Sorry to be so needy - but another ? about h2o changes

[Rbishop]

If you can't get what you need locally, try online:

http://www.bigalsonline.com/

http://www.petsolutions.com/

or maybe your local place could order what they do not have.

 

[ggrowney]

Cloudiness - light, etc.

OK, so I am following you. I appreciate the help. The latest trend is that I notice less algae (not gone - but going less wild) and cloudiness is best described as white. Here is weird part. It will almost go away or at least significantly decrease as time passes with lights on. When I wake up or if I leave lights OFF for extended period the cloudiness returns stronger. Fish appear OK, but nitrites and nitrates are high (esp. nitrites). I will keep doing water changes and get ahold of flourish excell.

One step that I question is the frequent rinsing of the mechanical media. Am I slowing up the cycling? The bacteria is supposed to be growing in a bag of ceramic balls. They look awfully clean when I pick them out and look at them (is that normal)? I assume by seeing nitrites I must have some bacteria.

 

[TKOS]

There is no need to rinse the bio bag right now with such frequent water changes. Once a week is probably more than enough for that. You won't kill the bacteria though if you use dechlorinated water.

If it is a white bloom then that is a bacterial bloom. That means excess food. The bloom won't hurt the fish, but the cause could. So just keep up on keeping those nitrites down as low as you can. If it gets too much to control you can start adding up to 1 tsp of NaCl per gallon of water in with water changes. This will help the fish to combat the effects of nitrite poisoning. Then when things start gettign better the salt can be removed through regular weekly water changes. (Also only readd the amount of salt you remove - so 2 gallons out 2 tsp of salt back).