New Aquarium set up

[MikeIC]

i recently set up a new tank and am trying to establish it to a steady state before introducing fish. I have cleaned everything before putting it in the tank (gravel, ornaments, filter, heater, etc) and then filled the tank and added “tap safe” and an additive to “aid bacterial growth”, as instructed. I also added three live plants, into the gravel, as instructed.
After 12-18 hrs of good clear water, it has suddenly gone very murky.
Will this clear or do I need to undertake a water change.
This is slightly unsettling and I am pleased no fish are yet in the tank.

I’d appreciate any advice.

 

[Essjay]

The cloudiness is a bacterial bloom, which is common in new tanks. The bacteria which make the cloudiness are not the ones we want to grow in the filter. Cloud bacteria feed off organic matter, and there is plenty of that in a new tank - for example all the plasticiser in the new plastic bits. The bacteria multiply very rapidly (unlike filter bacteria) so even water changes do not get rid of the cloudiness. The good news is that once they've eaten all the available food they die, but how long that takes varies with every tank.


Not all bacterial supplements work. Some speed up the cycle, some do nothing. But you say you have live plants - are they fast growing stem plants or slow growing plants like Java fern? Floating plants such as water sprite are even better.
Plants take up ammonia as fertiliser, so provided there are enough fast growing plants which are growing well, you can add a few fish and monitor both ammonia and nitrite every day. If you do see either of them above zero, do a water change big enough to get them down to zero. If the levels stay at zero, a week or two later add the next small batch of fish.




Before you go fish shopping, you will need to know the hardness of your tap water so that you can choose fish that need the same hardness. You should be able to find your hardness somewhere on your water provider's website. You need a number and the unit rather than words. (The unit is important as they could use any one of half a dozen units; if the unit is mg/l we also need any words after that such as calcium or calcium carbonate)

 

[MikeIC]

Many thanks. I think I will wait another 48hrs and see what develops.
I see the temperature is at 26......is that too high?

 

[Ch4rlie]

The article link below may help explain about cycling your tank and what to expect.

Though to help answer your question, essjay has pretty much nailed it in saying it sounds like a bacterial bloom, meaning your tank is undergoing changes in bacteria numbers and this will clear up naturally after some time.

But in the meantime I’d urge you to get, if you do not already have one, water test kit that contains testing for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, this will help in determing what is the state of your tank and if it’s safe to add any livestock.

http://www.fishforums.net/threads/cycling-your-new-fresh-water-tank-read-this-first.421488/

 

[FishGuest5123]

Totally agree with above. In my honest opinion, one of your most important pieces of equipment is the API Master Freshwater test kit. I had disaster after disaster until I learned to test my water. It’s like driving in the dark with no headlights without one. Best of luck!

 

[MikeIC]

Thanks for all your your advice.
Things are looking up, as the water seems to be getting clearer!
Let’s hope that continues.

 

[MikeIC]

Totally agree with above. In my honest opinion, one of your most important pieces of equipment is the API Master Freshwater test kit. I had disaster after disaster until I learned to test my water. It’s like driving in the dark with no headlights without one. Best of luck!

-patience has paid off. Tank has cleared after 48 hrs and after testing the water for the various parameters, plan to get 3-4 small hardy fish to help the nitrogen cycle establish. Will watch them for a few weeks before going any further. Thanks for all the advice.

 

[FishGuest5123]

-patience has paid off. Tank has cleared after 48 hrs and after testing the water for the various parameters, plan to get 3-4 small hardy fish to help the nitrogen cycle establish. Will watch them for a few weeks before going any further. Thanks for all the advice.

Great news. Good luck.

 

[Ch4rlie]

Would not recommend getting any fish for your tank until you have finished your cycling of the tank and filter.

Basically means any ‘hardy’ fish WILL suffer from ammonia and nitrite poisoning during your cycle.

Though there are ways to cycle tanks with livestock but I have never and will never recommended doing things in this manner, as any mistakes made during the cycle means livestock will suffer or die as a result.

Please reconsider doing a fishless cycle, in actual fact usually doing a fishless cycle is actually quicker and easier to complete successfully than a fish in cycle.