# lets brainstorm my cloudy water



## jestergraphics (May 29, 2007)

okay 1st I'll say I've had crystal water for forever and a day, 2ndly I've turned my 150g and 55g into planted tanks roughly about a month ago. Now, starting 2 days ago my water got cloudy. Same type of cloudy that could come from leaving food in to long/ oily fish, bacteria/algae bloom but I'm trying to narrow it down. It hit both tanks the same time pretty much. Now coincidently I tried smelt for the 1st time for feeding as well but removed the food after about 40min.(what they didn't eat that is)

Now since its been so long since I've had this problem I've forgotten; is there anything I can do besides water change after water change? But too many large water changes may induce a bateria bloom correct? So kind of a catch 22.

*Some tank Stats*
-both tanks are moderatley planted- once it completly grows in I'd say it'll be in the heavily planted category (150g 23 plants 55g 14 plants)
-both tanks have pool filter sand substrate fertalized with root tabs only
-both tanks are dosed with fourish seachem products ie: comp,excell,iron,and potasium
-both have c02 150g has pressurized the 55g has 3 1gal dyi jugs hooked in series (pressurized co2 on a timer)
-150g has 2.5wpg light(6700k & 10000k) and the 55g has 2wpg light (modified hoods using 4 screw in type cf full spec. bulbs)
-Lights are on timers the 150gal runs full strength lighting for 12hrs half stregth from 5am to 8am and 8pm to 9:30pm
-150g has 25ppm co2 and the 55g has 15ppm
-0 amonia, 0 nitrites, barley readable nitrates PH 6.4 (daytime)
- no direct sunlight
-150g stocked with 6 pygos, 55g has 1 6" black rhom

~thats my 150g in my sig bout a month ago with my 1st set of plants there double+ that now


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## the_skdster (Aug 15, 2006)

Too much info hurts my brain.
aw, sh!t, it's midnight!
I'll get on this tomorrow.


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## Dr. Giggles (Oct 18, 2003)

Since your water params are awesome I can only come up with your fertilizer as the cause... I suggest you open a topic in the Plants forum also to see what the experts there have to say about my theory.


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## notaverage (Sep 10, 2005)

I added some plant to both of my tanks about a month ago as well and my Spilo tank has cloudy water. I did a 50% water change and it had a Green tint to it. I think it was from the plants?


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## the_skdster (Aug 15, 2006)

I though it might be the fertilizer as well, but you say you had that since the beggining and that the plants have been in their for some time, so I'm confuzzled.


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## jestergraphics (May 29, 2007)

I'm convinced its an algae bloom now. The water has taken on a green tint which is a pretty good sign of algae- so there's an excess of somthing or something is lacking throwing things out of balance. I had bba algae a couple weeks ago in my 150 prior to me adding pressurized c02 then I added the co2 and put things in balance and the bba spread stopped now the only change is I dropped "leaf zone" supplement and just went with individual potassium and iron supplements and started dosing. I believe I overdosed giving me an excess of nutrients more than the plants can take in which is pretty much laying out a red carpet for algae cause once again things are out of balance..... lesson learned. Light/co2/nutrients all have to be in sync, can't have too much or too little or sh*t is gonna hit the fan! lol!

I just added some API Alaefix let it sit for 20min and now I just added some "crystal clear" sh*t for clear water and its looking good now; could be a little better though I may do a water change here yet tonight.


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## notaverage (Sep 10, 2005)

jestergraphics said:


> I'm convinced its an algae bloom now. The water has taken on a green tint which is a pretty good sign of algae- so there's an excess of somthing or something is lacking throwing things out of balance. I had bba algae a couple weeks ago in my 150 prior to me adding pressurized c02 then I added the co2 and put things in balance and the bba spread stopped now the only change is I dropped "leaf zone" supplement and just went with individual potassium and iron supplements and started dosing. I believe I overdosed giving me an excess of nutrients more than the plants can take in which is pretty much laying out a red carpet for algae cause once again things are out of balance..... lesson learned. Light/co2/nutrients all have to be in sync, can't have too much or too little or sh*t is gonna hit the fan! lol!
> 
> I just added some API Alaefix let it sit for 20min and now I just added some "crystal clear" sh*t for clear water and its looking good now; could be a little better though I may do a water change here yet tonight.


Thats good you cleared yours up!

I pulled the plants they were Pothos...they aren't supposed to be in there but they will grow in just water so I took some cuttings off my plant and stuck them in. BUT...I put them in my other tank and I have NO problem??? I really dont know what else it could be....I change about 15% of the water about every 5 days. I clean everything extra out within minutes of my Spilo eating and the tank is pretty much bare. I don't know. I hope it clears up bc Im going away for 8 days next Saturday! I added Crystal clear and it didn't do a thing.


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## jestergraphics (May 29, 2007)

notaverage said:


> I'm convinced its an algae bloom now. The water has taken on a green tint which is a pretty good sign of algae- so there's an excess of somthing or something is lacking throwing things out of balance. I had bba algae a couple weeks ago in my 150 prior to me adding pressurized c02 then I added the co2 and put things in balance and the bba spread stopped now the only change is I dropped "leaf zone" supplement and just went with individual potassium and iron supplements and started dosing. I believe I overdosed giving me an excess of nutrients more than the plants can take in which is pretty much laying out a red carpet for algae cause once again things are out of balance..... lesson learned. Light/co2/nutrients all have to be in sync, can't have too much or too little or sh*t is gonna hit the fan! lol!
> 
> I just added some API Alaefix let it sit for 20min and now I just added some "crystal clear" sh*t for clear water and its looking good now; could be a little better though I may do a water change here yet tonight.


