to TFF!
I am sorry to say that you are in what is called a "fish-in" cycle. This type of cycling is not the best way to go about setting up a new tank, but people do not know better. At first the tank seems just fine, then fish will begin to act weird, and start to die off, at this time the person will try to seek further advice via a forum like this. Here they will learn about the different methods about cycling a tank, at which point it is too late. The preferred method of cycling a tank is to do a "fishless" cycle, where you cycle a tank without fish, but instead use pure ammonia, which you can find at your local hardware store, to mimic ammonia produced from fish so the beneficial bacteria can then begin to colonize.
However, you are in a fish-in cycle, and if I were you I would return the fish to your local fish store (LFS) and perform a fishless cycle. If however you choose not to return the fish and keep doing what you are doing, you will be in for a lot of large daily water changes for about a month at least, that is if you want your fish to survive.
What happens is, ammonia is produced form your fish. Mainly ammonia is produced from when fish breathe and from fish waste and rotting fish food and other debris in the tank. What ever the case may be, whenever there are fish in a tank there is going to be an ammonia source. Ammonia is toxic to fish and can kill them if the ammonia gets over a level of .25 ppm (parts per million) The main way to get ammonia back down to 0 ppm is through a special bacteria called Autotrophic bacteria that eat ammonia. When these bacteria eat ammonia, the ammonia turns into nitrite. Nitrite is toxic to fish and can kill them if the nitrite gets over a level of .25 ppm. So, another type of bacteria begin to colonize that eat nitrite. When nitrite is processed by this second type of bacteria, it turns into nitrAte. Nitrate is safe to fish in levels to around 50 ppm. There is no type of bacteria that eat nitrate, so they only way to remove nitrate is by weekly water changes.
Now, it takes time to colonize enough bacteria to constantly keep ammonia and nitrite at 0 ppm. About 4-6 weeks on average. This process of colonizing these bacteria is called "cycling a tank."
One thing you need to perform a cycle properly, is a good LIQUID test kit, NOT a strip test kit. The API freshwater master test kit is a good LIQUID test kit that will test fore ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH.
Read here about cycling a tank:
(What is cycling) http
/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=175355
(Understanding the cycling (Nitrogen) process) http
/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=271928&hl=
(Fish-in cycling) http
/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=224306
(fishless cycling) http
/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=113861
Other than that, the only thing you really ever need to add to your water is a good water conditioner, to condition the water by removing chlorine and other harmful elements and metals. I would NOT use any chemical/product that claims to "remove this or that, or clears your tank instantly."
The white cloudy water is called a Bacterial Bloom. This happens in newly set-up tanks where the water because safe for bacteria to live, because of the water conditioner, and the bacteria (heterotrophic) instantly go to work on the organics in the water. So, the white cloudy water is actually millions of bacteria feeding on organics in the water. This is quite common and harmless in new tanks, don't worry about is as it will clear in a couple days, WITHOUT adding any chemical to the tank. These certain bacteria are so big, that you can not only see them with your naked eye, but they are so big that they cannot attach themselves to surfaces in your tank, so they are free-swimming within your water column. These bacteria will soon die off and your water will become clear. Also, these are not the kinds of bacteria you want in your tank, and the right bacteria will begin to colonize in your filter.
-FHM
