Wow I Feel Dumb, This Must Be A Simple Question

[atmmachine816]

So my aunt called and said she's had cloudy water in her tank now for 2 weeks. I asked her if she had carbon in and she said she just removed it since it's been 2 weeks. I asked her what her stats were and she couldn't remember but she thinks the nitrates were low, nitrites were low, and ammonia zero. So obviously her tank isn't cycled. How can she get rid of the cloudy water though? Thanks

 

[WILDER]

Cloudy water can be a sign of a bacterial bloom, and if she has a nitrite reading the tank isn't cycled.
How long has the tank been set up.
How many gallons or litres is the tank
How many fish and which type.

 

[atmmachine816]

I think it's 2 weeks
29 gallons
no fish

She said she just added some media from her mature filter into this filter, she has two tanks.

 

[WILDER]

Its a bacteria bloom then nothing to worry about it will clear.

 

[jayjay]

How can you be so certain? She may not of washed the new substrate throughly or any number of other things.

A tank can be cycled with a nitrite reading. A spike can occur in a tank due to e.g. an unnoticed death. Also the person in question maybe dosing to much ammonia or something and there is a very large number of bacteria but still not enough to cope with the levels.

 

[atmmachine816]

Sorry, should have been more clear, should know by now. What I know is
29 gallon tank with penguin bio-wheel 200, been up for two weeks, been cloudy for two weeks, don't know the specific levels, told you what I know, used carbon for a whole week and it didn't work, recently added mature filter media, doing it fishless cycle, no pure ammonia.

Jayjay, only thing you mentioned that could be possible is that she didn't wash her gravel, I remember her telling me she had some so she didn't need to buy any so that could be the problem which the carbon won't clear? Thanks, I will ask her tonight since she's supposed to call me after she tests her water.

 

[Amunet]

Hmmm.. you would think that after 2 weeks though that whatever made the water cloudy from dirty gravel would've settled by now.
*shrugs*
Maybe a water change will help?

 

[TerraDreamer]

...recently added mature filter media, doing it fishless cycle, no pure ammonia.

What is she using to feed the bacteria then if not ammonia? Fish food? If she added mature media, toss in a few small fish. As you well know, if the bacteria are left unfed, they die off relatively quickly. I agree that unwashed gravel may be the culprit, and also agree that even if it was relatively dirty it should have settled after two weeks. Perhaps a good gravel vac is in order. She should also provide you with current water stats employing a decent test kit.