Tank Suddenly Cloudy

[rachh004]

I just did a water change of about 30% a couple days ago in my 55 gallon tank. since this change my tank has been really foggy. and my pleco is hiding and wont come out and eat any algae so it looks even dirtier. there is also a lot of brown algae everywhere suddenly. I checked the water conditions and the nitrate is high and everything else it good. should i do another water change? im just wondering why after that last water change is was gross.

 

[Scotty001]

I just did a water change of about 30% a couple days ago in my 55 gallon tank. since this change my tank has been really foggy. and my pleco is hiding and wont come out and eat any algae so it looks even dirtier. there is also a lot of brown algae everywhere suddenly. I checked the water conditions and the nitrate is high and everything else it good. should i do another water change? im just wondering why after that last water change is was gross.

This sounds a bit like a bacteria bloom, when you did a water change did you do anything with the filter ?? clean it out ??? use tap water to clean the filter rather than tank water, when you say the readings are fine what are the readings ???

you could try changing the fine filter floss see if that clears the tank up a little.

Scott

 

[rachh004]

the ammonia is 0, nitrate is 80 (yes i know very high), nitrite .5, ph 7.5, gh 180, kh 40. i actually think it just looks cloudy because of all the algae. and my pleco for some reason wont come out and clean the uneaten food and the algae.

when i did my water change i cleaned out my filter with tap water. the filter is a fluval 4 plus

 

[Scotty001]

when i did my water change i cleaned out my filter with tap water. the filter is a fluval 4 plus

there could be your problem !! cleaning the filter media using tap water will kill off your beneficial bacteria, as tap water that is untreated is detrimental to filter bacteria, the clorine and chloramine kills filter bacteria. the cloudiness is likley to be a bacteria bloom where your now going through a mini cycle, i would keep an eye in the water readings, and would deff do another water change with the nitrate being that high, i would say to test 2 / 3 times a day and water changes when needed till the bloom settles down.

when your going to clean out the filter media use the tank water for this, when i do a water change i will plug up one of my sinks / use a spare bucket, half fill it with some of the waste tank water that i have removed to do a patial water change, then take the filter media out and was it off in the sink / bucket filled with tank water, this way you donk kill the bacteria in the media and avoid a mini cycle and a bacteria bloom.

Scott

 

[rachh004]

when i did my water change i cleaned out my filter with tap water. the filter is a fluval 4 plus

when your going to clean out the filter media use the tank water for this, when i do a water change i will plug up one of my sinks / use a spare bucket, half fill it with some of the waste tank water that i have removed to do a patial water change, then take the filter media out and was it off in the sink / bucket filled with tank water, this way you donk kill the bacteria in the media and avoid a mini cycle and a bacteria bloom.

Scott

thanks. i will do this.

 

[Scotty001]

thanks. i will do this.

no probs i hope all goes well for you !
Scott