Cloudy Tank

[death]

hi im puzzeled as to why my tank is looking cloudy? it was fine 2 days ago very clear then i put in algae wafers and i added to plattys aswell then when i got up this morning the whole tank is cloudy i tried a water change and also tried to gravel clean aswell but to no avail its still cloudy when i foned my lfs they said it could be a bacterial problem how could i get this ? and what can i do to cure & prevent this happening again im at my wits end as the tank dont look as nice as it was before thanks n advance joe

 

[WILDER]

How many gallons is the tank, plus how many fish, and how long has the tank been set up, it's normal for a tank to go cloudy while cycling, it called an bacteria bloom, nothing to worry about if the tank is cycling, though it will take a while to clear up, what are your water stats in ammonia,nitrite,nitrate,and ph.

 

[death]

How many gallons is the tank, plus how many fish, and how long has the tank been set up, it's normal for a tank to go cloudy while cycling, it called an bacteria bloom, nothing to worry about if the tank is cycling, though it will take a while to clear up, what are your water stats in ammonia,nitrite,nitrate,and ph.

its a 22 gallon tank/100litres and the tank is 4 weeks old i have 16 fish and im not sure what my stats are as my lfs sed i woudnt need to worry bout them 4 a bit

 

[dwarfgourami]

My goodness! What 16 fish are they? Sounds like you've been given some seriously bad advice by your lfs.

The time when you are starting a new tank is precisely when you do need to worry about water stats: the first 4-6 weeks are by far the most dangerous for the fish. You need to go out now and buy yourself a test kit, preferably a liquid one. Make sure it tests for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. Send us the results.

It is almost certain that you have added too many fish too quickly here, but if they are very small you may be able to get away with it if you do frequent partial water changes with dechlorinated water. But let us know the readings and what is in your tank (send us a list of the fish straightaway).

Also go to the pinned topic on cycling a tank and read it carefully as that will tell you what you need to know. When you cycle with fish, i.e. get a tank going by adding fish you need to start VERY slowly and add maybe 3 or 4 fish for a tank your size, then wait 4-6 weeks before adding the next FEW fish.

Platys are usually hardy, but a tank your size would only have room for about 11 of them, when fully cycled, i.e. after a few months.

The danger in your tank is not the bacterial bloom, which you see; it's the toxins you can't see.

 

[death]

oh no u got me panicking now ill get a kit asap like tomorow as the shop is now closed,it maybe nothing but since i read this post i think the fish may be acting strange though this could be paranoia and it looks like i wont be taking advice from that pet shop ever again as for the fish here is a list

5 neons
1 golden nugget pleco
1 red spotted pleco
1 male siamese fighter
4 females siamese fighters
2 plattys
1 white molly
1 black molly


as for the water testing results ill post asap tomorow

 

[WILDER]

I would preform a water change while you get your water tested, I agree bad advice the the pet store, don't no if you can keep females with male siamese fighters, i would ask in the betta section of the forum, good luck.

 

[freddofooty]

I would preform a water change while you get your water tested, I agree bad advice the the pet store, don't no if you can keep females with male siamese fighters, i would ask in the betta section of the forum, good luck.

You can keep Male fighters with females, just not two males.

 

[WILDER]

That's fine then, wasn't to sure with never keeping betta's.

 

[death]

ok thanks for the help people ive did the water change the fish are looking a bit livier and the water looks abit cleaner just the tests tomorrow fingers crossed

 

[dwarfgourami]

I would preform a water change while you get your water tested, I agree bad advice the the pet store, don't no if you can keep females with male siamese fighters, i would ask in the betta section of the forum, good luck.

You can keep Male fighters with females, just not two males.

Black widow, are you sure of this information? This goes against everything I have ever heard about bettas. Betta breeders only bring males and females in contact for a very brief time, after they have been carefully conditioned.

Now, red pleco, as to the rest of the list:

5 neons
1 golden nugget pleco
1 red spotted pleco
1 male siamese fighter
4 females siamese fighters
2 plattys
1 white molly
1 black molly

I cannot remember offhand how big these particular two plecos grow; you need to google this. If they grow longer than c. 4 inches, then they are not for this tank. Also, plecos are HUGE waste producers, the last thing you want at this stage.

Neons are not strong enough to go in a new tank; they should only be added once the tank has been up and running for several months.

If I were you, I would get in touch with the shop and point out, politely but firmly, that they have mis-sold you these fish and ask them to take them back.

I would get the male betta his own little tank (but ask for advice on betta forum first).

I would probably hand the female bettas back too, but ask on betta forum for suggestions.

Then I would cycle the tank with the platys and mollies; this should be enough and no more fish should be added for the next 4-6 weeks until your daily water tests show that the ammonia and nitrites have disappeared. Then you can think again about what fish you want and have time to research what is suitable in your tank.

Do not take the shop's advice. They want to sell you more fish. And then in a week's time, when your fish have died, they want to sell you some more.

 

[death]

once again thanks for this info as you can see im a newbie at this and all this info is good to know and i will be having words with the shop too

 

[jolaf]

Once you have mastered the fine art of cycling everything else seems to be a breeze, to me anyway. The cycling process is a fish killer and that is why we shouldn't add to many fish early on. Once those test water numbers stabilize it is fun exploring new fish. I added mine to qucidkly in the beginning and lost many fish. But now I have a great tank with few problems. I think the water temperatuire is the one thing I should have known more about to avoid a ich problem I had for weeks I keep coming on here when soemthing asrises and I usually find what i am looking for. Good luck with your tank.

once again thanks for this info as you can see im a newbie at this and all this info is good to know and i will be having words with the shop too

 

[death]

feking typical sunday and the shop is shut ............................right this very minute one of my plattys has just died (these were the last fish i added to my tank)i did do a water change yesterday but ill prob end up losing my fish as im helpless without these readings just now ......................any other suggestions would be appriciated thanks

 

[WILDER]

Preform another 20% water change with losing a fish, good luck.R.I.P.

 

[death]

ok i got a test kit and the results are as follows (or near to as)

ammonia=0.8
nitrite =1.5
nitrate =10 mg/l
ph =7.0

like i says thes results are near to as i can get what i would like to know is what i do now? alsoim starting to think my filter aint working properly what would you suggest filter wise for a 22 gallon tank and costs