Cloudy (White) Water For 6 Months

[shortymet55]

Hello Everyone,
 
     I have had cloudy water in a 29 gallon tank for 6 months now, and I cant stand it anymore. As far as I know, its a bacteria bloom. Definetly not algae, because its not green, I have no other algae in my tank at all, and a diatom filter didnt do anything (Not even short term). Plus it started after I switched from gravel to sand... which I knew in advance was going to cause a bacteria bloom, but one I thought would last a week or two. Tank details:
 
29 gallons
Medium # of plants (60W PC light , no fertalizer/CO2, 50% plant coverage)
Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 40ppm
pH: ~6.3
Filters: Aquaclear 30 and Aquaclear 50 with regular sponge and ceramic pieces
 
Stocking:
1 Angelfish
1 Boesemani Rainbowfish
1 Swordtail
3 Neon Dwarf Rainbowfish
4 Blue Tetras
4 Kuhli Loaches
5 JuvenileBristlenose Plecs (Rehomed parents, then these appeared)
6 Harlequin Rasboras
6 Julii Corys (Likely False, purchased from Petco (Impulse, usually never buy from there))
 
Anyone have any ideas? Im stumped, because although by volume I know my tank is overstocked, the filtration capacity should be okay and stats are fine. As a last resort, I did try a water clarity product that supposedly clumps particles so filter can work on them, but as expected that failed. Also tried doesing Nite-out II to see if a boost of bacteria would help. That was only dosed a few hours ago, but I dont suspect it to work either. I will see in the next day or so. Should I continue dosing? I used the last bit of a friends bottle (just enough for recommended dosage for my tank size), so it this has a shot, I need to buy more. Any other ideas? Im getting really disappointed, because my tank used to look good, and now it doesnt (although plants and fish are doing great).
 
Thanks!
 
 
 

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Are you sure that its still a bacterial bloom?
 
Could it be sand being kicked around by the current?  Did you rinse it before you put it into the tank?

 

[shortymet55]

I did rinse it very well (I think). I could stir it up and it would clear up pretty quickly. Also, the water was much clearer the first day I put in the sand, then progressively got worse over a few days. A 75% water change last week helped moderatly for about a day, then back to just as bad as before. I also thought the diatom filter would have worked on sand dust.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

What are you feeding?  How often do you vacuum the substrate, etc.?
 
Any more information that you can provide would be helpful...

Can you add some pics of this tank?
 

 

[Blondielovesfish]

I agree that a pic would help.
 
Your stocking is pretty bad I'm afraid
You tank is way over stocked and some of the fish need bigger tanks/shoal numbers.
 
1. The Angelfish needs a tank that is at least 18 inches tall. A 55 gallon tank is recommended for Angelfish.
 
2. The Rainbow fish need to be in a school of at least 6. It is also recommended that their tank is at least 4 feet long.
 
3. The Blue Tetra needs to be in a school of at 6.
 
4. The Kuhli Loaches need to be in numbers of at least 6. Also, they don't do well with Cories as they're competing for floor space.
 
5. Your tank is too small for 5 Bristlenose Plecos.
 
 
I recommend that you get a 55 gallon tank and rehome the rainbow fish. Or, you could keep the 29 and rehome the Plecos, Angelfish, Rainbow fish and Kuhli Loaches or Cories.

 

[shortymet55]

I feed mostly TetraMin Plus with occasional frozen bloodworms leftover from my dwarf puffer tank. I dont really vaccum the substrate. Its sand and the cories keep it stirred up. I rarely see debris that has settled. I will try to get a picture soon.
 
As far as stocking, most of my bad stuff I have a reason for... some I have had for a very long time and wasnt well informed.
 
1.) The angelfish is pretty old. Hes 5+ years and getting sluggish. The 29 is rather tall, so he has plenty of room above and below. I agree I would have gotten a 55 if I had known, but at this point, its probably more harm to stress him out with another move.
 
2.) Impulse buy, I got 2 of them, but lost one very early on. I should rehome him.
 
