# need some help with a problem



## ben2957 (Sep 17, 2005)

the water in my tank is cloudy. its not bad but its not crystal clear like it should be. my water readings are as follows. if anybody can tell me what this means let me know. here are before water change pics and 1 week after water change. the water just isnt as clear.

ph=6.4
ammonia=0
nitrite=0
nitrate=160


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## boontje (Mar 27, 2005)

nitrates are way too high. should be kept under 50 ppm (preferably under 20 ppm).

Are you overfeeding?
Check if there aren't any food leftovers rotting in your tank.


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## mauls (Mar 25, 2004)

ben2957 said:


> the water in my tank is cloudy. its not bad but its not crystal clear like it should be. my water readings are as follows. if anybody can tell me what this means let me know. thaks
> 
> ph=6.4
> ammonia=0
> ...


what kind of water test kit's are you using. The strips? or the liquid stuff


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## Dr. Giggles (Oct 18, 2003)

boontje said:


> nitrates are way too high. should be kept under 50 ppm (preferably under 20 ppm).
> 
> Are you overfeeding?
> Check if there aren't any food leftovers rotting in your tank.










Increase your water change schedule also.


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## ben2957 (Sep 17, 2005)

this problem occured after a water change and gravel cleaning. i am using the liquid test kits. as for over feeding im not leaving any uneaten food in the tank for more than 15 min and most of the food is live. how can i lower the nitrates.


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## boontje (Mar 27, 2005)

the simplest way to lower nitrates is via water changes... how much water changes do you do?

Did you already test your tap water for nitrates?


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## Guest (Nov 20, 2005)

The cloudiness could be bacteria. These bacterial "blooms" usually go away on their own after a few days.


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## ben2957 (Sep 17, 2005)

i put a product called prime in my tank and it took mi nitrates down to 5ppm. is this ok?


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## joey'd (Oct 26, 2005)

wow where do you get this stuff maybe i should try? good luck with your tank i hope it gets better. im no expert but ur pics looked to me like your powerhead wasnt pumping out as much air as before? maybe try to lean out the pumps as well? like i said im no expert but when i saw the picture that was the first thing that i noticed. good luck let me know what happens


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## ben2957 (Sep 17, 2005)

joey said:


> wow where do you get this stuff maybe i should try? good luck with your tank i hope it gets better. im no expert but ur pics looked to me like your powerhead wasnt pumping out as much air as before? maybe try to lean out the pumps as well? like i said im no expert but when i saw the picture that was the first thing that i noticed. good luck let me know what happens


you can purchase this at your local pet store. the name of it is prime it is suposed to detoxify amonia, chlorine, nitrites, and nitrates. and yes my air pump isnt putting out the air it should because one of my P's bit a hole in the line.


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## ben2957 (Sep 17, 2005)

problem is fixed now that the nitrates are lower. thaks for the help


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## ben2957 (Sep 17, 2005)

back to the cloudy water but my nitrates are low now. just bought a uv filter to see if this will help me any. if any body is using one let me know what you think


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## oryschakgp (Nov 5, 2005)

they make products to clear cloudy water. check out the lfs.


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## Piranha_man (Jan 29, 2005)

ben2957 said:


> i put a product called prime in my tank and it took mi nitrates down to 5ppm. is this ok?


In my opinion, there is only one good way to lower nitrates... and that is via water changes.
2 reasons for this:

- It's best to not add anything to the water you don't have to.

- Nitrate buildup is a good indicator of when water changes are due... there are more benifits to water changes than just lowering nitrates... and nitrate levels are a good "Gauge" of when these parameters are to the point of requiring a water change.

If need be, you can do several back to back water changes in the amount of 50% every 8 hours to get your levels right... then go to a normal water change routine.


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## ben2957 (Sep 17, 2005)

hopefully this problem is fixed for good now. i added a power head and a uv filter and im running the lights less than i was. my tank is in a sunroom so it gets too much light. as for water changes i had just done a water change when i posted this. the water is crystal clear now that i have been using the uv filter. i just think it was a bacterial bloom from all of the light. thanks for the replys i will let you know if it gets cloudy again.


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