tank went cloudy and can't figure out why

17 posts • Page 1 of 2

Discuss all topics related to freshwater and planted tanks.


cyndrine
 
Posts: 47
Joined: Sat Dec 15, 2007 12:11 am

tank went cloudy and can't figure out why

by cyndrine

My tank had been running crystal clear tell a couple days ago and it has gone very cloudy. It is white not green so i believe it isn't algae. First thing i did was test the water and the ammonia, nitrites, hardness and ph are good. i am doing the weekly water changes of 20%. I am currently running an aqua clear 70 cascade filter for the 55gal. I believe I am just under the amount of fish i should have for the tank size based on the adult size of the fish that I know of. I feed them frozen bloodworms and a small amount of nutrifin tropical flakes once a day. I have 2 black ghostknife, 1 parrot cichlid, 1 common pleco, 6 adult guppies (with some fry not sure how many 12 left at this time i think), 2 ropefish, 1 comet goldfish, 1 blue platy, 2 blue snails. Anyone have any ideas what is going on?


Peterkarig3210
 
Posts: 1980
Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2007 3:04 am

by Peterkarig3210

I looked at the Aquaclear70 and it's rated for a max of 100 gallons on a normally stocked tank, but I think your fish have grown and maybe you're overloading the filter. Have you been treating the water you add to the tank for chlorine and chloralamines? How long does the food stay in the tank before it's eaten? I think you may lose your guppies and other small fish as the other bigger fish will eat them as they grow. Maybe you could get a 10-20 gallon tank just for the smaller fish and leave the bigger ones in the big tank. Even if you feed all the fish less, |you still may end up overstocked in the 55 gallon once the fish grow. For now I would try feeding less. and getting a second tank for the little guys. I think maybe the cycle has been overloaded in your tank, so in addition to the above I would get some beneficial bacteria from the aquarium store and add that as well. I've had overstocked fish tanks before and all the fish seemed happy playing together, so If you don't get another tank for the smaller fish I would get another bigger filter to increase the biological capacity for cycling of waste, Can you afford a $120.00 Rena Filstar XP3 ? This is a reasonably priced canister filter that stores nicely under the tank, and it has plenty of capacity for big messy fish. I always filter 4-5 times what my tank size is and I never have a problem with the excessive waste being cycled effectively.
Last edited by Peterkarig3210 on Tue Feb 05, 2008 8:45 am, edited 2 times in total.


cyndrine
 
Posts: 47
Joined: Sat Dec 15, 2007 12:11 am

by cyndrine

got the smaller fish with the expectation they would be eaten by the bigger ones especially the guppies. the rope fish need to hunt to eat so i figured that would do. It also keeps them from leaving the tank to hunt for something to eat which they did do when i first got them. that is when i found out that ropefish have primitive lungs and can survive out of the tank for a couple of hours.

I put in enough food for them to eat 2 minutes and remove the excess. yes i do treat the water i add to the tank for chlorine and chloralamines.


Peterkarig3210
 
Posts: 1980
Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2007 3:04 am

by Peterkarig3210

Since you don't have an undergravel filter the cheapest idea I can think of would be to buy a cylindrical sponge of black filter material and stick it onto the intake of your hang-on filter (the part inside your tank). This will help keep particulate waste from getting to and fouling up your hang-on, it adds much more surface area for biological filtration than what a couple filter pads can give, it's cheap, and you can take it off and rinse it easily. I would get a bigger filter eventually, but this will probably work in the meantime. Wash the sponge every week or when water flow is restricted in the water you take out when doing water changes (or other water that doesn't have chlorine in it). http://www.aquariumguys.com/lupr.html


freshwaterpleco
 
Posts: 131
Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2008 5:56 pm

by freshwaterpleco

Maybe it got cloudy because the ammonia skyrocketed or your over feeding


spongebob4460
 
Posts: 603
Joined: Fri Jan 25, 2008 8:37 am

by spongebob4460

i agree with peter.... if water tests come back positive, then filteration is the issue... maybe a good cleaning of the filter will help, or adding additional filteration.


cyndrine
 
Posts: 47
Joined: Sat Dec 15, 2007 12:11 am

by cyndrine

cut down the amount i was feeding and it cleared up a lot but was not completely clear. dang. I then started to rinse the frozen brine shrimp i give them and my tank is now crystal clear.


freshwaterpleco
 
Posts: 131
Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2008 5:56 pm

by freshwaterpleco

Is your tank throuly cycled there are numerous reasons for this and some of them you just have to clean the water or cut back on feeding. It might be ammonia. And the tank is probaly to much fish.


Snowboss4492
 
Posts: 2098
Joined: Sun Jan 27, 2008 11:24 pm

by Snowboss4492

I'm likeing the idea that the problem is in the filter - -you said you had fry in the tank and now theres only a few left - - could they have been sucked into the filter and be causeing a major bio overload? just a thought - -it sounds like your a very well read hobbyist - -so take a deep breath, step back and relook at everything ---your probably standing so close your missing something very simple - -the sponge prefilter will help greatly even if thats not your immediate problem - and definatley over filter all the time - -good luck keep us posted when you figure it out - -interesting issue, Snowboss


cyndrine
 
Posts: 47
Joined: Sat Dec 15, 2007 12:11 am

by cyndrine

the fry were eaten by my ropefish and the parrot cichlid which are why i bought the guppy's. wasn't the filters checked them first. no fry were inside. my last post said was cleared up. cleared up the most when I cut down on the food. The rest cleared up when i rinsed the frozen brine shrimp i feed the ropefish before putting in the tank..

tank went cloudy and can't figure out why

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