Nts?

dr_drmd

AC Members
Aug 25, 2005
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Hi all-
So, I've had tanks for years, and this hasn't happened. I've got a white cloudiness in the water...and you can literally see swirls of clouds as the sunlight passes through the water...I've had tanks for years (I've been away from the hobby for a few years, but had tanks long ago), and I've never had this. I realize New Tank Syndrome can do this, but I've always used HOB filters and have added lots of new fish in the beginning, and have not had this. This is also the first time I've used an Eheim; my filters have always been HOB. Anyone else with this? Do you all think it's NTS? I'm thinking it probably is, but it's a weird swirlinng cloudiness that I've never had in my older tanks. Do you think Eheim offers decent mechanical filtration? I've got ChemiPure in there as well. Anyway, I'm gonna sit it out. I checked ammonia levels, and it's zero. Ya think it's bacteria???
 
30gal, only 3 black mollies, changed ~60% of the water 2 days ago, but this was prior to the addition of any fish; I changed the new water because right after running the Eheim anew, a very slight cloud appeared, which I attributed to the media having some residual dust. The cloud improved, then after adding the new fish...literally minutes later, the cloud appeared. After the water was changed (still no fish), ChemiPure was added...after it was thoroughly rinsed. All levels are zero, pH 7.1. Test kit is Freshwater Master kit by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals.
 
if you look very closely at these clouds....can you detect swimming motions ? You have to have really good eyesite....here's a pic of something I saw in one of my fry tanks......I used a flashlight so they would show up to take this pic..

DCP_2601.jpg


This is a picture of tiny little unfusoria that had infiltrated my tank from a lettuce leaf I had put in without rinsing it off. I lost all the fry in the tank though I don't know if these little buggers had anything to do with it or not, because I saw the same thing in a tank full of guppy fry I am presently raising....and they are fine. :huh:

I think I would do a good water change and see if that helps to clear things up a bit.
 
It's a brand new tank, so the idea of losing bacteria is out (cycle hadn't started yet). I was thinking of doing a water change, but I'm hesitant since it's a new tank, and the fish are only in there for a few days. I don't know if I wanna mess with the cycle...though, looking at this cloudiness is quite annoying. Every other tank I've set up in the past was crystal the first few days. I am tempted to do a change, though.

When the sun hits it, it looks like someone is smoking inside the tank...literally looks like plumes of smoke. Weird, I know. The water has a nice current from the filter, so trying to see swimming motion is pretty much impossible.
 
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Oh yeah, I know about cycling...I just never really had this before (I've had evidence of cycling by increased nitrites/nitrates, etc...but never by cloudiness). You are probably correct, and I suppose I just need to be patient. I'm probably causing more harm than good by doing a water change at this point, right?
 
Water changes are good. They will not do harm because the bacteria that is cycling the tank is stuck to hard objects to the tank. Just taking out water wont hurt these things. For the next 4-8 weeks you will have to do a lot of work. This involves daily water changes to keep the ammonia and nitrites below 05, and daily testing. You can speed this cycle up with some Bio Spirea if you can find it in your LFS.
 
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