Water Cloudy and Fish at Surface

[FishGurl123]

Hi everyone.

I had two female guppies and one male neon tetra who were moved from a 10L tank to a 54L tank yesterday. In this new tank, I have a Aquael 300 Filter, a heater, and two live plants (obviously as well as gravel and ornaments). The gravel was purchased yesterday for the tank, but was rinsed thoroughly several times before being placed in the tank.
The tank isn't new, and has been used several times before, always with the same filter and heater, and always without problems.
Now the water is going cloudy and my fish are looking ill.

I originally thought that I had too much oxygen in the tank which is causing the water to look cloudy and I have order two new carbon filter pads to try and correct this. I then started noticing that all three of my fish were going to the water surface and looking like they were gasping for oxygen, so I'm probably wrong about the water being too oxygenated.

My neon tetra has just died (although he was very old and I'd had him for well over two years) and I'm now very concerned for my remaining two fish.

I have tested the water parametres (NO3, NO2, GHd, KHd, pH and Cl2) and everything has tested to be at the correct levels. I noticed that the temperature of the tank was a bit high (only by a degree or two) and I have lower the heater to fix this

I don't know what else to try, and I would appreciate anyone who would be able to help me save my guppies.

 

[Colin_T]

Do a huge (75-90%) water change immediately. See how the fish look tomorrow. If they are gasping again, it is probably the gravel.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.

Is there aeration in the tank?

You can't have too much oxygen in the water and carbon has nothing to do with oxygen. Carbon is used to remove chemicals and heavy metals from the water. Carbon might help if it is poisoning from the gravel.

Is the gravel coloured?
Can you post pictures of the gravel?

 

[Slaphppy7]

What are your exact readings for ammonia, nitrIte, and nitrAte, using a liquid test kit?

 

[FishGurl123]

Do a huge (75-90%) water change immediately. See how the fish look tomorrow. If they are gasping again, it is probably the gravel.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.

Is there aeration in the tank?

You can't have too much oxygen in the water and carbon has nothing to do with oxygen. Carbon is used to remove chemicals and heavy metals from the water. Carbon might help if it is poisoning from the gravel.

Is the gravel coloured?
Can you post pictures of the gravel?

This is the gravel that I’ve got in my tank

 

[Colin_T]

That gravel should be alright, it's usually the brightly coloured (pink, green, blue) stuff that causes problems. But do a big water change anyway and see how they look tomorrow.

 

[FishGurl123]

What are your exact readings for ammonia, nitrIte, and nitrAte, using a liquid test kit?

It's all at 0, not sure about specific numbers as I am using JBL EastTest strips

 

[FishGurl123]

That gravel should be alright, it's usually the brightly coloured (pink, green, blue) stuff that causes problems. But do a big water change anyway and see how they look tomorrow.

Okay will do, thank you

 

[Slaphppy7]

Get one of these ASAP, those strips are less accurate, and don't test for ammonia, the most critical of the tests: https://apifishcare.com/product/freshwater-master-test-kit

What water conditioner do you use?

 

[FishGurl123]

Get one of these ASAP, those strips are less accurate, and don't test for ammonia, the most critical of the tests: https://apifishcare.com/product/freshwater-master-test-kit

What water conditioner do you use?

Interpet Bioactive tapsafe plus

 

[Slaphppy7]

Interpet Bioactive tapsafe plus

Never heard of that one, and apparently it's being discontinued, for some reason...and it's got added bacteria, that you don't need, and probaly aren't viable, anyway

Get either some Seachem Prime, or API Tap Water Conditioner, and use that instead, ASAP

 

[FishGurl123]

Never heard of that one, and apparently it's being discontinued, for some reason...and it's got added bacteria, that you don't need, and probaly aren't viable, anyway

Get either some Seachem Prime, or API Tap Water Conditioner, and use that instead, ASAP

okay thank you, I'll try and get some of that tonight

 

[Myraan]

If you used a test strip, I expect it did not test the ammonia. If nitrate and nitrite are zero that implies you might not be cycled. Did you transfer the media from your old filter when you upgraded?

The advice Colin initially gave about a huge immediate water change is what you need to do. And you will now be doing a fish in cycle unless you still have your small tank running and can use some media.

Many years ago I failed at keeping goldfish. The tank was too small and not cycled. Everytime they died off they spent several days gasping at the top. In hindsight I realised ammonia was the issue (spent 15 or more years with no fish but reading lots of books and magazines and this forum as a lurker before I came back to fish, followed the instructions to fishless cycle and now the fish are surviving months or years rather than days or weeks)

Did you buy the API testkit? Personally i came to not like it, though it saw me through months of daily testing when i was new. The nitrate test is annoying - and I found it difficult to read. So when nitrate and ammonia tests ran out I switched to salifert which i much preferred. And it may be heresy - but the JBL strip test with the phone app that uses your camera to read result I like alot and seems no less accurate than liquid tests and potentially more precise. That also has no ammonia - so is no use to you. You will need a liquid test for ammonia, api liquid one is fine.

Sorry answering this when i am so new.... but I see no-one asked about ammonia yet.

 

[Slaphppy7]

If you used a test strip, I expect it did not test the ammonia. If nitrate and nitrite are zero that implies you might not be cycled. Did you transfer the media from your old filter when you upgraded?

The advice Colin initially gave about a huge immediate water change is what you need to do. And you will now be doing a fish in cycle unless you still have your small tank running and can use some media.

Many years ago I failed at keeping goldfish. The tank was too small and not cycled. Everytime they died off they spent several days gasping at the top. In hindsight I realised ammonia was the issue (spent 15 or more years with no fish but reading lots of books and magazines and this forum as a lurker before I came back to fish, followed the instructions to fishless cycle and now the fish are surviving months or years rather than days or weeks)

Did you buy the API testkit? Personally i came to not like it, though it saw me through months of daily testing when i was new. The nitrate test is annoying - and I found it difficult to read. So when nitrate and ammonia tests ran out I switched to salifert which i much preferred. And it may be heresy - but the JBL strip test with the phone app that uses your camera to read result I like alot and seems no less accurate than liquid tests and potentially more precise. That also has no ammonia - so is no use to you. You will need a liquid test for ammonia, api liquid one is fine.

Sorry answering this when i am so new.... but I see no-one asked about ammonia yet.

See post #8 above

 

[Myraan]

See post #8 above

Ah yes, i read the link for the test kit but not the whole sentence it seems

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Am I the only one thinking about a bacterial bloom, having been told in the title that 'Water cloudy'?
Whilst the gravel appears to be a good sort, I'm wondering about the source of it and how well it was washed beforehand.
I'm also thinking, alongside others, that we're talking about another uncycled tank.

Not wanting to upset you, @FishGurl123 , but neon tetra in an established tank with the proper conditions, can live between 5 and 10 years, so 2 isn't really 'very old'. Sorry.