Cloudy water after water change?
I have recently switched from using Stress Coat as my water conditioner (the bottle ran out) to using AP's regular Tap Water Conditioner (expiration date is fine). I notice that after I change the water, no matter what the amount, and add water treated with the conditioner, that my water will start to cloud up after 10 to 15 minutes - it doesn't cloud right away so it isn't particles stirred up from the gravel vac. This cloudiness goes away after several hours. This only happens in my 20 gallon which has been up and running several years as opposed to the 10 gallon which is less than 6 months old.
Today's numbers on the 20 gallon using AP's drip test:
Pre-Change -
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 10
pH 7.6
Water Temp 74
Post Change -
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate <5
pH 7.6
Water Temp 72
The fish do not seem stressed at all, and have shown no ill effects after using this product for several weeks now. The cloud is whitish and appears to be more of a haze (rather than bubbles which could be explained by slightly cooler tap water being added). Any idea as to what might be causing this?
Please don't just tell me to use Prime or some other product (I was planning to make that switch when buying my next bottle of conditioner), I'd really like to figure out what is causing my problem with this particular product first.
Edited to add: I do weekly water changes at the bare minimum - I often change twice a week anywhere between 30-50% of the water. I just tested the ammonia again after an hour past - still 0.
Edited yet again: Is it possible this could be superfine bubbles I just cannot see? Nothing is collecting on the plants or substrate that I can see like bubbles normally do. I'm thinking about it, and around the time I made the switch to the new product I started lowering the tank temperature down to the 74 it is at now. Previously I'd kept the tank at 78, but after reading that most of my fish would prefer it cooler, I went about slowly turning the heater down. My 10 gallon is still at 76 as it's a bit harder to regulate it any lower with the heater I have. Perhaps it does have to do with the water temperature after all. I may try upping the temperature back to 76 over the course of this week and see how my next water change goes.
I have recently switched from using Stress Coat as my water conditioner (the bottle ran out) to using AP's regular Tap Water Conditioner (expiration date is fine). I notice that after I change the water, no matter what the amount, and add water treated with the conditioner, that my water will start to cloud up after 10 to 15 minutes - it doesn't cloud right away so it isn't particles stirred up from the gravel vac. This cloudiness goes away after several hours. This only happens in my 20 gallon which has been up and running several years as opposed to the 10 gallon which is less than 6 months old.
Today's numbers on the 20 gallon using AP's drip test:
Pre-Change -
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 10
pH 7.6
Water Temp 74
Post Change -
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate <5
pH 7.6
Water Temp 72
The fish do not seem stressed at all, and have shown no ill effects after using this product for several weeks now. The cloud is whitish and appears to be more of a haze (rather than bubbles which could be explained by slightly cooler tap water being added). Any idea as to what might be causing this?
Please don't just tell me to use Prime or some other product (I was planning to make that switch when buying my next bottle of conditioner), I'd really like to figure out what is causing my problem with this particular product first.
Edited to add: I do weekly water changes at the bare minimum - I often change twice a week anywhere between 30-50% of the water. I just tested the ammonia again after an hour past - still 0.
Edited yet again: Is it possible this could be superfine bubbles I just cannot see? Nothing is collecting on the plants or substrate that I can see like bubbles normally do. I'm thinking about it, and around the time I made the switch to the new product I started lowering the tank temperature down to the 74 it is at now. Previously I'd kept the tank at 78, but after reading that most of my fish would prefer it cooler, I went about slowly turning the heater down. My 10 gallon is still at 76 as it's a bit harder to regulate it any lower with the heater I have. Perhaps it does have to do with the water temperature after all. I may try upping the temperature back to 76 over the course of this week and see how my next water change goes.
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