cloudy tank, first time tank, need direction

L

leerider

Registered Member
May 16, 2009
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Okay new tank owner, only had bettas before. 6.6 gl shelf tank.

Set up the water and tested it at Petco prior to adding fish... All were okay according to CS rep. Brought 3 Platys home, 24 hours later gone. Went back to the store with more water for test and still okay...

Three more came home with me, and now we are down to 1 left, he/she is still going about 1 day now, but all of a sudden the water is cloudy... I have no idea what is going on and need some assistance.

Added two plants in between replacement fish. Could this be the issue?

Also will the water clear up on it's own?

Please advise with any suggestions or comments.
 
did you cycle the tank?


and what do you mean by "gone"? did they die?


did you use a dechlor?

what were the results of the test?
any filter? if so what kind?
 
Welcome to AC.

Did you cycle the tank prior to adding fish? cloudy water is a great sign of the cycling proccess. The water will clear on its own once you have the correct amount of bacteria to support the bioload of whatever your putting in the tank.You should read up in the articles section. There is a lot of great info for begginers and advanced aquarists.

There could be a host of things that led to your fishes death, we need more info on the water parameters, and most basically if the tank has been properly cycled.
 
Cloudy water means your tank is going through a bacterial bloom because it wasn't cycled before you added fish. The first fish most likely died because of ammonia poisoning. I'm very surprised the store told you the water was okay the second time you had it tested.

If you added aquatic plants they're not the problem. If you got plants at the same store where you bought the fish there's a really good chance they're terrestrial. Box stores routinely sell terrestrial plants. If that's the case they will only add to your ammonia problems when they start to rot. Figure out what they are and throw them away if they're terrestrial.

You really need to buy a test kit that includes ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH and hardness. You should be able to find numerous threads on this website explaining how a cycle works.
 
I believe the tank is cycled... Wouldn't the water test from the store determine this? How long does the initial cycle of a new tank last... Per the rep at the store they told me approx 4 days and then bring the water in to test and they would let me know where things were at... I did not get the actual numbers of the ammonia or nitrate results, only that the rep said your tank is ready for fish... We started with three and the results were posted above... The tank did come with the motorized filter but not specifically an actual CO filter that you put in the compartment. I purchased one that fit and it is called...Polyfiber FLoss/activated carbon "Power Filter" again the Petco brand...

As for the plants, I am sorry but do not know the name of them... They came in a plastic vial with this clear gel attached to the roots. I washed them off making sure no gel was attached. If I had to give you a description of the plants, they are tall and pointy with green and white leaves.

I have read the above threads on cycling and such and plan on going to the store tomorrow to get a testing kit...

I am not sure this family has the commitment for a real fish tank with this start... Bettas may be the best route to take as our last guy Spotty Blue lasted almost 2 years... But want to give it a fair shake as we want more than one fish...
 
Another question on this cloudiness... Let's say the store people do not know what they are talking about and my tank is not done with the cycle... Hence the cloudiness, so as I have been told above the cloudiness will go away on it's own, when do I swap out some new water? when it is cloudy or when it disappears?

The single platy is still playing around, but I am wondering if he is just determined to stay around or is he ill and his time is coming with the cloudiness?

Thank you in advance for your advice.
 
leerider said:
I believe the tank is cycled... Wouldn't the water test from the store determine this? How long does the initial cycle of a new tank last...
Click to expand...

Last time I cycled a tank from scratch it took four weeks. Sounds like you're getting really bad advise from the store.

leerider said:
As for the plants, I am sorry but do not know the name of them... They came in a plastic vial with this clear gel attached to the roots. I washed them off making sure no gel was attached. If I had to give you a description of the plants, they are tall and pointy with green and white leaves.
Click to expand...

That's variegated spider plant, terrestrial. Toss it in the trash or put it in a pot. Makes a nice hanging plant.

leerider said:
I am not sure this family has the commitment for a real fish tank with this start... Bettas may be the best route to take as our last guy Spotty Blue lasted almost 2 years... But want to give it a fair shake as we want more than one fish...
Click to expand...

Don't give up. Platys are fine fish for cycling a tank. They're hardy and they don't mind being alone. Just keep up on the water changes and watch your levels and it will be just fine.
 
The first thing i suggest you do is get your own liquid test kit and stop depending on the store to tell you if the water is fine. Then test the water everyday and do needed water changes to keep ammonia and nitrites as close to 0 as you can. Cycling can take 4-6 weeks. The store said 4 days, but I'm betting nothing was even in the tank. So the actual cycle did not even start until you added the fish.
 
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