Inches From Being Finished And Now I Have A Cloudy Tank

[abih2005]

you could give the sponges a wash if your filter flow-rate has been compromised but you must be VERY careful when washing. Only move it very gently through old tank water to discard the biggest bits of debris, ensuring that your valuable bacterial colonies are left intact.

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek. So a gentle swish, any squeezing permitted? I feel like I need a very detailed set of instructions for this!! I'll wait til the bloom has gone then give it a very tentative go, the thought of having to re-cycle the #41#### tank makes me want to scream.

 

[Twinklecaz]

You can afford to stock all 6 Cherry Barbs (how big is your tank again?). LOl you also don't have to wait a few months before your next fish. Maybe 2 weeks!

 

[abih2005]

54 litres, bloom already subsiding.

You can afford to stock all 6 Cherry Barbs (how big is your tank again?). LOl you also don't have to wait a few months before your next fish. Maybe 2 weeks!

 

[abih2005]

The water is clear, but after twelve hours ammonia is 1ppm and nitrites 1ppm, I feel like crying. What is going wrong?!?!?!?

 

[abih2005]

Need some responses here, don't know where I'm going wrong.

 

[Twinklecaz]

Did you rinse your filter out? Might be that if you did, mine did it at first. For the first few months just do it a tiny little bit and maybe not all of the media at the same time. Don't worry, it'll catch up quick!

 

[Harlequins]

You say you didn't test for a week,but religiously added ammonia every 24 hours,this could be why you had cloudy water...

So really you didn't have a clue what was happening withthe cycle,and inadvertantly may have added to much ammonia.

Test at the 24 hr stage and see what the results are,don't add anymore ammonia until this 1ppm clears.

 

[abih2005]

Not touched the filter. I just want to get fish ice been faffing about with this #41#### fishless cycle business Since MARCH!!

Did you rinse your filter out? Might be that if you did, mine did it at first. For the first few months just do it a tiny little bit and maybe not all of the media at the same time. Don't worry, it'll catch up quick!

I've been testing the water for EIGHT weeks, for the last two weeks ammonia and nitrites went down to 1ppm within 24 hours so its not a problem of overdosing.

 

[Harlequins]

This is the 8th week of cycling, not tested water since Monday due to diminishing supplies of tester liquids, ammonia and nitrites were 1ppm and 0.25 respectively. Today I woke up with my boyfriend anxiously informing me that 'the tank....look' (helpful as ever - has gone cloudy, so cloudy that I can't see the gravel if I stand over it.

Abi, you have to do a near on 100% water change when you've finished cycling anyway (before you add your fish basically) so it'll have brand new water in it. But I bet you find the cloudiness goes when the Nitrite does.

You said your test kits have run out.....have you been adding Ammonia every 24 hours stil though?

Yep, religiously, knew about the 'big' water change, I just want the nitrites done, sooooooooo nearly cycled! !!!

I was referring to the comments about the past week,did you dose ammonia every 24 hrs without testing it?

 

[abih2005]

Monday: ammonia and nitrites both 0 after 12 hours, thus this was meant to be qualifying week. Sudden overdose makes no sense.

more confusingly - if a bacterial bloom indicates an excess of the bacteria desired within said tank, then why has ammonia processing suddenly slowed? It makes no sense!

 

[Twinklecaz]

WD says bacteria are like anything else....some days they're hungrier than others. It may just be a blip and it'll be back to 0 after 12 hours by tomorrow.

Oh and HARLEQUINS! I got some more Pygmys (from Ebay) so I have 7 now! and now one of my LFS has some so prob gonna up that to 10 in a couple of weeks

Sorry Abi.

 

[Harlequins]

WD says bacteria are like anything else....some days they're hungrier than others. It may just be a blip and it'll be back to 0 after 12 hours by tomorrow.

Oh and HARLEQUINS! I got some more Pygmys (from Ebay) so I have 7 now! and now one of my LFS has some so prob gonna up that to 10 in a couple of weeks

Sorry Abi.

Fab news Twinkle congrats on your new additions

 

[abih2005]

This morning ammonia tested as 0 and nitrites as 1ppm. How long do we reckon nitrites will lag for?

 

[Twinklecaz]

Not long probably, mine messed around a bit too. If you were to dose to say 3ppm would it clear it in 12 hours no problem?

 

[abih2005]

Won't that affect the capacity of the tank to support fish?