae bloom, called Green Water.
The below is taken from this website.
Worth trying out a 3 or 4 day blackout to starve the algae of light that they need.
http
/www.theplantedtank.co.uk/algae.htm
Green Water
Description - This is a unicellular algae. Water goes cloudy. Sometimes just a green tint, other times it can look like pea soup.
Cause - Ammonia is often the main cause green water. There may have been an ammonia spike that isn't detected with test kits. Other possible causes are an imbalance of nutrients and/or low CO2 levels.
Removal - Large water changes do not seem to always help. If there is an imbalance in nutrients then fixing it will sometimes make it go away by itself after a while. A three day blackout followed by a large water change will hit it hard and sometimes may clear it. A UV steriliser/clarifier or diatom filter will clear it up very quickly and is often the only way to clear it.
A new method is to use freshly cut 1-2 year old willow branches about 0.5-1cm in width. Place these in your tank vertically so they go from the substrate to a few centimetres above the water's surface. After a few days they will start to grow roots and the green water should start to clear. When cleared remove the branches from the water.
Don't confuse this with a bacterial bloom which gives the water a white haze.
The below is taken from this website.
Worth trying out a 3 or 4 day blackout to starve the algae of light that they need.
http
/www.theplantedtank.co.uk/algae.htmGreen Water
Description - This is a unicellular algae. Water goes cloudy. Sometimes just a green tint, other times it can look like pea soup.
Cause - Ammonia is often the main cause green water. There may have been an ammonia spike that isn't detected with test kits. Other possible causes are an imbalance of nutrients and/or low CO2 levels.
Removal - Large water changes do not seem to always help. If there is an imbalance in nutrients then fixing it will sometimes make it go away by itself after a while. A three day blackout followed by a large water change will hit it hard and sometimes may clear it. A UV steriliser/clarifier or diatom filter will clear it up very quickly and is often the only way to clear it.
A new method is to use freshly cut 1-2 year old willow branches about 0.5-1cm in width. Place these in your tank vertically so they go from the substrate to a few centimetres above the water's surface. After a few days they will start to grow roots and the green water should start to clear. When cleared remove the branches from the water.
Don't confuse this with a bacterial bloom which gives the water a white haze.
Similar threads
Most reactions
-
354 -
198 -
193 -
184 -
180 -
175 -
171 -
154 -
149 -
108 -
93 -
92 -
88 -
80 -
80