Tank Keeps Going Cloudy

[tara brown]

Hi Everyone,

I have been running my 30 gallon planted tank for a few years now it is was doing great. But for the past 5 months or so my plants have been getting sparse and my water gets cloudly very quickly.

I haven't really changed my maitenance or water change routine, the only thing that is different is that there are fewer fish in the tank: only 1 sword tail, 1 neon and 2 cories ( i have been busy this summer so have not re stocked).

I have tested the water and the nitrites and nitrates are fine.

Even a week after a total water change my water turns green-cloudy, it has never done this before. A 25% water change helps a little but not much.

Also, as i said, the plants are not flourishing as they used to. I used to have to thin out my background plants and now they hardly grow.

Any ideas what could be happening here? Is the cloudiness and the plants not growing related?

Please help... i am getting very frustrated!

Thanks,

Tara

 

[Blueiz]

It sounds to me as tho you have a nutrient imbalance in your tank and you are getting algae blooms in the water column.

It is very probably that the reason your plants arent flourishng as they once were because your tank isnt stocked as it once was therefore nitrates arent available for ferts, in turn your tank has become inbalances and to many nutrients are in the water of which the algae is feeding off of. Overall your tank is in a general state of imbalance and needs to be balanced back out for the algae to stop blooming.

Start with looking at what plants you do have verses the amt of light you are providing. Lighting is a nutrient just like any other ferts you would add to the tank. If you are dosing ferts, you need to adjust the amt for the plants that you have.

A couple questions for you, has your water source changed? Have you tested the phosphates in your water source?

Im sure some others will chiime in with more detailed advice and answers..

 

[tara brown]

Thanks for the reply...

The cloudiness is algae...ahh see, i am a newbie!

Yes, my water source has changed....i'm trying to remember if this coincides with when i went from RO to tap water. Maybe... Or it happened a few months after the change.

So are you saying because i have fewer fish my tank is imbalanced?

How do i test for phosphates? And how do i rebalanced the tank? Should i begin to slowly restock? Will that help?

Thanks!

 

[tara brown]

Just wanted to let everyone know that my tank is back to crystal clear! I added 6 Platies and in 2 weeks my water was clear and my plants are starting to grow again! Horray!