Tank Water Trouble!

[tin_tin26]

Did this work??

 

[Schmill]

with regards to the water testing...i'm doing it exactly as you described... for amonia the colour is bright yellow, Nitrate is bright yellow, Nitrite is bright light blue, and PH is a blue colour. - using API master test kit.

Hi, if I am remembering right then a PH of 7.8 and a colour of blue is the max that the standard PH test in the API Master Test Kit can test for.

You should also have a "High Ph" test, which uses a card with shades of orangey/brown on it. It might be worth running that test as well, as you Ph might be considerably above 7.8, but you don't see it.

Unless of course you are already using the high Ph test kit, in which case I've got the colour cards the wrong way around in my head, but either way, anytime I get a ph result in the 7 -8 range I do BOTH Ph tests, (high and standard), so it might be worth you doing.

Looking at your photos and your gravel though I'm almost inclined to think it is gravel dust. You say you let the gravel soak for several days, 'changing the water often' but in my experience this doesn't remove the dust from it. The dust in gravel is so fine, the only way I have found to wash it is literally have a bucket full of water, half full of gravel, and then lift a handful at a time, (with your hand!), through the water swirling it as you go, then placing it into a new bucket. When you've done the half bucket of gravel, you dump the water, (and all the silt thats washed off the gravel), and repeat with the next half bucket.
It still won't be totally clean, but it does a pretty good job. I would guess you've actually ended up with quite a lot of silt in with your gravel. When you do a gravel vac is the water that comes out milkier than that in the tank would you say? (Can be very diffifult to tell as the tank is lit, and obviously is easier to see through). You can check by gravel vac-ing into a bucket, and then take a drinking glass of water from the bucket, and look through it to compare.

 

[tin_tin26]

I've been doing both high and normal PH test...tank water is 7.0.

When i first put water in the tank, i could see the dust from the gravel but after 24 hours my filter had sorted that out and water was crystal clear. I cant see why it would become dusty again for no reason?

I honestly dont think it is gravel dust....but then, maybe im wrong.

 

[waterdrop]

Well, must say my questions didn't turn up anything unusual.

Sorry Tin, you've got me stumped for the time being. I'll keep reading the thread as others have ideas though and let you know if I think of anything. Tolak and some of the others are much more experienced than me though. Trying the thing with Prime though seems the best next thing to try if you want to.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[backtotropical]

If it is gravel dust, you would be able to see more stirring up when you do a gravel vac. Have you noticed?

Also, as i said before, it would only take opening the filter to find out for sure as your filter media would be covered with a layer of it.

If the gravel dust cleared up after 24hrs as you say, and its not obviously coming from the gravel when you vac, i'd be inclined to say its probably as first thought, a bacterial bloom.

What type of gravel do you have Tin? It looks very white, is it coral gravel?

Did you add anything to the tank or do anything unusual just before the cloudiness appeared?

Do you have a test kit? Can you give us readings for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH?

On another issue, i'd advise that you should put at least an ornament or plant or something back in. All fish like somewhere to hide and can feel stressed if they don't have anywhere. The last thing you need is stressed fish as well as a cloudy tank!

Cheers

BTT

 

[waterdrop]

Hi BTT,

He's got an API kit which I assume is a master kit as he's mentioned ammonia and the low & high pH tests.

Good ideas about the gravel type and looking in the filter!

WD

 

[tin_tin26]

The gravel is just tiny blue and green stones. (im not sure of the name/type)

The only thing i done different was to feed the fish bloodworm...but i dont think this would cause the cloudiness??

I'm going to clean my filter tomorrow. Do i just clean everything in a bucket of tank water?

Also, i've added some false plants/castles back into the tank for the fish.

 

[waterdrop]

Actually, I *do* vaguely remember a thread where a member had cloudiness problems after feeding bloodworm but its a dim memory from way back and everybody here knows I'm bad with those, lol! At any rate, bloodworm can be a tricky food and you might, as a bit of a test here, to go off any feeding of that for a while and just go with light flake food feeding until this cloudiness clears up. Perhaps others will comment on things to know about bloodworm feeding...

OK, I've just reviewed the 3 or 4 threads again Tin, since we've not been solving it. I admit its very very hard to say. The stats keep looking ok, leaving us with the possibility that having the 8 fish, all fairly heavy waste producers (platies, barbs, suckercats) in the 180L(?), have successfully cycled the Fluval (205?) and you've got some ok beginning colonies in there.

If you insist on cleaning the filter I would be very careful. This filter may only house a delicate beginning set of bacteria and you don't want to wash it away. Don't let it dry out of course, although pulling out the still-wet trays to examine is fine. I would just try to see if any one section (sponge, rings, bottom area, whatever) seems to have an overly heavy buildup of mulm and gently swish or very lightly squeeze some of that out in a bucket of tank water. I would probably only clean the -one- heaviest-soiled section and leave the others alone. Of course, if you find extremely heavy muck, it may warrant a bit more.

Back to other things: I think your previous gravel clean, which you said took a good 50% of the water out was the right kind of action to be taking. I think you should keep doing that, perhaps even on a more frequent basis for now, like if you have a free evening during the week, not just on the weekend. It could be that this would clean out some of the bloodworm waste and/or excess and it could be that it would just happen that the 8 fish, being heavier waste producers have just somehow put more debris in the gravel than we thought (gosh, maybe the 205 is overtaxed, although I wouldn't think that would be true.) Anyway, it certainly can't *hurt* the situation to be doing extra gravel cleans I don't think, and be sure to do that good dechlor thing for the return water, and roughly temp match since your changes will be 50% or more for these.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[tin_tin26]

Cheers waterdrop! - u really seem to know yer stuff!

I dont want to jump-the-gun but...... i think the water is starting to clear!! - i can see the back of the tank, although its still bit murky but nowhere near as bad!!
i'm guessing that would mean this is probably a Bacterial Bloom (as first thought) and my filter/bacteria are finally catching up???

I've decided NOT to clean the filter incase i reverse this action - i will just keep an eye on the water, in the hope it is finally starting to clear up!! (fingers and toes crossed!!!)

I will take another set of water samples and post my results later tonight.

Atleast now there is hope this may be getting sorted! woop woop!

 

[waterdrop]

Yes, very important to just move steadily ahead sometimes and be trusting that the standard maintenance behaviours will be the right thing to do rather than changes of direction during the first year of a tank. Glad you're now feeling positive.

gravel vac type water changes should continue to be good for this situation..

~~waterdrop~~

 

[tin_tin26]

Good news!! - problem is resolved!!

My water has now returned to crystal clear!! - must have been a 'Bacterial Bloom' after all!!

THANKS VERY MUCH TO ALL WHO HELPED!! - REALLY REALLY APPRECIATE IT!!

 

[backtotropical]

Glad it's sorted, TinTin!