Persistant Cloudy Water!

[Boston-Celtic]

hi guys. i keep a 55 gallon tank at home but im having a problem i havent had before. my problem is that my water in the tank keeps getting very cloudy, really quick. at first i had put some medicine in there in which i had to take the carbon filter out which i thought was the reason for the cloudyness. after a week i placed the filter back in but i got no results to my problem, the water was still cloudy and only getting worse. i did a partial water change and put in a new carbon filter in thinking maybe i might need a new one but it didnt help at all. i ended up taking all of my fish out and placing them in a separate tank while i cleaned the whole tank out. that was my only option. i soon had crystal clean water after i refilled the tank again, i thought my problem was solved but it wasnt. as i type this my tanks water is getting cloudy again after i just cleaned my entire fish tank out: 100% water change, new filters, cleaned decor and everything. does anyone have any ideas what it can be making my water cloudy fast? im really stressing! can anyone help me out?

 

[Fawah40]

hi guys. i keep a 55 gallon tank at home but im having a problem i havent had before. my problem is that my water in the tank keeps getting very cloudy, really quick. at first i had put some medicine in there in which i had to take the carbon filter out which i thought was the reason for the cloudyness. after a week i placed the filter back in but i got no results to my problem, the water was still cloudy and only getting worse. i did a partial water change and put in a new carbon filter in thinking maybe i might need a new one but it didnt help at all. i ended up taking all of my fish out and placing them in a separate tank while i cleaned the whole tank out. that was my only option. i soon had crystal clean water after i refilled the tank again, i thought my problem was solved but it wasnt. as i type this my tanks water is getting cloudy again after i just cleaned my entire fish tank out: 100% water change, new filters, cleaned decor and everything. does anyone have any ideas what it can be making my water cloudy fast? im really stressing! can anyone help me out?

I just started so I'm no expert but reading the first line that you took your carbon filter out, did you take the WHOLE filter out and put a new one in? Then you put it back, where was it? if it was out of the tank all the good bact would be dead. Cloudiness sounds to me like a cycling tank.

Also, after a few days of use the carbon does not remove anything so unless its new carbon you don't need to remove it for meds (someone correct if wrong).
If you want to REMOVE meds then you need new carbon.

Testing done for the bad stuff? ammonia, nitrite, etc?

 

[Boston-Celtic]

No i didnt take the "WHOLE" filter out i left it running i just took out the filter bags (sponge) with the carbon in them. But the filter itself was never moved or taken out. Thats why i dont know whats causing my water to get cloudy very quickly. Im going to go to the pet store and check my water after i finish writing this. I'll post up the results when i come back. thanks for replying.

 

[Essjay]

Are the filter bags all that is inside the filter? Any other sponges or ceramic beads/noodles? It's what's inside the filter that counts, not the filter itself. If the filter bags are all that's in your filter, then you took out all your bacteria. If there is other media inside as well, then you didn't remove all your bacteria.

Have you measured your ammonia and nitrite?

 

[stuuk1]

You need to test your water. The cloudiness you are experiencing is an Algae Bloom by the sounds of it.

How long has the tank been up and running for?

If its been up and running fine for a while (over 3 months in my opionion) then how often are you feeding them?

Is there good water flow through the filter?

But most importantly, we obviously need your water stats, and while you are at it, treat yourself to an API Master Test Kit.

 

[minnnt]

Algae bloom sounds correct to me also. If your tank is 6 months or less then this could be possible. No amount of water changes will cure it. I had it when i first got my tank. I had to start it from brand new and it was terrible. Was really embarassing when people came round to the house and all you had was a tank full of 'white' water. It is basically because the filter is trying to establish good bacteria. The filter is of no use as the particles are so small it cannot collect them in the media inside the filter. I used a treatment called 'filter aid' which helps out by causing the particles to be held together enabling the filter media to catch them. That was my understanding of it anyway.

Have you got any wood in your tank? If so then this could also be causing the cloudyness as the resins etc come out of it. This is especially true if it is 'new' bogwood. Boiling it several times can help to remove the resins.

