Too eager

[louise]

Hello again i was wondering if you can help me. )

I have just read your do's and dont's and have mucked up allready!

In my tank i have 2 silver sharks (ooops), 2 cat fish (1 albino?), 4 black widow tetras, 6 neon tetras and a bully fighter fish (who is now in his own tank)

I give my tank regular changes 1/4 WC and the water is still milky, the testing kit is fine but still milky.?

I also was told my filter can be used in the water not water level and they dont need an air pump!??!

Please help.

Oh and do i have a pregnant BW tetra she is soooo fat and teratorial? i have seperated her from the others shall i not bother or....??

Cheers

 

[Nina7777]

Hey there-
What size tank do you have? What size filter? and what size are your fish?!?!

THis will help to answer your questions!

 

[louise]

Hi now your asking!!

Urm i have a Rena (2foot?) curvy tank

My BW Tetras are about an inch long
S Sharks are 2 inchs long
Catfish 2 1/2

I cant really say much more ) sorry

 

[louise]

i cant really say much more!! sorry )

My big tank 25" x " 14" x 12"
My mini tank 15" x 9" x 12"

 

[Nina7777]

In my opinion your water is milky because you have too many fish......actually not too many fish if they were 1 inch or so, but your silver sharks (a.k.a balas) will grow much larger and produce a ton of waste!

I would try changing 25% of the water every other day, and getting an air pump with airstone. It will help circulate the water a little more and the water changes should help make it a little clearer.

Now when you say "milky" do you mean the water is white? Or do you mean it appears to have millions of tiny particles floating around which make the water appear white?

If it actually white then i can't help as this has never happened to me, but if its the tiny particals then the water changes should help, and if you could afford it I would either get a bigger tank or trade in your silver sharks because the tank is WAY too small. They should be in at least a 55 gallon.

These are just my opinions.....Can anyone else help if the water is actually white?!?!?!

 

[drobbins27]

Milky water? Make some Kraft Dinner with a side order of fish

 

[louise]

Cheers for the replies

Yeah i just had a look and its billions of particles, i have moved the filter to make bubbles till i get a pump as i get payed tomorrow! typical!

Im not sure wether they are the sharks your on about as they havent grown at all? still the same old size (but i have only had then 2months?) )

my fish are weeny - are my tetras called Black Widows? (black fins, two black stripes)

I would love to get a massive tank 55g+ but as im not settled into my own place as yet i feel it would be hard to re-locate the fish.

cheers

 

[Carolinesugar]

hiya, well i hope i can help u out!!

ur silver sharks (balas) havent grown much yet, cus they havent been there very long. but given a few more months they will grow, trust me, i thought like u did that they hadnt and wudnt grow!

an air pump will help ur fish get the most of of the tank, and will also help them have enough air between them all!

how long have u had ur tank set up ? did u cycle it 4 at least a week ?

i think that the milky affect is either frm ur filter not being strong/big enough 2 do the size of ur tank, or it cud just be that u rushed into puttin the fish in b4 it had finished doing a mini cycle.

although its gud to cycle with sum fish, its not as greata idea to do it with a full tank full of fish.

theres no need to feel so silly, it happens to the best of us wen we first get fish!

gud luck, if u need nemore help, then just ask, every1 here is friendly and here 2 help !

Welcome to the site!

 

[louise]

Thank u

I left the tank for 2wks then added the neons.

It looks like i will have to buy a bigger filter and an air pump in the a.m. and a bigger tank for the sharks when they start to get bigger!!!

Fish are expensive but i love 'em my tetras have a weird personality, as sad as my boyfriend calls me i cant help but play peek-a-boo with them

 

[Nina7777]

Hey there,
Your not sad, i play peek-a-boo with my cichlid! and she actually plays back!
Since it is the billions of tiny particles, i would like to tell you that it is because of your bottom feeders. When i had my two chinese alage eaters my tank always had these tiny particles floating around! when they move they stir up all the stuff that is on the bottom of the tank. A bigger filter will definately help but be prepared as it may not make it 100% better.(i thought it would so i went out and bought the biggest filter that would fit in a 30 gallon and they were better but still clouding the water) You can buy a thing called water clarity by seachem. Its the only thing i know of that actually breakdowns the tiny particals from gravel stir-up, and will definately make the water crystal clear. Its also is 100% safe for all plants and fish even scaleless ones!

Trust me on this one, i had this problem the entire time i had my CAE's.
seachem clarity