Cloudy tank water???

Swiftrat · Post by **Swiftrat** » 12 Aug 2003, 23:17

I just cleaned out the tank yesterday afternoon, and now, this morning, the water is a little cloudy. The water used to be nice and clear. There are no tank plants in their (just plastic ones), and the heater is set at 28 degrees (don't know the conversion for farenheit but 27-28 degrees here is room temperature.

Anyway I can counter this cloudiness?

Post by **Silurus** » 12 Aug 2003, 23:20

Did you just change all of the water? If you did, it's probably new tank syndrome. The water will clear in a few days if so.

Swiftrat · Post by **Swiftrat** » 12 Aug 2003, 23:36

Yeah, I did... that water was filthy.

I was just looking at other threads relating to cloudy water... many asked questions on the tank's stats. Mine are:

It's a 3 foot tank with a corner filter (carbon and wool type) and air pump, and the water usually gets a 50% change every 2 weeks.

Tank inhabitants are:

1 x Salmon-tailed Catfish
2 x Tandanus (Eel-tailed Catfish)
1 x Whiptail Catfish
6 x Bristlenose Catfish (4 small, 2 medium)
3 x Khuli Loach (or Coolie Loach)
A few Guppies and small Brine Shrimps

The tank doesnt get much sunlight, probably just ambient daylight in the room during the day, or when the kitchen light is on.

Post by **Silurus** » 12 Aug 2003, 23:45

In this case, the water should clear in a few days.

Post by **Barbie** » 12 Aug 2003, 23:49

The water should clear, but you definitely want to monitor your ammonia and nitrites. The odds are good that your tank is going to recycle, and your fish will be exposed to toxic levels of their own wastes before the bacteria colonies can get reestablished. Its always a good idea to just do partial water changes, even on a tank that's having problems. That complete change out is VERY hard on the fish.

Barbie

Swiftrat · Post by **Swiftrat** » 13 Aug 2003, 14:21

Yeah, the tank water is still cloudy as it was this morning. I was just thinking, it wouldn't be cloudy because of the algae wafers I put in for the bristlenoses would it? These small green wafer discs don't take long to disintergrate into green mush - but in a filter/airpumped tank (which I have), the pet store guy said that the filter-airpump churns the wafer discs all over the place and "murks" up the water.

As for ammonia/nitrites? Ummm... them things that test the water are a bit expensive here (and I'm flat broke). I can get the pet store guys to check the water for me free of charge though. (it's just a matter of taking a water sample down to the store)

My catfish aren't showing any signs of stress, but is there a way of telling if something's iffy with the water without a pH/ammonia/nitrite kit thinger.

And yeah, I'll only be doing 50% water changes from now on instead of whole tank changes.

pturley · Post by **pturley** » 13 Aug 2003, 18:01

Silurus and Barbie forgot to mention this: Don't feed until your water clears. You are just adding to the waste products in the water and fueling the bacterial colony in suspension in the water.

Monitor the ammonia levels frequently. If they climb too high, do a partial (no more than 20%) water change. Give it a day, then repeat. But DO NOT FEED THE FISH UNTIL THE WATER IS CLEAR and the ammonia levels have fallen off.

BTW: Healthy fish can go a month without feeding without significant consequences.

Sincerely,
Paul E. Turley

Swiftrat · Post by **Swiftrat** » 14 Aug 2003, 07:37

Okay then, I'll quit with the algae wafers and bloodworms for a little while. (can I still give the guppies a few floating flakes?)

I'll be taking a water sample into the pet store later on today.

PS: Thanks for everyone's advice so far.