HTH, good luck, and don't forget to post your results from the test.

 

[karin]

You never said if the cloudiness was green (algae), brown (tannins from wood) or white/milky (bacterial). How old is the tank? Depends on the source of the cloudiness what to do next.

 

[Boston-Celtic]

Yes the filter bags are all that is in the filter. Only the sponge with the carbon in them are in my filter, there is no ceramic beads nor noodles. I just got home from the pet store they checked my water and said my water had no ammonia nor any nitrite that the water itself was fine. I told them about the cloudyness and they asked how long i had my light on, i told them approx. 8 hours and they told me that can be the problem. They told me to have the lights off for 2 weeks and only to turn on the lights when i feed my fish. They also asked what kind of gravel i have and if it was colored. I told them i did that i have green gravel and that that too may be the problem. That the color maybe coming off of the colored rocks. They also suggested i feed my fish every other day. My tank had been running for more than 6 months before i did the complete water change. I feed them daily once a day and yes there is good water flow throughout the tank. I dont have any wood in my tank only some ceramic decor i believe but not any real wood, thanks for the good luck wishing. The cloudyness looks greenish white but it maybe green because of the green gravel i have and my tank had been running for more than a year. Im going to do as he told me to have my lights off for 2 weeks and see if it helps any. As for my green colored gravel, if i see no results after the 2 weeks of off light i think im going to buy some new natural gravel or sand for my tank. What do you guys think? Thank you all for all of your help, i really appreciate it!

 

[drobbyb]

If you have the insert type filter, the one with the floss (some are blue and others white) covering carbon inside a plastic frame, then you may have removed the beneficial bacteria that keep your tank healthy.

Filter insert

Contrary to what the manufacturer says, you only need to replace those when they are literally falling apart. The carbon inside is only active for a short time, I think it's only a matter of days. So removing an insert that has been in the filter for a time only removes the beneficial bacteria that are literally attached to it. The carbon is now full and no longer removes chemicals, and the bacteria have colonized it a bit as well.

There are "bio wheel" type filters that some people swear by that also use the inserts, but they have bio wheels that the bacteria are supposed to live on so you can change the inserts, 1 at a time, to prevent this from happening. Personally for HOB type filters I prefer the Aquaclear series, but on a 55 gallon with large fish (your parrots will get pretty big, and the pleco may get huge depending on the species) you really might look into a canister type filter.

 

[Boston-Celtic]

I do have the insert type filter. Not exactly the exact same one you have on that link but the same concept. The sponge with carbon & the plastic frame inside. So that means i removed the beneficial bacteria, how do i help get my tank healthy again? Thanks for your help.

 

[drobbyb]

Since you have fish already I recommend you read the article found here. It will explain the concept, and we can help answer questions if you have any.

 

[snowflake311]

I did a 85% water change and cleaned the filter. I washed some of my filter floss in tap water killing it off but the rest of the filter was cleaned with tank water. This extreme cleaning caused a bacteria bloom that made my water very cloudy for about 10 hours now it is all back to normal.

Sounds to me like your tank is not fully cycled. A mature tank should find balance fast.

What's your nitrates at?

 

[Boston-Celtic]

Thanks Drob and i will read the article you linked. 10 hours is not bad my water has been cloudy for a number of days now. And i tested my water i dont have any nitrate currently in my water. Appreciate your replies.

 

[snowflake311]

Thanks Drob and i will read the article you linked. 10 hours is not bad my water has been cloudy for a number of days now. And i tested my water i dont have any nitrate currently in my water. Appreciate your replies.

if you don't have any nitrAtes then you did not fully cycle your tank. A tank that is cycled will always have some nitrates 10ppm to 30ppm.

 

[Boston-Celtic]

The sad part in all of this is that my tank is still cloudy. After this week of having the lights off if i still dont see any clearing up i think i will be removing my green gravel and buying either natural gravel or sand and fully cycling my tank before i add my fish in there. Any suggestions?