Milky Water!

[Candyco]

My two larges tanks are really bugging me at the moment! It looks like i've gone and tipped a gallon of milk in each one! I've added filter aid and i'm doing 20% wc's daily.
My question is.... what causes this and is there anything else i should be doing to help the situation? I've recently got new external filters for the tanks and all the water perameters are as normal!

Kaz x-x-x-x

 

[Katchan]

How did you switch from old filters to new?

Katchan

 

[Candyco]

Not over sure.... my husband did it! I had a fluval 4 in the smaller of the two tanks which he's kept in there for the time being. I really think we should have got some advice on here before changing them to be honest! Changing from internal to external isn't easy from what i've heard in the past though!

 

[Tropjunky]

sounds like new tank syndrome.

if u jus put the filter in and used all new media like sponges and bio thingys then ur bacteria isn't there i'd but some of the old media bac in if u can.



never take out all ur filter media always swap half and half leavin about a month in between.

 

[Candyco]

OMG new tank syndrome! I had a gut full of that when i started them up! Here we go again then!

I will add though that the largest of the tanks has had it's new filter for about 3 months now but that's still got milky! Could this be Bacteria Bloom? I read something about this subject a long time back but can't remember much about it!

 

[Katchan]

If you have your old and new filter working on one of your tanks and the other operating for 3 months you should be fine unless you have uncycled your tanks by over cleaning (I did just after I got my main tank cycled )

Katchan

 

[disucs buff]

what is your substrate? how many gallons per filtration ratio?

 

[Candyco]

We've got sand in all our tanks.... i think it looks nicer!!!! My husband sorts out the filteration though.... i'm only allowed to be in charge of water!

 

[disucs buff]

ok, that could very well be the problem, i like sand, but if it is a fine grain, then it could put a film into the water. when you stir it does it release a film? maybe stronger filtration. or a finer grained sand.

 

[Candyco]

ok, that could very well be the problem, i like sand, but if it is a fine grain, then it could put a film into the water. when you stir it does it release a film? maybe stronger filtration. or a finer grained sand.

Thanks for your help.... i'll bear that in mind and have a look around for some finer sand. hopefully that will cure the problem! My little 12g is fine with the sand and it's fluval 2 but those fish are only little and don't really create any mess at all! Piranha's Oscars Plecs i suppose are a lot more trouble when it comes to water condition!

I'll see what i can get sorted!

Thanks again

Kaz x-x-x-x

 

[Katchan]

From what I understand a courser grain is better

1-Its heavier so if disterbed it settles much quicker

2-It compacts less than a finer grain

Katchan

 

[Candyco]

From what I understand a courser grain is better

1-Its heavier so if disterbed it settles much quicker

2-It compacts less than a finer grain

Katchan

that's what i thought..... Finer sand would get into the filter quicker when disturbed but coarser might clog it up quicker if it gets in there!

should i also mention that i had a bit of a snail problem in both tanks in the last month or so. would that have anything to do with it?

 

[Blue Lobster]

Bacteria bloom could be the cause. http/www.marineland.com/reports/5BasicMicro.asp.

 

[Candyco]

Bacteria bloom could be the cause. http/www.marineland.com/reports/5BasicMicro.asp.

Wow thanks for that link, it looks great...... I'll have a bit of reading to do now!