Very New Tank - Cloudy Water

[maca9]

Hi

I have just got a new tank. 280L.


I have however got a cloudy water prpblem.............And can't workout why.

I have added water.........added substrate pebbles.....a piece of drift wood........and some of the filter media from my current tank.

Other than that only some "Stability" product for good bacteria growth and a few tetras.


My water was cloudy so I added some "Clarity" and this didn't seem to help at all.



The fish shop said it may be due to having too much good bacteria from both the filter media and the product I added. This they said may have caused the good bacteria to be overloaded and die due to having no ammonia etc to feed on. Causing murkiness Is this feasible?

So they suggested a 35% water change.

I checked the water at this point 0 Ammonia and 0 nitrites


The water changed helped a bit........

I have since done another 50% water change but still there is cloudiness.

Which i don't understand since the water is basically new.


All I can think of is that even though I washed the substrate pebbles before adding that they are causing the problems


I don't want to empty the whole tank and change substrate if this is a) unlikely to be causing the problem OR B) if it is the substrate it will settle over a few days anyway??



Any advice helpful.

Cheers

 

[cuprajake]

it could be just because its a new tank,

free floating bactria, you take some cloudy water out, put fresh in and it blooms into the new water, it will go eventually, they suggest water changes dail about 25% if you search 'bacteria bloom' there should be more info, failing that im not sure if a cheap uv sterilizer would help clear it up,

jake

 

[Elaine2]

I had big problems with cloudy water in my first tank for several months. It was more one of whitish cloudy water, not green. Flocculents helped a bit, as did 10% daily water changes for a couple of weeks, but the thing which worked in the end - by coincidence or design, I don't know - was adding a product called Cleanwater to the filters. The blurb on the side of the packet describes it as a mixture of baked clay beads and resins and that it helps to remove algae, which I didn't have. May be worth a try if you can get hold of some, or a similar product. I used it for about 4 months and the problem never returned. It seemed to help one other person I know when he had a similar problem. The stuff is manufactured by C.R.Products in Belgium and is readily vailable in shops around my area.

 

[doresy]

Hi, often happens.

It will clear. Sometimes takes a while (ie couple of weeks)

Try not to add stuff....rarely works.

Just maybe put some cotton fibre media in your filter

 

[omega59]

invest in a water test kit and see what the results are. it doesn't hurt to do water changes

 

[Underwurlde]

@ dorsey.. agreed (as usual).

Andy

 

[black molly3]

thats all i can think of is the substrate. the only thing i would do is turn the filter off for about 18 hours and let the sediment settle but knowing me im probbably wrong lol. worth a try though.

 

[maca9]

thats all i can think of is the substrate. the only thing i would do is turn the filter off for about 18 hours and let the sediment settle but knowing me im probbably wrong lol. worth a try though.

How likely is it that it is the substrate?

I just don't want to leave it if the problem won't be fixed till it change that.

 

[doresy]

thats all i can think of is the substrate. the only thing i would do is turn the filter off for about 18 hours and let the sediment settle but knowing me im probbably wrong lol. worth a try though.

How likely is it that it is the substrate?

I just don't want to leave it if the problem won't be fixed till it change that.

If it is the substrate it will settle. Please read my earlier reply.

BTW, do NOT turn your filter off as suggested here. 1) it will only filter if it is on! and 2) your bacteria will start to die off!