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  • A question of cloudy waters

    I have posted in the Photo Gallery pictures of my fish.
    One of the pictures show just a cloudy tank..  Tell me if after two weeks is this still expected to be this way ?

    What fish do Jesper have
    180 WC T. Moorii Chilambo +1 Petro trewavasae.
    110
    Cyps, WC Xeno Spilopterus Kipili WC/F1/F2 T. sp red Kiku
    58 S. Decorus

    "The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money." -Margaret Thatcher

  • #2
    Re: A question of cloudy waters

    Are you saying that the tank water has been cloudy for the whole two weeks?  More details please.

    Raul
    Raul
    PokerFace

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    • #3
      Re: A question of cloudy waters

      could be a number of things.....and like Raul stated..two weeks from what?

      could be....

      tank cycling
      overfeeding
      dirty fish/water change time
      too thick of substrate trapping debris/food
      poor filtration
      baby/child put something in it
      life partner spraying deodorizer
      700g Mini-Monster tank

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: A question of cloudy waters

        If you are using city water, it is surface water from the Sheldon Reservoir.
        It is high in hardness & nitrates.  The water company treats it with lime to reduce the organic material in suspension and chloramines to kill the little bugs that live in it (bacteria).  They do this to make the water potable (safe for us to drink).

        When hard water that has been under pressure is released, the drop in pressure releases small particles of calcium.  This is what creates the hard water stains on the tub or dishes or your aquarium.  It is also the reason you should flush your water heater once a year to keep the sediment from plugging the heater.   If you have very hard water the small particles may form a cloud but it should settle to the bottom unless you have strong water currents from your filter.   The calcium particles can be removed by using a very fine mesh filter (Diatom Filter).  

        When potable water that has been under pressure is released, the drop in pressure releases the gasses (chlorine) used to treat the water to kill the bacteria.  Left untreated, the gasses will evaporate in a week or so.   If you use Zip drops or other chlorine neutralizers the chlorine is gone but you may have released a lot of ammonia.   Now you have a tank full of water and food (nitrates & ammonia) the bacteria in the air fall in the tank and begin to multiply.  The "cloud" is actually the bacteria that are reproducing very quickly   with no enemies they will grow so thick that the water becomes cloudy; eventually the bugs that eat the bugs that cause the cloudiness will multiply and reduce the cloudiness.   If the water is green cloudy, it’s algae. If it's gray cloudy, it’s bacteria.  These little critters can be killed by running the water through a UV sterilizer (this will kill them but not remove them).  To removed them you need to use a very fine filter (Diatom Filter) with fresh activated carbon or add some bigger bugs to eat them (daphnia).
        'Dear Lord,' the minister began, with arms extended toward heaven and a rapturous look on his upturned face. 'Without you, we are but dust ...'
        He would have continued but at that moment my very obedient daughter who was listening leaned over to me and asked quite audibly in her shrill little four-year old girl voice, 'Mom, what is butt dust?'

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        • #5
          Re: A question of cloudy waters

          Originally posted by eklikewhoa";p="
          could be a number of things.....and like Raul stated..two weeks from what?

          could be....

          tank cycling
          overfeeding
          dirty fish/water change time
          too thick of substrate trapping debris/food
          poor filtration
          baby/child put something in it
          life partner spraying deodorizer
          2 weeks since I started the tank..  sorry I didn't make that clear... I am hoping this is just the normal tank cycle that is occurring.

          Thanks

          What fish do Jesper have
          180 WC T. Moorii Chilambo +1 Petro trewavasae.
          110
          Cyps, WC Xeno Spilopterus Kipili WC/F1/F2 T. sp red Kiku
          58 S. Decorus

          "The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money." -Margaret Thatcher

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: A question of cloudy waters

            Tank is still cycling, that along with the massive bio-load of the oscars and the other fish.

            bacteria bloom.
            700g Mini-Monster tank

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            • #7
              Re: A question of cloudy waters

              Yups.... Bacterial Bloom.
              This topic was somewhat beaten to death here:

              HoustonFishBox is an online community dedicated to bringing together people and their fish in Houston, Southeast Texas, and beyond.


              IMO, we shoudn't have fish in the tank before it is fully cycled (unless you are using sacrificial cycling fish). But since its still cycling, keep testing daily for NH3, NO2 and NO3 to make sure that they are at a safe level for the fish.
              For a cheap and effective fix, biospira will completely cycle the tank in 2 days.

              good luck!
              www.ventralfins.com

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              • #8
                Re: A question of cloudy waters

                I've got a 40 gal breeder tank (36x18x16) that's been cloudy for 1.5 months.  Residents include 3 procambarus clarkii (crays - full grown), two 3-spot gourami's and about 30 or more guppies (all but 5 of those are fry born day before yesterday).  6 weeks ago, it had the 3 crays, 4 3-spots and 5 guppies in it.  All I did was remove 2 3-spots to another tank.  The next day it clouded and has been that way ever since.  2 weeks ago you couldn't even see the back of the tank but now you can although not nice and clear.  All chemicals test fine, running a HOT mag with biowheel and a penguin power sponge filter.  Carbon in the HOT has been changed twice in this timespan and didn't seem to make a dent.  Have done a 30% water change every 2 weeks.

                any ideas and/or suggestions for clarifying it?
                The ultimate oxymoron - Narcolepsy and ADHD.
                Who says you can`t have it all??!!

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                • #9
                  Re: A question of cloudy waters

                  Does it clear up at all after the water changes, or does the cloudiness stay the same? What color is it? Any of your other tanks having this problem? How old is the set up?

                  Sorry so many questions, just trying to rule out stuff.  
                  "Millennium hand and shrimp!"

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                  • #10
                    Re: A question of cloudy waters

                    still cloudy after water changes, although it's dimished a little - probably cause it's clear water I'm adding.

                    Kinda white cloudy, like looking through fog.  Almost looks like squillions of micro-itsy-bitsy bubbles.

                    Other tanks - no problems

                    this tanks has been set up for 4 months.  I just remembered though - until 4/4 instead of 3 crays, it had one cherax Marron who had a bad molt.  The other fish were all still present.  I posted here about that - his gills are outside now instead of inside his carapace.  I swapped him and the reds as he needed a smaller area (easier for me to keep cleaner) and the reds needed more room (they had just molted and a 20L was just too cramped for them).  I thought cycling at first but to last this long??!!  and chems have been fine the entire time.
                    The ultimate oxymoron - Narcolepsy and ADHD.
                    Who says you can`t have it all??!!

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: A question of cloudy waters

                      You are experiencing a rebound bloom Spot. That is, a continuous bloom and die off with a repeating loop.  Rinse your sponge thouroughly, and add a second, also add a small bit of carbon to your filter to help trap the dead bacteria. Accompany this with a 50% water change and the bloom should be gone within 3 days.
                      Consider my posts as general information based on personal experiences, and in most cases, far oversimplified. Actual mileage may vary. Don't try this at home. If symptoms persist, contact your physician.

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