Having Trouble With 200 Gallon Tank. Keeps Getting Murky After 1 To 2

[privatearms]

Hello experts. I have a 200 gallon tank in which I have 6 oscars, and 2 brown hoplos. The tank gets murky after only a couple days. It does not matter how many water changes I will do, it just keeps going. Also there is a slime building up on the walls, inside the filters, everywhere. I clean and clean and nothing helps. I am about to give up all my fish. It is just so frustraing. Water changes everyday and in 200 gallon tank, it takes a while. I do not think the media is mature, and I can not do a fishless cycle because I do not have a place to stick my fish into. I contacted some members to see if they could donate some media, and I got no answers from anyone. I live in FL if that helps.

I just can not take it, I am about give all my fish up and sell everything. I have alot of other fish in other tanks as well, and they all have the same problem.

 

[waterdrop]

Those are large fish, requiring significant filtration. I guess total system flow rate on filtration would need to be 1000 US gallons per hour for a minimum with more being better. Have you checked the flow rate specs for the filters or were you going by a statement that they would handle a 200g tank?

Are you fully familiar with the Nitrogen Cycle and did you follow along using a liquid test kit during your cycling period?

Do you know the water chem specs of your source water? What is your total light wattage?

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Colin_T]

how often do you feed the big oscars?
adult oscars only need feeding a couple of times a week. They will eat every day if offered food but they don't need it. The more food you give them, the faster the water will go off and the more water changes you have to do.
If you are feeding a pellet food then try them on a different type of pellet food. Some are cleaner than others and make less mess. Alternatively, feed them on whitebait, prawn, and various other bits of marine organisms.

And as waterdrop has suggested, make sure you have a big enough filter for the job. Oscars are messy fish that need really good filtration.