3.) Blue tetras were bought in group of 6. One jumped out of tank and one had a shark bite looking chunk taken out of him. No idea what really happened. I decided my tank was too overstocked to buy more.
 
4.) Khulis might be a group of 6. I bought that many, but can only find 3 at a time. However since I saw none for a few months, I figure I have at least one more. The side of the tank they are on is very planted. This leads me to the cories, they tend to stay on the more open side of the tank, so I wouldnt say they are competing. I had the kuhlis way before the cories and their behavior hasnt changed (Never traveled to the other side of the tank even when alone).
 
5.) The plecos are leftovers from the parents rehome. I went to get the parents and found like 30 babies. Most of them moved with parents, but looks like a few were left. These are about an inch, so they will be moved as soon as they are large enough that I feel they wont be overstressed moving.
 
As far as tank size, I have had this tank since freshman year of high school, I am fresh out of college and will be moving away from home around January (I hope... that means I got the job I want). But this means I dont really want to upgrade tanks right now.
 
 
But as far as my cloudiness, do you feel its strickly from being overstocked? I just dont get how it can be a result of that, since my stats are fine and I have plenty of filtration.

 

[Blondielovesfish]

I think it might be caused by the sand

 

[pippa1238]

I agree with Blondielovesfish. I have just set up a tropical tank with a black sand substrate (well known brand which is apparently "pre-washed"). To begin with, I expected the filter to deal, but the filter material just clogged and blocked. I then decanted into a bucket and rinsed... and rinsed... and rinsed (about 20 times). I was straining the rinse water through a 100 count cotton pillowcase and still getting silt out. When I replaced the sand in the tank after an entire afternoon in the garden rinsing this stuff and started filling again, had to do so really slowly. Planting up and decorating has re-stirred the cloudy silt and I am having to rinse my filter every day. Pretty fed up with the whole thing really. Going to try a water clarifier next to try and get the microscopic dust particles to stick together and drop to the bottom.

 

[Ch4rlie]

I agree with Blondielovesfish. I have just set up a tropical tank with a black sand substrate (well known brand which is apparently "pre-washed"). To begin with, I expected the filter to deal, but the filter material just clogged and blocked. I then decanted into a bucket and rinsed... and rinsed... and rinsed (about 20 times). I was straining the rinse water through a 100 count cotton pillowcase and still getting silt out. When I replaced the sand in the tank after an entire afternoon in the garden rinsing this stuff and started filling again, had to do so really slowly. Planting up and decorating has re-stirred the cloudy silt and I am having to rinse my filter every day. Pretty fed up with the whole thing really. Going to try a water clarifier next to try and get the microscopic dust particles to stick together and drop to the bottom.

 
Wow! Thats a lot of rinsing but gotta say, well done for persevering and doing a great job!! 
Well worth doing to reduce vastly your chances of getting a bacterial bloom. 

 
I only have pea gravel in my tank, i rinsed these out about 5 or 6 times in a bucket, through a sieve, through a net etc etc whatever worked really!! lol But I did get cloudy water for a day or two then disappeared and have a clear tank but I do have a massive filter for my tank which helps that sort of thing really. 

 
@shortymet - can't help but feel that 2 things may be worth doing, your filter may be clogged now with silt from the sand, might be worth washing one filter sponge in old tank water every 2 weeks during water changes. And hoover gravel your sand may also help a bit.
 
Don't take me up on that, check and verify first this ok to do on your filter first.
 
Don't think adding chemical or products will actually help much in your case. Just plain old hard work and slowly but surely you'll start to see results.
 
You probably have done all the things that have been mentioned but keep at it and hopefully soon you'll see some changes.
 
BTW, totally agree with others saying you are vastly overstocked. Sorry! 
 
I have a 24 gallon tank and I have 15 Threadfin Rainbowfish, 6 cherry shrimps and 2 assassin snails, thats it! I think that is comfortably stocked with a just little room to spare in case Rainbowfish or the shrimps starts to breed!! 

 
So with your numbers and types of fish, hmm, time to rehome some of them might be best in the long run. 

 
Good luck!