Ive tested water on and off for the past month and everything was alright, until last week the ammonia and nitrates were a lil bit high, i did a 50% water change and vaccuumed the gravel. The tank has had a cloudyness to it ever since i put it up 2 months ago. It is a 40 gallon with a UGF and a Millenium 2000 wet/dry filter. Has Driftwood, gravel, fake plants, a porcelian crab i just picked up last week, 2 gold gourami 1 Opelene Gourami, 3 giant danios, 1 rainbow (other 2 were getting beat up and are in the 29 gallon now), a gold severum, a geophagus, and a jewel. Why wont the tank have clear water!!! My 29 gallon has crystal clear water. I have done everything i can think of to the 40 gallon and it just wont clear. Any advice?
Grr Cloudy
- Thread starter Juthunter28
- Start date
Changing that much water and doing a complete gravel vac will cause your tank to recycle. It's a "bacteria bloom" you'll have to wait it out
Kim
Kim
My LFS said to change 50 percent while cleaning the gravel, because my ammonia and nitrate levels were high for once, but my concern is my tank has never been clear, this isnt a bacteria bloom because ive had them before and they go away in a few days this has been in this tank for 2 months now, its a hazy yellowish tint to the water. I just dont know what to do anymore for it, im getting a Chinese Algae eater and a Pleco for it maybe that should help, also a bamboo shrimp to help clear the water.
The cloudiness is probably a result of overstocking. You have some big fish (or fish that will get big) in there -- such as the geophagus and the severum.
Ammonia should not be present at detectable levels in an established tank, so there's another strong piece of evidence that you've exceeded the biological carrying capacity of this tank. Adding more fish will only worsen things -- esp. a pleco.
Not related to the cloudiness, but still a concern, I think the cichlids and gouramis present potential compatibility problems down the line -- the gouramis will fight with each other, and the huge cichlids will get territorial AFAIK. I haven't kept these fish myself so take that as you will, but I'd wager good money there will eventually be trouble.
I'd either invest in a larger tank or take some of the fish back.
On a side note, water changes and gravel vacuuming will _not_ reset a nitrogen cycle. The nitrification bacteria don't live in the water column, and they don't get sucked off the substrate with a gravel vac.
Ammonia should not be present at detectable levels in an established tank, so there's another strong piece of evidence that you've exceeded the biological carrying capacity of this tank. Adding more fish will only worsen things -- esp. a pleco.
Not related to the cloudiness, but still a concern, I think the cichlids and gouramis present potential compatibility problems down the line -- the gouramis will fight with each other, and the huge cichlids will get territorial AFAIK. I haven't kept these fish myself so take that as you will, but I'd wager good money there will eventually be trouble.
I'd either invest in a larger tank or take some of the fish back.
On a side note, water changes and gravel vacuuming will _not_ reset a nitrogen cycle. The nitrification bacteria don't live in the water column, and they don't get sucked off the substrate with a gravel vac.
The yellowish tint in the water could be the result of excessive fish wastes--
OR
Your driftwood could be leaching tannins into the water.
Have you tried adding some activated carbon to your filter? That would take care of the possible tannin situation.
Bill in WI
OR
Your driftwood could be leaching tannins into the water.
Have you tried adding some activated carbon to your filter? That would take care of the possible tannin situation.
Bill in WI
My old 80 gallon had cloudy water that just would not clear up. I got the Vortex XL and problem solved. Later on I also got a UV sterilizer to help provide even cleaner water. Thanks to advice from many here, I have excellent looking Discus - and very clear water. 
