Bacteria bloom

musky48in

musky48in

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Feb 24, 2004
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I am just wondering what happened so I better understand my tank. I have a 46g bow fron with 5 cichlids in there and for the past month and a half the water has been super cloudy. All my levels were in the normal zone, but I couldn't see three inches in the tank. It was bad. I tried several water changes, but that didn't make any differance at all. Then out of nowhere, it cleared up to crystal clear in about two days. I have had my tank running for 6 months now. What just happened?
 
Is the cloudiness a white color or a green color? (Best bet, if you're not sure, is to put some in a clear glass and hold it up in front of white paper.)

Jim
 
Cloudiness in "young" or immature tanks is from inbalances in the populations of free-swimming bacteria/infusoria/algae. It is not uncommon for tanks to go through periods of cloudiness until all the microflora and microfauna achieves some balance. Eventually the tanks do tend to settle down to more evenly balanced populations, as yours has done.
 
Originally posted by aquariumfishguy
On that note, the worst thing you can do for your aquarium is to add chemicals which supposedly get rid of the cloudiness. Just let things work out on their own.
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Just for the newbies...
That is great advice, but if the cloudiness is from small particles of dirt, like say sand, you may want to add something that causes them to clump together so your filter can grab them better. Not all cloudiness is bacterial.
 
That may be true, but that sort of cloudiness usually only lasts a couple of days, not 4-6 weeks. Even so, clumping agents generally aren't needed. Even fine particulates will eventually settle and/or be filtered out without chemical intervention.

Jim
 
I agree on the time frame and that the particles will eventual settle. Clumping agents are not needed, but some people are not as patient as others. :)

My main point is that all cloudiness is not due to a biological bloom.
 
No, it isn't thats very true. A lot of the time it is because newbs add in all the chemicals which come with starter tanks and they think this somehow "treats" the water or something.

In any case, everyone just needs to have patience and it will correct itself in time.
 
Originally posted by aquariumfishguy
No, it isn't thats very true. A lot of the time it is because newbs add in all the chemicals which come with starter tanks and they think this somehow "treats" the water or something.

In any case, everyone just needs to have patience and it will correct itself in time.
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That is quite true.
 
so I did very good in resisting the temptation to run to the lfs to get something to clear it up. I tought that read once that the clodyness doesn't really harm the fish so I held off. It was a challenge though. I hated not being able to see the fish. As of right now, my tank is super clear. I love it again.
 
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