# another cloudy tank



## Nick G (Jul 15, 2007)

but other threads all seem just a little bit different than my problem.
*here is what happened.*
my 55 gal has been running since july. clear as day. 
-about 3 weeks ago i put these algea packed plants in it from another tank 9thinking the 2 plecos would clean them (dumb), and that was a huge mistake, because the tank clouded up with a white cloud within 3 days.
so i took the plants out of the tank.
-around the same time as i put the plants in, i started using dechlorinator.
my tap water is low in chlorine, so i never used it prior, but after reading that its a good thing, i started using it.
*
The tank:*
8 3-4"rbps and 2 7-8" plecos, it has a fluval 405 canister filter, as well as an AC 500, and an AC 300

*so once it began to be cloudy, i did the following, in this order:*

i rinsed my canister filter with tank water and changed about 20% water and vacced
about 3 days later i rinsed the HOB filters of excess food.... i didnt even rinse the media, but just took it out, and dumped the crap out of the filters & did about 75% water change and heavily vacced
it cleared a bunch then, but the cloud came back
so about 3 days later, i tried water clarifier.
i wasnt sure if the carbon instantly removed it, but it basically did nothing at all.
after reading what coldfire wrote about not using chems on another thread, i changed like 50 percent water, vacced again, took carbon out of my filters (and tput the canister on another tank and hit it with prazipro.
after the last water change, it has cleared a bunch, but its still not back to normal.

all the params read normal. i even took some of the water to the lfs and had them test it, and they said it was perfect.
the guy said to not eveer change more than 45% water because that could alter the ph, not sure about this, if anyone knows please let me know if its true. he also said to just let it sit for about a week and not change anything.

anyone got any suggestions?









sorry about another cloudy tank thread (and a long read), i just really am perplexed that i cant fix this.
thanks in advance.


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## Guest (Jan 16, 2008)

Maybe it's a bacteria bloom.

Sometimes if there is a disturbance in the balance of chemicals or nutrients in the tank, the population of harmless bacteria will jump, causing the water to become temporarily cloudy.

This usually occurs with new, uncycled aquariums, but I guess it could hapen with established aquariums, too.

The advice you received not to do anything for a little while and see if it clears on its own might be good advice.


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## Nick G (Jul 15, 2007)

true, thanks man .... i guess it makes sense.
i mean, the fish dont even seem to notice, its just an eye sore to me.
plus, its hard to count them ... 
i just hope it actually does just go away.


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## Dr. Giggles (Oct 18, 2003)

This may be a long shot but it occurred to me the other day when I was doing my weekly water changes. One of my tanks in the basement was very cloudy. Looked like a foggy color. I tested the water and it was perfect, the sand was relatively clean and the nitrates were in normal range. So I decided to get out my scrubber and low and behold it was a slight coating on my glass (most likely algae) since it faces a window in the basement. I scrubbed the glass as good as I could and the next day tank was as clear as day. 
As far as that guy telling you about a large water change can alter the pH, he was correct. You need to know your tank pH as well as your tap pH and how good your tank water is buffered in order to figure out how far you can go with water changes.


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## Nick G (Jul 15, 2007)

Dr. Giggles said:


> *This may be a long shot but it occurred to me the other day when I was doing my weekly water changes. One of my tanks in the basement was very cloudy. Looked like a foggy color. I tested the water and it was perfect, the sand was relatively clean and the nitrates were in normal range. So I decided to get out my scrubber and low and behold it was a slight coating on my glass (most likely algae) since it faces a window in the basement. I scrubbed the glass as good as I could and the next day tank was as clear as day. *


i could only wish....
i did try it too, but nothing.
so after about a week since i posted this, and a week of total inaction, the tank is still cloudy as hell.








so last night, i threw some carbon back in the filter to clean any chems, and left it for about an hour.
then, i broke down the larger filter (the AC500, leaving the AC300 totally untouched, so as not to recycle the tank totally) and cleaned it well, in tank water.
it was really nasty.
then i changed about 15% of the water (enough to gravel vac pretty well) 
and added some mechanical filtration instead of carbon (the filter had carbon forever, i didnt know it was bad until i researched some last night on here.







)
and its still cloudy, but a little bit better...... 
you guys think i should change a little water every day until it clears up? or what? im totally perplexed at this cloud, it wont go away


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## elTwitcho (Jun 22, 2004)

Might be an algae bloom. The cloudyness is white or green?


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## Nick G (Jul 15, 2007)

elTwitcho said:


> Might be an algae bloom. The cloudyness is white or green?


white.
like, so white for the last 2 weeks that i cant even see the back of the tank, and its a 55


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## Nevermind (Aug 16, 2007)

try green-ex, its just a phosphate remover i think, but it has worked for me in the past when my tank got cloudy.


