# HELP PLEASE -CLOUDY WATER -root cause?



## Webo (Jun 26, 2006)

Hello all...

I currently have a cloudy water issue and I am trying to determine the root cause and fix the problem.
Here is what has transpired:

Wednesday, I had a slight increase in ammonia levels, reading .5-1.0 ppm and Nitrite aprox 0 ppm
so I did a quick gravel vac, and a 60% water change....
Thursday morning I measured the ammonia levels and they were still slightly high at the above levels (and nitrite levels aprox 0) -HOWEVER I tested the tap water and it had the same amount of amonia! (also tested some distilled water to vefify the tester kit- and it showed no ammonia) - so there is defintly ammonia in my tap water.

Thursday afternoon, I came home and seen that my water was cloudy, I did water tests and amonia level was actually low, 0-0.25, nitrite aprox 0, nitrates 40-80

What I did was then do a 40% water change, and I changed some filter media (i have been due for a change (its been since june since i set up the tank) as I believe that is the reason I've been having the high nitrate levels lately)- Filter media change consisted of changing all the mechanical filtarion media and only 30% of the bio media and keep the establish bio media in there.

Friday morning- I wake up and the water is cloudy again - water tests showed aprox 0.25-0.50 ammonia, aprox 0.10 (very slight increase?) in nitrite, and 40-60 nitrate

keep in mind there are no signs of ammonia burn etc, fich acting normal and I even have 3 small guppies in there that are healthty.

Any ideas what could be happening- could the 1st 60% water change started a mini cycle by inrtoducing the ammonia that was in the tap water?...and what is the actual cloudyness? bacteria? will I see a rise in nitrites next?
will this bacteria affect the oxygen levels?
should I keep doing a partial water change?

thanks in advance!

P.S. I have a 92 Gal with 8 (4"-6") juv cariba and rbp
using a eheim 2028 prof II.
(NO undergravel filter)
tank was set up in June


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## odyssey (May 30, 2006)

just sounds like u have some uneaten food in there or something to cause a mini cycle. i wouldnt change the media. atleast not all of it . it wont help things. do a good gravel vac and see how things turn out. erm i guess you can add some salt to relieve any fish from ammonia burn ect. but atleast the leves of ammo and nitrite are going down. good luck .


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## harrykaa (Jan 10, 2005)

Your tank is still cycling.
The elevated nitrite levels show this.
And yes it is common to have bacterial bloom (whitish cloudiness) in the water just then.

Harry


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## Dr. Giggles (Oct 18, 2003)

You shouldn't change any bio media, and the mechanical media you changed if it was a sponge than that too is also bio media after cycle is completed. Sounds to me you need to do a good gravel vac.


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## Webo (Jun 26, 2006)

Dr. Giggles said:


> You shouldn't change any bio media, and the mechanical media you changed if it was a sponge than that too is also bio media after cycle is completed. Sounds to me you need to do a good gravel vac.


UPDATE:

Well I did do a gravel vac, at that seemed to reduce a amonia spike I had...the nitrates were up a bit too soon after, then everything settled...then last night I did a 40% water change and BAM! this morning I had cloudy water...

..so as I mentioned before, (there was amonia in the tap water) and it seems to cause my tank to cylce each time I do a water change.....don't like this at all!
I'm gonna try a new water conditioner just in case as well. and re test my tap water for ammonia


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## Leasure1 (Jul 24, 2006)

Never mess with your medis as jerry said. and it sounds like rotting food to me. I don't know much or why you would have so much ammonia in tap water. Do you live in West Virgina?


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## harrykaa (Jan 10, 2005)

Webo said:


> ..so as I mentioned before, (there was amonia in the tap water) and it seems to cause my tank to cylce each time I do a water change.....don't like this at all!
> I'm gonna try a new water conditioner just in case as well. and re test my tap water for ammonia


In a cycled tank (lets say NH3=0, NO2=0, NO3=20-30 ppm) adding more ammonia via tap water or just by feeding the fish (you see urea dissolves into ammonia) there will be no recycling.
Nitrifying bacteria will take care of ammonia, that is the only thing Nitrosomonas bacteria do by the way.

Cloudiness may, however, mean that you do not have a well cycled tank (not enough nitrifying bacteria, not enough bio media or it is in bad condition). Then a new NH3 and NO2 peak may cause bacteria bloom and cloudiness.

Harry


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## Webo (Jun 26, 2006)

harrykaa said:


> ..so as I mentioned before, (there was amonia in the tap water) and it seems to cause my tank to cylce each time I do a water change.....don't like this at all!
> I'm gonna try a new water conditioner just in case as well. and re test my tap water for ammonia


In a cycled tank (lets say NH3=0, NO2=0, NO3=20-30 ppm) adding more ammonia via tap water or just by feeding the fish (you see urea dissolves into ammonia) there will be no recycling.
Nitrifying bacteria will take care of ammonia, that is the only thing Nitrosomonas bacteria do by the way.

Cloudiness may, however, mean that you do not have a well cycled tank (not enough nitrifying bacteria, not enough bio media or it is in bad condition). Then a new NH3 and NO2 peak may cause bacteria bloom and cloudiness.

Harry
[/quote]

One main thing to note, is that my water only becomes cloudy AFTER A WATER CHANGE - which may point to what you said above - but I'm not sure that my tank is not cylcled-my tank has been up for since early june, and the cloudy water (after a water change) started about one week ago.

Well, I was under the impression that my filter may have been too "dirty" and causeing my mini amonia peaks and high nitrates...thus I performed a mech media change and a 1/3 bio media change....again keep in mind that the cloudy water first happended before this change.
and now after this media change, it (cloudy water-lasting about 24hours) still happening after a water change.

it does seem that I have a cycled tank because the amonia is quicly reduced, a slight increase in nitrite...and water is not cloudy again....and I have a high nitatre level (constantly)..thus the nitrates are derived from the benificial bateria..

I am thinking that perhaps this may be due to the last water conditioner that I bought and now use....I have a theory - and I'm gonna buy a new conditioner (tonight!),perform a partial water change tonight - just to see if its true.


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## Dr. Giggles (Oct 18, 2003)

You answered the question unknowingly in your last posting.


> and I have a high nitatre level (constantly)..


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## Webo (Jun 26, 2006)

Well I tried a different conditioner on my last water change and still got cloudy this morning...AND I'm having difficulties getting a stable zero amonia reading the last couple of months....meaning- if I don't do a gravel vac within two weeks max- I get a spike in the amonia levels raching 1 sometimes...then I do a gravel vac, water change and amonia is reduced to zero, but again slowly the amonia will creep up within a two weeks (eventhough I change water partialy in between that).

I don't now if its just due to the large bio load created by the 8 pygos (that are fairly larger now)- in a 92 gal, or the tank just needs a gravel vac everyweek, or more filtration required.

..and of course this cloudy water issue everytime I do a water change.


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## Rough996 (Oct 3, 2006)

If you're adding an amonia detoxifier (some water conditioners), you may be getting false reading on your amonia... although, that high nitrate reading points to the problem. You need to reestablish your bio media.

Read this: http://fins.actwin.com/mirror/begin-cycling.html


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