Help! Cloudy Water In New Tank!

[ice maiden]

Need some help, had the tank up and running for about 3 weeks, the local shop told me to start adding a couple of fish I have added a plec, 4 guppies and a few neons, now the water has gone really cloudy.....

Until i stumbled on this forum this morning i knew nothing about test kits...so went out and bought one....

these are the levels

no3 25
n02 ok
dGH >21
dkh 20
pH 8,4

is this causing the cloudyness

I am really worried about the fish having read about your cycle u recommend

Help!!!

 

[tttnjfttt]

Cloudy water occasionally devleops in a new tank. This is called a bacterial bloom. While very annoying to look at, it is very harmless to fish. You can do a few partial water changes to help clear it up, but it will clear up on its own. This is sometimes caused by excessive nutrients in the fish tank, so you may want to cut down on feeding your fish.

What exactly were your nitrIte readins? You said they were ok, but didn't post a level. Also, have yo uchecked your ammonia levels? Those are often somethign to watch closely, especialy in a new tank

 

[ice maiden]

the only option is ok, it doesnt give levels, and doesnt test for amonia levels....

to top it all i have just read the instructions and it says the kit is for ponds!!!!!!! I am thinking that the staff in my local shop dont have a clue what they are talking about.....

can anyone suggest a good kit i can go and buy tomorrow?

I am in the UK

 

[WILDER]

Tetra are good test kits, but abit expensive.

 

[lizjamie]

Are you in the UK?
I dont claim to be an expert but I was given a Freshwater master kit which came from Pets at home which has done me lots of good. Does Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate, PH and high level pH.
Obviously unsure of expense as it was a present, and pets at home never seems to be the most economical of choices....
Still if you look for one which does each of the above then you should be fine.
(Might not even need high pH, unless your fish need to live above 7.4)

 

[ice maiden]

Yes I am in the UK...do u know what make the test kit is???

 

[lizjamie]

mmm the box says aquarium pharmaceuticals inc. It was bought at pets at home. Though I have seen other complete kits on internet shops like the aquarium shop.
Although am sure are cheaper options, these complete kits I am sure are sold to numptys that arent supposed to know better, but are good for the numptys like me who cant cope other wise!

 

[tttnjfttt]

mmm the box says aquarium pharmaceuticals inc. It was bought at pets at home. Though I have seen other complete kits on internet shops like the aquarium shop.
Although am sure are cheaper options, these complete kits I am sure are sold to numptys that arent supposed to know better, but are good for the numptys like me who cant cope other wise!

Is it this kit? my test kit If so, this is the kit that I have (i'm in the US) and absolutely love it. Here is a link to a us site with a pix

EDIT: spelling and fixing link

 

[ice maiden]

so the readings i have posted so far are useless?

 

[tttnjfttt]

so far most of your readings are in the good to know category. pH isn't crucial, as long as it doesnt' change drastically. KH and GH are good to know, they talk about how many minerals or how hard your water is (GH) and the buffering capacity (KH) which is a measure of how stable your pH will be. You have hard water and a very high KH, which is good.

Nitrates (NO3) are important, but are ok as long as they stay below 40. You should check your tap water to know what that reading is, as sometimes people have to bend that rule as their water naturally has high nitrates.

NitrItes (no2) are toxic to fish. These levels need to be kept ideally at zero, which is where they are in establised and stable tanks. Knowing these levels is important. When your tank is cycling these will build up, and i usually say daily water changes if any are present, more frequent if they are above 1.0

ammonia (nh3) is also toxic to fish, and the same rules apply with nitrites.

Hope that helps some

I just looked at the fish you have, how big of a tank do you have? Also, what type of a pleco is it? if it is a common pleco, they grow to be huge and aren't really suitable for small tanks, plus are massive poop machines (increases the demand on the bio in your filter). Also, neons are schooling fish, and need to be kept in a group of atleast 5 to keep them happy. Also, watch that they don't become nippy, especially with the guppies long tails.

 

[ice maiden]

My tank is a juwel trigon 190, its a bow fronted corner tank, Its 190 litres.

I think it is a common plec, I just bought what the shop recommended...

I am going to buy a proper test kit tomorrow, as i am really worried now...and am gutted that the water is now cloudy

 

[tttnjfttt]

seriously, don't worry about the cloudy water. It is normal. I've dealt with it before as well. Your tank should be big enough to hold the pleco for a while, but he may need to be rehomed when he gets older (i've heard they can grow up to 18", but i think 12" is more common).

 

[ice maiden]

once i get the proper test kit tomorrow I will post the levels....

will the cloudy water just clear, or will i need to do partial water changes?

 

[tttnjfttt]

water changes will hlep a little, but it will go away on its own, probably within a week

 

[monkeyman]

Tetra are good test kits, but abit expensive.

Yes Tetra kits rule, i bought a Tetra pH kit the other day and it was £6.00 and i think its well worth the extra quid or 2! P.S. I dont think your pH has much to do with your water being cloudy anyway... i am always willing to be corrected though!