cloudy water

[millym]

help!!!! got up this morning & our tank looks like theres fog in there!!! its v cloudy. what can cause this??? we've had it 6 months & have done nothing different lately. we do a weekly 25% water change & add dechlorinator etc. just checked the levels
ammonia 0,nitrite 0, nitrate 50, ph8. t 22c.
any help advice most appreciated
thanks

 

[mrV]

Probably bacteria boom (not harmful). Nitrates seems to be quite high, but if there isn't ammonia or nitrite, just watch your fishes.. For fishes you have, pH is quite high.

You could maybe try to change water twice a week 20-25%. Do you add turf or any turf based products like Tetra ToruMin? Sometimes they help to lower pH.

 

[millym]

thanks for quick reply mrv. will try the X2 weekly small water changes. our pH is & always has been 8 - its the stuff that comes out of the tap here in london. ive read other posts from folk here in london & theirs is the same. i did write a post once about lowering pH but the overwhelming response was to leave it alone esp if thats what is coming from the local water supply. our nitrate is usually 10-20 so maybe thats something to do with it??!! what can change nitrate levels??

 

[mrV]

always has been 8 - its the stuff that comes out of the tap here in london.

Our tap water is about 8-8.5 (pH). It must be slightly basic or pipes corrode.

our nitrate is usually 10-20 so maybe thats something to do with it??!! what can change nitrate levels??

You have quite many fishes, that's why you should maybe change water 2x/week. Nitrates are "final" form from e.g. ammonia (NH3/NH4+ => NO2- => NO3- (=> xxx)).

In England water is probably hard (GH and KH), so lowering pH could be difficult. Turf may help or not, or you need to put turf based products so much that it'll become very expensive.

You can also buy from your pharmacy, 10 % H2SO4, sulfuric acid. Then make it weaker (about 2-3%) and use it to lower pH (about 2-3ml/20 liters. Can't say how much you need to add 2% sulphuric acid exactly. You need to test it.). It works well. And even some stuff you find from you lfs, like Sera pH-, contains sulphuric acid.

When handling sulphuric acid you must be very careful (ask some advice from your pharmacy). And when lowering pH, don't change it too much. Maybe 0,2 units / 2-3 days. If fishes start to behave odd. Don't lower pH until fishes behave normal again.

Remember to use changing water - don't add sulphuric acid into your tank!!