Cloudy water?

[n3wt]

Has anyone's tank gotten a little cloudy from changing filters? I just got a new filter (Aquaclear Power filter for a 40-70g tank) and for the past day or so my tank has gotten a little milky color and I can't think of any reason for the water to get cloudy all of the sudden. Anyone have any suggestions?

I also wanted to know what type of filter is best for Africans. I have about 7 Africans in a 55g tank and right now I have the aquaclear porer filter and a smaller internal fluval filter with a power head to keep the water oxygenated and I heard that under gravel filters work best for messy fish but I was wondering what you all have and think is the best.

 

[Purrbox]

Did you leave the old filter on the aquarium when you added the new one? If not what you're seeing is most likely a bacteria bloom as a result of the aquarium going through a new cycle.

 

[mom2reds]

I would stay away from UGF especially if you have sand as a substrate or ever plan to go planted.
I agree that the cloud is probable a mini cycle check your water parameters, and post them.

 

[neilanh]

As purrbox mentioned, it sounds most likely like a bacteria bloom. This can be indicative of a loss of a good portion of your beneficial bacteria colony. It'd be a good idea to keep a good eye on your ammonia and nitrites for a bit to make sure all remains stable.

As for filtration, I've never kept africans, but understand them to be a bit on the messy side. You could consider a good quality canister filter, and they tend to be more efficient at filtering the water.

 

[n3wt]

Ya, I have gravel in the aquarium now, I had a few plants but I soon learned that Oscars and plants don't mix!
But I have tried a variety of filters and I cant seem to get good circulation going and I hear UG Filters are an easy way to get good circulation.
I've been looking at canister filters for a bit now too and I was wondering if I would need just the one filter for all of my fish or If anyone recommends any other kind of other filtration to go along with it.
I'm sure it's just a bacteria bloom, I forgot to keep the old filter in this time. But ill be sure to check all my levels and stuff.

 

[tkos]

If you are thinking of UGF then I seriosly suggest you look at RUGF which is a spectacular filter. Though if you have Africans you may wish to have a sand base for them in the future, in which case the UGF / RUGF is a no go. A canister is a very good filtration source.

 

[warped1]

I went through this with a friend when we stirred up the bacteria in a UGF with a gravel vac and changing the filter - we thought we did a good thing by vacuuming all the gravel and giving the filter a thorough cleaning - in reality we forced the tank to cycle again and the milky water we saw for a couple of weeks was the bacteria hanging around waiting to colonize again. I would recommend keeping up with a 30% water change bi-weekly and monitor your water quality - patience is key here - it takes a little time for the bacteria to settle down again

 

[n3wt]

Yeah, I'm going to change some of the water and keep it under close watch, thanks for the advice!
I think after reading up on what filter is best for messy fish I think I'm gonna go with the canister filter. UGF's sound like the cons weigh out the pros. I was thinking of getting the Magnum 350 or the Eheim ecco 2234 they both sound like good canisters but does anyone know what one is the best for a 55g tank?

 

[mom2reds]

I have the magnum and a eheim 2217 and i would go with the eheim.

 

[pitt420dude]

Eheim is top of the line, or so they say.

 

[tkos]

Rena makes a good canister as well. If possible I would take the canister out of the box at the store and see how easy it is to access the media inside. I have a Fluval 304. Whileit is a perfectly fine filter, it can be a bit of a pain to reattach the top on it and get it seated correctly.

 

[n3wt]

Ya, I was looking at the eheim ecco 2234 at the local pestmart and it seems like a good canister. What do you thin of pairing it up with a hang on back power filter? Think it might be too much or will it be ok?

 

[neilanh]

No experience with Eheim's myself, but I hear nothing but good things. I do hear that the ecco's are on the lower end of the eheim line, but for your size tank that'd probably be okay. Some people with experience with them will likely chime in.

just wanted to add that I believe it's alwys been the case the petsmart's online prices are better than their in-store prices, but as company policy if you print out the webpage with the price listed, the local store has to honor it.

 

[warped1]

Yo ! - Thanks neilanh for that piece of info regarding the possibility that Petsmart has to honor online price - I'm gonna try that, I'm looking to upgrade the ceramic rings from Marineland to the more porous looking Fluval. - The Marineland ceramic rings looked a little too smooth to me.

 

[n3wt]

I got the water tested and you guys were right, the ammonia and nitrates were a little high. So I'm going to put some new water in the tank and keep a close eye on it. Thanks for the advice!

 

[tamra&steven]

how big is the tank a fx5 is a nice filter.

 

[n3wt]

I have a 55g tank, I was looking at the fx5 too, I think it's a bit to powerful for my tank, plus I don't have that kind of money.