Misty Tank - Guppies Swimming At The Top!

[TDPUK]

Hello everyone.
 
I did a full water change in my tank two days ago and ever since my water has turned a murky white colour. I've done a bit of research and a few people say it might be the bacteria from the gravel etc.. but now my guppies are swimming at the top of the tank.. all of them! I have a few pregnant females and don't want them to die.
 
Any help asap please! Tank has a good oxygen flow and was crystal clear for a few hours after I cleaned it out.
 
Thank you!

 

[Ch4rlie]

This sounds like a bacterial bloom and think as you did a full water change you may have disrupted your bacteria and this may be causing ammonia/nitrite spikes hence why your fish are at water surface. 
 
Are you fish gasping/red gills/streaks showing? If so, this sounds like a sign of ammonia or nitrite poisoning really.
 
Would recommend doing 50% water change to bring ammonia and nitrites to a lower level.
 
Also would do water tests and post the results as well to be certain.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Well, the bacteria that are usually associated with this 'bloom' can use a lot of oxygen, if there's too many... and if the tank is heavily stocked, there may not be much oxygen left.
 
 
I'd suggest adding extra surface agitation to the tank to increase the oxygen available.
 
Test the water to confirm that its not ammonia or nitrite causing the issue.
 
Also, how do you clean the tank?  Did you replace the filter media?

 

[KirkyArcher]

Probably a Bacterial bloom, usually as a result of an ammonia spike. What was the reason for a 100% water change? They are very rarely required and can be more detrimental to the well being of an aquarium than regular partial water changes.

 

[mark4785]

Do you have a lot of organic waste rotting in there? I.e. bits of food in the filter or rotting leaves? The decomposition process of these things can use a lot of oxygen up. Also, the more ammonia and nitrite produced that is produced by the decomposition, the more oxygen is needed for these chemicals to be converted into harmless substance of nitrate.
 
Generally speaking, cloudy water is caused by an excess of ammonia, nitrite or nitrate in the presence of strong lighting. I think cloudy water usually signals the start of a green water algae bloom (algae love to utilise ammonia and nitrite in particular to grow).
 
I would suggest you test your water for ammonia and nitrite.

 

[TDPUK]

This sounds like a bacterial bloom and think as you did a full water change you may have disrupted your bacteria and this may be causing ammonia/nitrite spikes hence why your fish are at water surface. 
 
Are you fish gasping/red gills/streaks showing? If so, this sounds like a sign of ammonia or nitrite poisoning really.
 
Would recommend doing 50% water change to bring ammonia and nitrites to a lower level.
 
Also would do water tests and post the results as well to be certain.

 
 

Well, the bacteria that are usually associated with this 'bloom' can use a lot of oxygen, if there's too many... and if the tank is heavily stocked, there may not be much oxygen left.
 
 
I'd suggest adding extra surface agitation to the tank to increase the oxygen available.
 
Test the water to confirm that its not ammonia or nitrite causing the issue.
 
Also, how do you clean the tank?  Did you replace the filter media?

 
 

Probably a Bacterial bloom, usually as a result of an ammonia spike. What was the reason for a 100% water change? They are very rarely required and can be more detrimental to the well being of an aquarium than regular partial water changes.

 
 

Do you have a lot of organic waste rotting in there? I.e. bits of food in the filter or rotting leaves? The decomposition process of these things can use a lot of oxygen up. Also, the more ammonia and nitrite produced that is produced by the decomposition, the more oxygen is needed for these chemicals to be converted into harmless substance of nitrate.
 
Generally speaking, cloudy water is caused by an excess of ammonia, nitrite or nitrate in the presence of strong lighting. I think cloudy water usually signals the start of a green water algae bloom (algae love to utilise ammonia and nitrite in particular to grow).
 
I would suggest you test your water for ammonia and nitrite.

 
Thank you for the replies everyone! Did a 100% water change as the water was turning very green even though a water change had been performed around a week before. I don't have any test kits at the moment but will be definitely going to LFS tomorrow morning to get one! The fish don't seem to be gasping and I have increased the amount of oxygen into the tank.
 
Should I do a 50% water change immediately?! Really don't want the females who have fry to die!
 
Thank you everyone!

 

[Blondielovesfish]

What are your tank parameters? Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH.
 
Did you use dechlorinator? 
How exactly did you change the water? 
Did you wash the media in tap water, or replace any?

 

[mark4785]

Thank you for the replies everyone! Did a 100% water change as the water was turning very green even though a water change had been performed around a week before. I don't have any test kits at the moment but will be definitely going to LFS tomorrow morning to get one! The fish don't seem to be gasping and I have increased the amount of oxygen into the tank.
 
 
Should I do a 50% water change immediately?! Really don't want the females who have fry to die!
 
Thank you everyone!

 
You can get cloudy water / algae blooms 1 hour after turning your lights on if there is a lot of ammonia / nitrite / nitrate. I've witnessed this when I was deliberately dosing my tank with liquid ammonia and forgot to turn the lights off.
 
You need to do as many water changes as you can until you no longer see:
 

• Gasping
• Fish rubbing up against objects
• Redness of skin / gills
• Any fish that have segregated themselves from a shoal for hours
• Cloudy water
• Fast gill rate

 

[TDPUK]

What are your tank parameters? Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH.
 
Did you use dechlorinator? 
How exactly did you change the water? 
Did you wash the media in tap water, or replace any?

 
Don't have any test kits right now so going to the shop in the morn to get one. dechlorinator was used. Water was syphoned out while the fish were kept in an external tank with the syphoned water. New water was added and the tank was dechlorinated immediately. Left it for a little while and put the fish straight back in. 
 
Did not wash the filter at all.

 

[KirkyArcher]

Green water can also be attribute to Ammonia spikes, If the fish seem less stressed after increasing air/oxygen flow I'd leave the water change for now, and react with a water change only if they appear stressed and gasping again. get water tested ASAP at LFS an get actual values.

 

[Blondielovesfish]

Make sure to get a liquid test kit, a good one is the API freshwater master test kit.

 

[DoubleDutch]

Did you clean the filter as well ???

 

[KirkyArcher]

Did not wash the filter at all.

 

[DoubleDutch]

Sorry, followed the wrong routine. First drink three cups of coffee and then start asking questions !!!

 

[TDPUK]

Green water can also be attribute to Ammonia spikes, If the fish seem less stressed after increasing air/oxygen flow I'd leave the water change for now, and react with a water change only if they appear stressed and gasping again. get water tested ASAP at LFS an get actual values.

 
 

Make sure to get a liquid test kit, a good one is the API freshwater master test kit.

 
Thanks guys! Just woke up and increased the oxygen flow even more, hoping to get rid of it. Will have a test kit today too.