Cloudy Water

[julielynn47]

This is not my "cloudy tank" thread, but I have the same cloudy issue going on. I am not trying to high jack the thread, I just want to share my issue as it is pretty much the same. I have been following this thread because of this. It is not sand, as I don't have sand. I have added nothing new at all. It used to be crystal clear and then it just went cloudy overnight. I thought it might have been the mineral blocks I put in it for the shrimp and snail, but I took all but one out and it did not help. If I change the water it helps, but by the next day it is cloudy again.

It looks like a bacterial bloom, or mine does. I added a dose of Flourish Comprehensive and it did not help. I clean the filter and replace the pads but that does not help either. I have not used anything to clarify the water.

Maybe together we can figure this out?

 

[omega59]

How did you go with this, any chances of a picture?

 

[julielynn47]

I added the Flourish Comprehensive and it seemed to help. I can take a picture after the tank lights come on today. Hopefully it is still clearer, but I can't tell with the lights off

 

[omega59]

Looks good so far.

 

[omega59]

Any updates, iam curious how this goes.

 

[julielynn47]

My tank is even clearer now.

 

[omega59]

Awesome to hear. Does this mean you'll have to use these chemicals every time in order to get clear water?

 

[julielynn47]

I don't think Flourish Comprehensive is really considered a chemical. It is liquid fertilizer for plants. I am not sure how it worked, but it makes your plants thrive, or it did mine, and the water is clear again. How it worked, I don't know. But it appears it did.

 

[StevenF]

Adding some flourish every water change is probably the best way to avoid cloudy water. However depending on how bad the deficiency was it might be possible to reduce dosing the tank to only once every other week or once a month. The key point is that without making any changes to water source and food and plants the deficiency will likely return although it may take weeks or months for that to happen. We also don't know what was deficient so we would just be guessing on what to changes would be needed to avoid the deficiency from redeveloping.

Also calling Flourish comprehensive chemicals is a bit harsh. everything in flourish is identical to nutrients you will find in a typical river or lake. The exact mix will very from lake to take or river to review. But everything in Flourish does exist in the environment an has been present long before man arrived.

 

[mhancock]

Long shot, but have you put new wood in there recently?

 

[omega59]

Julie how much Flourish do you add, as I was trying to calculate the amounts for my plants, in my fluval v. It came down to one thread in the cap once a week after a water change. Also let water sit for a day with dechlorinate liquid before adding any Flourish.. the good people on this forum said it may cause issue with flourish.

 

[julielynn47]

Sorry I am late answering, I have been really busy in my shop this past couple of weeks. I put just to the first ring in the cap, or that is what I attempt to do, it might actually be more. It is hard for me to tell. But it is definitely not very much as it is just a 10 gallon.

 

[AbbeysDad]

I think it's unlikely that Flourish Comp directly reduced cloudiness. That kind of cloudiness is most usually a faculative (decomp) bacteria bloom that most usually dissipates after a few days (assuming the tank is not overfed/overstocked). Prolonged cloudiness may simply be an imbalance of bacteria (which should also resolve with time).
On the other hand, the Flourish may have caused increased plant growth and that may have helped some as plants can be a great filter to help purify the water.

 

[StevenF]

Julielynn set up a 10 gallon tank cycled it and waited through several intermittent nitrite spikes before stocking it with about 19 shrimp (ghost and cherry). I don't believe there are any fish in the tank. The plants were well established by the time he put the shrimp in. He then lost most of the shrimp for no apparent reasons and the bacterial bloom started. And from the sound of it it was cloudy for a bout a month before he posted asking for suggestions. His tank doesn't appear to be overstocked and he has good water parameters. I don't think this was the usual problem resolves itself. Also he doesn't appear to have any algae issues at this time.

bacteria like plants Need macro and micro nutrients. The difference is the quantities needed are somewhat different and and Bacteria do need a few trace elements that plants generally don't need. I suggested the flourish and the problem was rapidly resolved in about a week. I do not believe it was a faculative (decomp) issue.

 

[julielynn47]

It may seem unlikely, but it worked anyway.

And, StevenF, you got every last detail correct ! (except for the part that I am a "she" and not a he" LOL ) I am really glad I had the Flourish . It did the trick. The water is crystal clear again and the Flourish, however it works, worked.