Dealing with Cloudy Aquarium Water
Setting up a new tank and getting it cycled will take time. The biological elements in the filter need to be able to handle waste that the fish produce. During this process the water will turn cloudy, but it should not happen till late in the cycle. There can be various reasons for the water turning cloudy, so lets take a closer look.
Cloudy water can be due to few fish in the tank or it can be due to a lot of fish in a new tank. Getting rid of the cloudiness in the water is going to take patience. The cycle will run its course and the cloudiness will clear. Once the tank is ready, you will find that the cloudy water will turn crystal clear literally overnight.
What you need to do is continue the water changes twice a week while the tank is cycling. Make a 10 to 15 percent change each time and take care when feeding the fish. There are chemicals you can add to make the water clear, but they can affect the cycling process. In other words, just wait it out and dont waste time or money on store bought chemicals at this stage.
Another situation when the water turns cloudy is when the tank is new and there are no fish in it. The tank has not yet started to cycle and the gray or white cloudiness can be due to equipment not being cleaned with running tap water before it was put in the tank.
If the problem is due to equipment that was not properly cleaned, the filter should remove all suspended debris and the problem will be resolved. Should the filter fail to do so, the regular water changes will remove the cause of the cloudiness.
Check the decoration items and rocks you have added to the tank. It could be possible that one of them is dissolving into the water. This is not safe for the aquarium and needs to be removed. To find out which item is the culprit you are going to have to remove all of them and either rinse them under running water or soak them individually. After you have spotted the problem, put the rest of the items back in the tank and make a big water change.
Tanks that have just been set up sometimes display a gray cloudiness, which could be caused by the suspension of tiny air bubbles in the water. These bubbles usually disappear after they dissolve in the water.
There are always solutions, dont panic and take logical steps to find the cause first and then treat the problem.
Related posts:
- Why does the Water in the Aquarium Turn Cloudy?
- How to Deal with Bubbles in an Aquarium
- How to Make Water Changes in an Aquarium
- Aquarium Cleaning with Water Changes
- Water Change Guide for a Tropical Fish Tank