Hi!

[Shaman]

Hi

Just thought i'd introduce myself on here!

Got my first tank around 3 weeks ago, a Juwel Vision 180. It's been running since then with 6 Silver Tipped Tetras to seed it and things have been going along nicely.

Just a couple of questions, firstly the water has gone cloudy (a good sign apparently from various websites) but how long should it remain cloudy for?

Also, I quite fancy getting a bristlenosed pleco or two for my tank and have been told that they like, as part of their diet, to eat algae. Is this true, and how many is a suitable number for a tank this size?

Cheers

 

[Flagtail]

Welcome to the site!

 

[OldMan47]

Welcome to our forum Shaman.
Please let your tank sit at its present stocking level while you go through a fish-in cycle on your filter. If you have not run into that fish-in term before, you can read about it in the thread that is easily reached by the link in my signature. A new tank like yours is in a fish-in cycle unless you had some very special help from your local fish shop, LFS. That thread and its recommendations may save you and your fish from some rather stressful situations. I am in the middle of a fish-in situation myself because I failed to get my new tank properly cycled before adding fish but you are in an even harder place with your present situation. Please remember that you are far from alone in finding yourself in this situation. I carry that link around in my signature area because I find several people with exactly your problem every week.
I am mostly a MOD in the new tank section of the forum but come to this section because so often people here need my help just as much. My own expertise is mostly in the area of water chemistry so I am not at all reluctant to say what I think on that subject.

 

[Shaman]

Welcome to our forum Shaman.
Please let your tank sit at its present stocking level while you go through a fish-in cycle on your filter. If you have not run into that fish-in term before, you can read about it in the thread that is easily reached by the link in my signature. A new tank like yours is in a fish-in cycle unless you had some very special help from your local fish shop, LFS. That thread and its recommendations may save you and your fish from some rather stressful situations. I am in the middle of a fish-in situation myself because I failed to get my new tank properly cycled before adding fish but you are in an even harder place with your present situation. Please remember that you are far from alone in finding yourself in this situation. I carry that link around in my signature area because I find several people with exactly your problem every week.
I am mostly a MOD in the new tank section of the forum but come to this section because so often people here need my help just as much. My own expertise is mostly in the area of water chemistry so I am not at all reluctant to say what I think on that subject.

Cheers for that advice. I've no intention of getting any more fish until the tank is cycled. I've read quite a bit (since buying the tank!) on fish-in cycling. Currently, the ammonia levels hovers at 0.25ppm which lowers with my daily water change.

I was just getting a little concerned about the length of time that the water has been cloudy for but others have said be patient!

 

[OldMan47]

Cloudy water is quite common in the first few weeks after a tank is set up. It goes away on its own when given enough time. Your daily water changes are just the thing to control your chemistry at first. Don't forget to test for nitrites as the ammonia stops rising quite so fast. That will be the next chemical that needs to be dealt with, again using water changes. Each 1 ppm of ammonia is converted to 2.7 ppm of nitrites so they can be even harder top control with water changes. If you stay with it, you will end up with a fully cycled filter that is quite capable of dealing with the biological load that your fish present. After that it is merely a question of taking things slowly as you increase the number of fish in your tank.