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## notaverage (Sep 10, 2005)

Nick g said:


> *This may be a long shot but it occurred to me the other day when I was doing my weekly water changes. One of my tanks in the basement was very cloudy. Looked like a foggy color. I tested the water and it was perfect, the sand was relatively clean and the nitrates were in normal range. So I decided to get out my scrubber and low and behold it was a slight coating on my glass (most likely algae) since it faces a window in the basement. I scrubbed the glass as good as I could and the next day tank was as clear as day. *


i could only wish....
i did try it too, but nothing.
so after about a week since i posted this, and a week of total inaction, the tank is still cloudy as hell.








so last night, i threw some carbon back in the filter to clean any chems, and left it for about an hour.
then, i broke down the larger filter (the AC500, leaving the AC300 totally untouched, so as not to recycle the tank totally) and cleaned it well, in tank water.
it was really nasty.
then i changed about 15% of the water (enough to gravel vac pretty well) 
and added some mechanical filtration instead of carbon (the filter had carbon forever, i didnt know it was bad until i researched some last night on here.







)
and its still cloudy, but a little bit better...... 
you guys think i should change a little water every day until it clears up? or what? im totally perplexed at this cloud, it wont go away
[/quote]
What is bad having Carbon in a tank a long time?????


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## Nick G (Jul 15, 2007)

yeah, not many people use it.
plus i never knew this, but you are supposed to replace it every 3 weeks.
do a search for carbon in here, it will tell u a lot more than i can.


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## notaverage (Sep 10, 2005)

Nick g said:


> yeah, not many people use it.
> plus i never knew this, but you are supposed to replace it every 3 weeks.
> do a search for carbon in here, it will tell u a lot more than i can.


No SH#T...I ALWAYS use carbon....I will search it.


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## Greg Stephens (Sep 30, 2006)

Read my replies on page three!

Cloudy water thread


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## Nick G (Jul 15, 2007)

wait, so reading what u wrote compared to my situation, it could only be over gravel vaccing, which i do regularly, or more interesting, i only have about an inch of substrate. you guys think that could be the reason? it has never been a problem, and the tank has been set up since july, and the way it is now (bioload wise) since september.
oh, and nitrates in my tank right now are like 20... not out of control.
i mean, i hav been doing 10 percent changes every other day and thats the only thing that seems to help.

sucks...


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## Mattones (Jul 9, 2006)

I also have a cloudy tank. For the last three weeks, After selling 6 Reds and adding 2 Caribes which give me a total of 5 fish in my 120G. When i do a 25% water change it clears up within an hour or has a little cloudy tint too it. But the next morning its back. I can't even see the back.

I cleaned one of my Ehiems a month ago took the Carbon out. I left my other one alone of course

I am gonna check my readings tomorrow afetr work+ do a 50% waterchange.

Any idea's?


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## Nick G (Jul 15, 2007)

Mattones said:


> I also have a cloudy tank. For the last three weeks, After selling 6 Reds and adding 2 Caribes which give me a total of 5 fish in my 120G. When i do a 25% water change it clears up within an hour or has a little cloudy tint too it. But the next morning its back. I can't even see the back.
> 
> I cleaned one of my Ehiems a month ago took the Carbon out. I left my other one alone of course
> 
> ...


thats basically the same exact thing as im dealing with.
the fish dont seem to care, but it sucks.
the water changes are making it clear slowly, but im not doing 50 percent, just like 10
i have no idea why it just wont go away.


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## Mattones (Jul 9, 2006)

today my tank has gotten a little clear,
not alot

but i am gonna test my water and maybe hold the water change.


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## AKSkirmish (Jun 24, 2005)

Bullsnake said:


> Maybe it's a bacteria bloom.
> 
> Sometimes if there is a disturbance in the balance of chemicals or nutrients in the tank, the population of harmless bacteria will jump, causing the water to become temporarily cloudy.
> 
> ...


I'm agree with this statement right now....


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## Greg Stephens (Sep 30, 2006)

AKSkirmish said:


> Maybe it's a bacteria bloom.
> 
> Sometimes if there is a disturbance in the balance of chemicals or nutrients in the tank, the population of harmless bacteria will jump, causing the water to become temporarily cloudy.
> 
> ...


I'm agree with this statement right now....
[/quote]

Exactly what I am saying!
Once a tank has cycled bacterial blooms are brought on by rapid bio load increases or bio filtration damage of some sort. 
Honestly the best thing you can do is just change enough water to keep your trates in check and let things balance.
As long as your ammonia and trites are good I would not sweat it.

Greg

Greg


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## Nick G (Jul 15, 2007)

AKSkirmish said:


> Maybe it's a bacteria bloom.
> 
> Sometimes if there is a disturbance in the balance of chemicals or nutrients in the tank, the population of harmless bacteria will jump, causing the water to become *temporarily* cloudy.
> 
> ...


I'm agree with this statement *right now*....
[/quote]

ak do u mean right now, as in, presently, with me doing the every other day 10 percent water changes or with when bs said this, meaning, inaction?
and temporarily shouldnt be like, 3-4 weeks should it?


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## AKSkirmish (Jun 24, 2005)

I basically said that because I see two right answers in this thread-
Bullsnake's and Gregs.....

Sorry I'm not sure what you ment by them statements-..

I would do as greg has suggested in the above......









Temp-Could be months-IMO..Meaning n e thing that isn't permanent...Once again -IMO


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## Nick G (Jul 15, 2007)

ok cool, thanks guys


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