stupid . . . cloudy . . . water!

[phaedraeos]

So I've tried everything I could think of to help my water, but I'm at the end of my rope. Here is the info.

I just upgraded from a way too small 35 hex to a 50g two days ago. This tank is still smaller than I'd like, but I can't do anything about it. About 75% of the water in the 50g was new, treated tap water, and the rest came from the hex. The hex had been up and running for about 6 months. I put in tap conditioner, bacteria, etc. All the fish are alive and seem to be doing fine. I've had them all for about a year, except for one of the corys and the glass fish, which are less than a month old.

The fish:
1 6" red cap oranda
2 6" feeder goldfishs
1 5" fancy goldfish (single tail, same body shape as the feeders)
1 2" celestial goldfish
4 corys
5 2" glass catfish
5 1" glass fish
1 5" dojo/weather loach
1 5" common pleco
1 ottocinclus
2 mystery snails
4 small trapdoor snails

no live plants (they got eaten ages ago)

I used to have some real driftwood that I took off the shore of my local lake, boiled, an waterlogged, but that's in another tank now. It was in the 35 gallon as long as it was up and running.

The filtration:
1 emperor 400 that was in the 50 with only tropical fish for a year, and the biowheels are fully saturated with bacteria. 400 gallons/hr

1 brand new eheim ecco 2236 canister. 185 gallons/hr.

both filters are each rated up to 80 gallon tanks.

The water parameters (just tested 1/2 hour ago)
ph: 7.0
KH: 180 mg/L
GH: 120 mg/L (we have hard water, I know)
nitrite: 3 ppm
nitrate: 80 ppm

the water is so cloudy I can't see the back of the tank, and it's only been 2 days! help!!!

 

[76Explorer]

You need to do a water change right now.

Your nitrates/nitrites are WAY too high.

Change out at least 25 - 30 gallons.

Test water again in the morning and you'll probably need to do another 50% water change. You'll have to do this daily until your nitrates get down to 20 ppm and your nitrites are 0.

I would get your old tank up and running and consider putting some of your fish back in that one. The Oranda would be good for that tank.

I'm sure you already know this, but you are WAY WAY overstocked.

You should consider finding homes for most of those goldfish if 50gs is the biggest you can go. Don't mix fancies with commons and the common pleco needs to go as well.

 

[Blueiz]

what are your ammonia readings? i gurantee you are experiencing a bacterial bloom which will clear on its own in a few days to a week. Yes you need to change water to get your ammonia and nitrite down. I take it since you did not post your ammonia reading that you are using test strips? If this is the case, they are inaccurate and you should invest in a liquid test kit. I reccomend aquarium pharmaceuticals master fw test kit. There is nothing you can do to ket your tank water clear , maybe temporarily, until your tank completes its cycle.

As previous poster stated, you are extremely overstocked, and you have coldwater fish mixed with tropical fish. My suggestion to you is to get rid of, all of your goldfish, or put two of your fancy golfish back in your 35 g tank and get rid of the rest or purchase another tank for them. Its not only about keping the water clean for them, of which I seriously doubt with ten filters on this tank and daily water changes you will be able to keep water paramaters in acceptable range (acceptable range being 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and >40 nitrate), its about keeping the fish in the appropriate enviroments and giving the fish the space they need.

HTH
Blue

 

[wataugachicken]

1 6" red cap oranda
2 6" feeder goldfishs
1 5" fancy goldfish (single tail, same body shape as the feeders)
1 2" celestial goldfish
4 corys
5 2" glass catfish
5 1" glass fish
1 5" dojo/weather loach
1 5" common pleco
1 ottocinclus
2 mystery snails
4 small trapdoor snails

hmmm. yes, oranda and celestial back in the 50g with the weather loach
2 feeders and other fancy goldfish (maybe a sarasa comet?) have to be gotten rid of, either a fish store or a pond. they'll get 16+ inches
the common plecos needs to go as well. 18-24 inches fully grown.
then put the glass fish and catfish, cories, and oto into the 35 hex.
snails can go anywhere, but if they are small enough to fit in a goldfish mouth they could be eaten.

follow that stock list and your tanks will be pretty good for a while. eventually the glass cats will need a tank with more side to side room, but okay in the 35 until they reach 4 inches or so.
i would keep both filters on the 50g and just get a new one for the 35 b/c both of those will probably produce too much current. however, if the emperor doesn't turn your 35 into whitewater rapids then just put that on there. the goldfish (and you!) will probably appreciate more filtration though.

 

[legendaryfrog]

thats what you get for overstocking your tank.
nitrites should never exceed 0!

 

[fishcatch22]

TBH the only fish you can really fit in that tank IMO are 2 of the fancies, two of the dojos (but I don't like keeping them in groups of less than 5) and the snails, and even then you would be a little overstocked.

 

[amosf]

It would be better just to stick with the goldfish only rather than mixing. You could even keep 4, maybe all 5 for a while, but it's pushing it.

The tank is getting close to enough filtration for goldfish only. You want about 4x what filters are rated for...