Cloudy Water

[aqua monster]

Hi people i filled my tank up on friday and last night water went cloudy...i can still see from one end to the other but its not clear how it was....its a juwel 450 with 1200 filters...

any ideas why it could be like this...?

 

[davellew69]

Hi people i filled my tank up on friday and last night water went cloudy...i can still see from one end to the other but its not clear how it was....its a juwel 450 with 1200 filters...

any ideas why it could be like this...?

Hi I have had my tank for 2 days, no fish yet, and I have the same problem, I`m not sure if I have to add any products, replace some of the water, or leave it.

I`m sure we can get help.

How are you getting on with cycling, as I`m strugling to understand it all

 

[aqua monster]

i think its ment to go cloudy part of the cycle it goes through.....
its all a bit over my head at the min lol....
hopefully we can get some sound advice on here tho..

 

[Gaz_S]

Did you use a product which helps to cycle your tank? It could be a bacterial bloom or gravel not being cleaned enough. Id leave it for a day or two then do a water change 25-50%. Someone else maybe able to give you much better advice! Dont take my word for it.

 

[davellew69]

No product added, do you know if i should add anything?

 

[aqua monster]

yes i did you a product...

 

[Gvilleguy]

Hi,

I had the same clouding problem on my new tank after about 3 days. Some bacteria can feed and thrive on manufacturing leftovers in your tank, so it's not really a problem. I simply did a large 90% water change on my tank and the cloudy problem did not return for weeks, and then I think I was dealing with different bacterial blooms. Here is the thread I started on it:

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/327535-new-aquarium-white-cloudy-water-after-temperature-change/page__p__2718356&#entry2718356

 

[davellew69]

Thanks for all the posts, but I`m still puzzled on what to do?, do i have to add amrmonia?,or anything else, can i add anything to start the cycling?

 

[Gvilleguy]

Dave,

Are you confused about the cycling process options? Did you try to read the cycling threads posted in the beginner's section? I found them to be very helpful in determining which way to cycle the tank.

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/277264-beginners-resource-center/

I selected the 'fishless cycle' add and wait method, which basically consists of:

1. Buy a decent water testing kit - I went with the API Master Kit
2. Test your tap water levels of ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH (so you know your baseline)
3. Get the tank up and running with a filter
4. Acquire pure ammonia, which can be tricky to find in the stores
5. Optimal temperature would be 84 F for cycling, with a pH in the range of 8.0 (you can use baking soda to raise the pH)
6. Add enough ammonia to raise the ppm test result about about 4 ppm

Then you patiently wait for the ammonia level to drop, which can take one week or many weeks, depending on your water properties. You have to wait for the natural 'ammonia loving' bacteria to eat your ammonia and grow more bacteria. After that there is a second, longer phase of waiting for the bacteria to grow that like to eat 'nitrites'.

Those threads give better detail than I did, though.

Then you can start a "cycle log" thread with your name in it, and post your testing results. There are very helpful users on this forum that will check your log and make suggestions to help you out. My log thread is in my signature if you want an example.

 

[mike_980]

as the above posts say, if you have no fish in it shouldnt be a problem just leave it, chances are its just a bacterial bloom or something, mine did the same when i first set my tank up but it settles down on its own accord fairly quickly, never do more than a 50% change IMO or you will loose vital bacteria in which your fish need to survive!

 

[davellew69]

ok, its sinking in.lol

hen i was at the shop, i was told fill the tank, install pump, heater, treat the chlorine and just leave it a week, then add 1 or 2 fish, i take it this is poor advise?

any ideas where to get pure armonia?

 

[mike_980]

yes thats poor advice! i was given the same advice lol, before adding any fish it's best to have cycled your tank OR you can cycle your tank with fish using danio zebras or something like that as these fish are very hard and take alot of toxins and different water conditions to actually do them damage.

Basically your tank is a mini ecosystem which looks after itself with the aid of a filter and you doing small water changes every now and again. Behind every ecosystem there is important bacteria ensuring everything works correctly, the thing you need to remember is your tank will not function as it should and keep itself clean without these bacteria. The purpose of this bacteria is to convert toxic chemicals in the form of nitrItes and ammonia into nitrAtes (dont get nitrites and nitrates mixed up lol). When your tank is fully cycled this bacteria will convert the harful chemicals given off in fish poo into nitrates basically which are much less harmful however the small water changes are to keep nitrates under control or these will also build up.

A new tank will take some time for the bacteria to establish so you need a water testing kit to determine when you are ready for you fish.

Try to stay away from chemicals unless its tapsafe stuff to take chlorine out of water or medications as these unstable the chamicals in the water and the affects of them can be achieved in other ways so there is no need for them tbh!

doing large water changes in the tank (anything over 50%) will massivly slow down the bacteria growth you need and you will be going backwards

your aiming for 0 ammonia and 0 nitrites and a small amount of nitrates.

the fishless cycle can be started by adding ammonia to the tank manually i think although i dont know alot about that process because as i say i started with the fish when i should have really waited!

hope this helps

 

[davellew69]

cool its all making sence now, I will hunt for some armonia, but may have to add fish, and check levels every day, and frequent water changes, when i do a water change do i just add the chlorine treatment, for the amout i take out and replace?

 

[mike_980]

cool its all making sence now, I will hunt for some armonia, but may have to add fish, and check levels every day, and frequent water changes, when i do a water change do i just add the chlorine treatment, for the amout i take out and replace?

yep you just need to add enough treatment for the amount you add in, in my 110 liter tank a full bucket full is around a 10% change so i just do that everytime and then fill the bucket back full of water and treat it. then add back in slowly over the next hour or so if you can to stop it being such a temperature and chemical shock for the fish as they can cause white spot on fish which are easily stressed. i usually do a pint just at a time every 5 minutes at a time or something but whether this is good advice or not i wouldnt like to say!


and before just adding ammonia to the tank look for some fishless cycle tutorials #17##### it will need to be calculated how much you need to add for the size of your tank and im not sure if you need to add bacteria or whatever doing it that way but yeah hope you understand abit more now

any more questions ask away and ill do my best haha

 

[waterdrop]

Milky water from bacterial blooms is totally normal and harmless in newly filled tanks and will go away. Its caused by heterotropic bacteria (not the ones we are trying to grow in the filter!) As said, they can have a feast and multiply like crazy just from the leftover chemicals from the tank sealant.

A Fishless Cycle, to establish the all-important biofilter prior to introducing any fish is one of the core learning experiences of the hobby. It is a wonderful time to get hands on experience understanding the Nitrogen Cycle and talking with the members about all sorts of startup topics and the making of a stocking plan. Fishless cycles average a month to two months in length, mostly caused by the slowness of the two correct species of autotrophic bacteria that need to colonize the biomedia in the filter.

~~waterdrop~~