Thats good you cleared yours up!

I pulled the plants they were Pothos...they aren't supposed to be in there but they will grow in just water so I took some cuttings off my plant and stuck them in. BUT...I put them in my other tank and I have NO problem??? I really dont know what else it could be....I change about 15% of the water about every 5 days. I clean everything extra out within minutes of my Spilo eating and the tank is pretty much bare. I don't know. I hope it clears up bc Im going away for 8 days next Saturday! I added Crystal clear and it didn't do a thing.
[/quote]

I put the crystal clear in after the algaefix. The algae fix kills the algae and it looks like a bunch of particles floating all around in the tank I mean thousands, then I put the crystal clear in to "gather" all the particals and it cleared right up. Get the algae fix most lfs have it. Next if its green water you need to try and figure out why your getting algae to "cure" the problem from reocurring. Now if its just typical cloudy water it could be other things but if its green its got to be algae. Does direct sunlight hit the tank? Did you up your lighting wattage? If so are you doing any co2? Are you adding nutrients for the plants? If you're not supplementing nutrients, not doing co2, and didn't up your lighting wattage and there's no direct sunlight hitting the tank then I'mfriggen at a loss where algae could be coming from in your tank.

side note: co2 doesn't cause algae but the level or lack of rather could throw photosynthesis off and the plants wont be utilizing all the light and or nutrients thus opening the door for algae to utilize it and bloom.


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## notaverage (Sep 10, 2005)

jestergraphics said:


> I'm convinced its an algae bloom now. The water has taken on a green tint which is a pretty good sign of algae- so there's an excess of somthing or something is lacking throwing things out of balance. I had bba algae a couple weeks ago in my 150 prior to me adding pressurized c02 then I added the co2 and put things in balance and the bba spread stopped now the only change is I dropped "leaf zone" supplement and just went with individual potassium and iron supplements and started dosing. I believe I overdosed giving me an excess of nutrients more than the plants can take in which is pretty much laying out a red carpet for algae cause once again things are out of balance..... lesson learned. Light/co2/nutrients all have to be in sync, can't have too much or too little or sh*t is gonna hit the fan! lol!
> 
> I just added some API Alaefix let it sit for 20min and now I just added some "crystal clear" sh*t for clear water and its looking good now; could be a little better though I may do a water change here yet tonight.


Thats good you cleared yours up!

I pulled the plants they were Pothos...they aren't supposed to be in there but they will grow in just water so I took some cuttings off my plant and stuck them in. BUT...I put them in my other tank and I have NO problem??? I really dont know what else it could be....I change about 15% of the water about every 5 days. I clean everything extra out within minutes of my Spilo eating and the tank is pretty much bare. I don't know. I hope it clears up bc Im going away for 8 days next Saturday! I added Crystal clear and it didn't do a thing.
[/quote]

I put the crystal clear in after the algaefix. The algae fix kills the algae and it looks like a bunch of particles floating all around in the tank I mean thousands, then I put the crystal clear in to "gather" all the particals and it cleared right up. Get the algae fix most lfs have it. Next if its green water you need to try and figure out why your getting algae to "cure" the problem from reocurring. Now if its just typical cloudy water it could be other things but if its green its got to be algae. Does direct sunlight hit the tank? Did you up your lighting wattage? If so are you doing any co2? Are you adding nutrients for the plants? If you're not supplementing nutrients, not doing co2, and didn't up your lighting wattage and there's no direct sunlight hitting the tank then I'mfriggen at a loss where algae could be coming from in your tank.

side note: co2 doesn't cause algae but the level or lack of rather could throw photosynthesis off and the plants wont be utilizing all the light and or nutrients thus opening the door for algae to utilize it and bloom.
[/quote]

NO IDEA! It doesnt get sunlight, I didnt change the lighting, I only have java moss, NO co2, no nutrients!

Only the pothos which as I said i have in my other tank with NOTHING going on there? I fed him a whole shrimp (I usually but off the head bc whatever is in there clouds the water) and thats when it started I think....but i have done that before so????
I guess time will tell. Im going away for 3 days and leaving tomorrow morning...hopefully it gets better.


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## Dr. Giggles (Oct 18, 2003)

jestergraphics said:


> I'm convinced its an algae bloom now. The water has taken on a green tint which is a pretty good sign of algae- so there's an excess of somthing or something is lacking throwing things out of balance. I had bba algae a couple weeks ago in my 150 prior to me adding pressurized c02 then I added the co2 and put things in balance and the bba spread stopped now the only change is I dropped "leaf zone" supplement and just went with individual potassium and iron supplements and started dosing. I believe I overdosed giving me an excess of nutrients more than the plants can take in which is pretty much laying out a red carpet for algae cause once again things are out of balance..... lesson learned. Light/co2/nutrients all have to be in sync, can't have too much or too little or sh*t is gonna hit the fan! lol!
> 
> I just added some API Alaefix let it sit for 20min and now I just added some "crystal clear" sh*t for clear water and its looking good now; could be a little better though I may do a water change here yet tonight.


Test for phosphates... Problem may be in your tap water or your ferts contain phosphates.


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## rbp 4 135 (Mar 2, 2004)

i had the same problem, and i had never experinced it before. It was a suspended algae bloom, and after a week of trying every thing, out side of complete water changes i invested in a uv sterilizer, which fixed it in a hurry, about 6 hours the water was again crystal clear. I still cant figure out what caused it, all of my perametes were on the money .


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