(My first post so please be gentle!) My 46 gallon tank finished cycling (fishy cycle) about two weeks ago. It is now 6 weeks old. I have three 2" silver dollars and seven 1/2" tiger barbs. My water parameters at this time are 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, 0 nitrates and 7.6 pH. The tank began to become grey and cloudy about a week ago. I think that I was 1) overfeeding at bit and 2) keeping the light (60W) on too long which was about 11 hours a day. I can see small floating specks floating and suspect diatoms (sp?) due to the available food and light. From searching this amazing forum I have both cut back on the food and the light. For the past three days I've only had the light on while feeding twice a day. I think that I'm finally figuring out that these little fishes are hungry no matter how much I feed them so I just have to learn to control myself! I have a Marineland C260 canister filter and have been basicly leaving it alone since it's flowing well. Oh, yes, I do have a large piece of Malaysian driftwood in the tank (that I boiled) and natural small river rock bought from the lfs. Is there something else I should be doing to eliminate the cloudy water?:huh:
Fully cycled, Perfect water - but cloudy!
- Thread starter Bon
- Start date
Well, I'd say water changes and more filtration. But my real concern is that you should show some nitrates after 6 weeks of fishy cycle. Were those readings right aafter a large water change? Is your testing done with strips or a liquid kit?
I do regular 20-25% water changes and watched them all go to zero. I did have ammonia, nitrites and nitrates but I watched them reduce during the cycling: first ammonia, then nitrites and then the nitrates. I use an API test kit using liquids and test tubes. I haven't done a water change in about 3 days when I took these readings. My last change included a mild vacuuming of the gravel but I didn't see much coming out so I decided to just leave it alone for now. No I'm not planted.
I don't think you are truly cycled, you should be showing some nitrates...I think your cloudy water may be a dying bio colony...I have never cycled with fish, so I'm not sure how to fix this without harming the fish....
are you running charcoal???
are you running charcoal???
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Hi Bon -
You could be having a "bacteria bloom". As far as clearing the water, you usually have to wait these out. How long has the full load of fish been in the new tank ? Sometimes when fish are added to a new tank the bacteria will increase to be able to take care of the bio load, and will turn the water, whitish gray until they can catch up.
If the fish aren't stressing, just keep up with regular water changes, and it will clear soon.
B
You could be having a "bacteria bloom". As far as clearing the water, you usually have to wait these out. How long has the full load of fish been in the new tank ? Sometimes when fish are added to a new tank the bacteria will increase to be able to take care of the bio load, and will turn the water, whitish gray until they can catch up.
If the fish aren't stressing, just keep up with regular water changes, and it will clear soon.
B
The barbs have been in the tank throughout the entire cycle; about 5 weeks. The silver dollars have been there about 3 weeks. They are all doing great and showing no signs of stress. I have to say that while the nitrites were elevated the tiger barbs displayed their stress with subdued colors but they recovered quickly as the nitrites were converted. I'm hoping you're right B Wood and I'm just dying to see clear water again! I keep thinking about a diatomaceous earth filter but I would rather just wait this thing out and let my aquarium, and me the fish-feeder, reach its own balance. I'll try patience for now.