Cloudy water.

[zipperfly58]

Please any suggestions are gladly welcome. I have a 38 gallon bow front with juvenile peacock cichlids. I just did a water change about 1/3 and also did a vacuum job, every time this happens and clears up after about 24 hours. I can't seem to figure out why. If I remember right this doesn't happen during thee warmer summertime/ spring time.

Thank you.

 

[IHaveAquariums]

Bacterial bloom IMO, probably from stirring up the gravel. Tank may not be fully cycled which is causing this might also be a little overstocked, did you cycle it in the beginning?

 

[King Fisher]

I used to get this on my tank when I first was learning about bacteria blooms. I had a heck of a go at first, but once established I would gravel vac like crazy on my water changes. Then I'd get cloudy water for about a half day before it would clear up. I was advised at the time to do a light vacuum of the top layer of substrate and only do a deep vac (to the bottom and up) once a month or two depending on bio load and only 1/3 of the substrate at a time or once a month or two. Essentially I was told I was vacuuming too much of the beneficial bacteria at once. I've followed this procedure ever since and I have never experienced cloudy water. There maybe other reasons or ideas about this but this is my experience with it and your situation sounds similar.