Cloudy water... and now bubbles...

[bunebop]

Hi everyone,

I have some (more) questions. I usually, dont' have this many issues w/ my tanks, I swear.

Ok, so roughy 1-2 weeks ago I noticed my 55 looks SLIGHTLY cloudy... barely noticeable... over the last week-week and a half or so.. .it's been getting worse and now it's definatly very cloudy. When I first noticed it I had just performed a large water change, so I figured maybe it stirred something up and it would settle down after a day or so cause it does periodically get cloudy, but not usually like this.

I'm not feeding anymore than usual so I don't think that's the problem, and though I did get some new fish Saturday, I don't think they're related to the the cloudyness because it was doing it prior to adding them.

Water parameters are fine, I've checked them numerous times.

Also, today I noticed the tank has a lot of bubbles at the top which I'm positive wheren't there yesterday... but all around the edges are bubbly/ foaming. I don't think I have anything in there that could be doing bubble nests (to my knowledge, my fish are in my sig).

Should I just do a water change and see how it goes and hope it leaves? I'm just confused. Thanks guys!

 

[rich311k]

Does it look like suspended air bubles? What color is the cloudiness?

 

[bunebop]

white cloudiness. The bubbles are white as well...I don't think they're suspended air bubbles.

On a side note... I have one zebra danio that has always looked pregnant or ready to explode or something, but i've never had babies. It's back end is huge and dark and looks like it has a hole almost (i seriously can't describe it). COuld that be related?

 

[bunebop]

these are the best pictures I can get of the bubbles: http://jayasuri-2.user.msu.edu/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=16902

The cloudiness I can't get a good pic of unfortunatly, but it is cloudy... I also can't get a good pic of the danio.

 

[rich311k]

did you clean your filter before this happened? Looks like bacteria to me.

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

I would assume it's not a detergent.. (or some other contaminent in the hose), did you use it for something else, left in a laundry tub or something?

When I first noticed it I had just performed a large water change, so I figured maybe it stirred something up and it would settle down after a day or so cause it does periodically get cloudy

Did you try to pop a bubble to see if it is just an air bubble?

white cloudiness. The bubbles are white as well...I don't think they're suspended air bubbles.

Did you use a dechlor during the PWC (what kind)?

Also, what filter media do you have in the filter?

 

[tropicfishman]

your fish could have alot of gas lol j/k

 

[Lonewolfblue]

How often do you do PWC's, and how much water do you remove?

 

[bunebop]

did you clean your filter before this happened? Looks like bacteria to me.

Yes, I did clean the filter. It hadn't been cleaned... ever... from what I could remember, so I figured it wouldn't hurt. I didn't clean the biowheel thing at all.. that's the only thing I left floating in the tank while I cleaned out the rest of the filter.

I'm gonna apologize for the numerous posts right now, I'm going threw them one by one and I don't know how to get all the quotes in the same post. [/quote]

 

[bunebop]

I would assume it's not a detergent.. (or some other contaminent in the hose), did you use it for something else, left in a laundry tub or something?

When I first noticed it I had just performed a large water change, so I figured maybe it stirred something up and it would settle down after a day or so cause it does periodically get cloudy

Did you try to pop a bubble to see if it is just an air bubble?

white cloudiness. The bubbles are white as well...I don't think they're suspended air bubbles.

Did you use a dechlor during the PWC (what kind)?

Also, what filter media do you have in the filter?

I don't think it is detergent, if it is I have NO idea how it could have gotten in there and it probably would have killed the fish? I haven't had any causalties.

The bubbles do pop if you can get them and pinch them, but they're very tiny and there's so many it's kinda hard to do.

I do not use dechlor, I have well-water and everythings fine w/ it.

I don't know what kind of media... I have 2 Emperer 400's on it and all I have is the blue cartridge insert thing.

I think this was someone else's question, but I changed a little less than 50% of the water this time because I was at school before that and just moved home and it hadn't been changed for a while. I plan on doing another this weekend, but I can't really during the week because of my work schedule. Since I'm home I plan on doing it once every week- every other week and doing a 25%. I'm also buying one of those no spill hoses you hook up to the faucett that takes the water out and puts it in to save my back (cause I have major back problems) and that way my mom can do it while i'm gone w/o hurting herself too... should be here next week.

I think that covered everyone's questions.

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

The last 2 questions were strictly to cover dechlor reactions with certain filter media (purigen and stresscoat will turn toxic.. stuff like that)

If you pop a bubble in your fingers, do they feel oily at all? (any smell?)
can you see where they're forming? (biowheel?)

I could see it being bacteria, but you have 4 biowheels and the same substrate, a little excessive for a bacterial bloom. (I assume you didn't replace the biowheels)

How about aresol room deoderizers?

I'm just trying to think of where a contaminent could have entered the tank, is it possible there was a detergent in the well water?

how are the fish handling all of this?

 

[bunebop]

The last 2 questions were strictly to cover dechlor reactions with certain filter media (purigen and stresscoat will turn toxic.. stuff like that)

If you pop a bubble in your fingers, do they feel oily at all? (any smell?)
can you see where they're forming? (biowheel?)

I could see it being bacteria, but you have 4 biowheels and the same substrate, a little excessive for a bacterial bloom. (I assume you didn't replace the biowheels)

How about aresol room deoderizers?

I'm just trying to think of where a contaminent could have entered the tank, is it possible there was a detergent in the well water?

how are the fish handling all of this?

Nah, they don't feel oily, and the tank just smells like a fish tank (i just stuck my head in there hahaha) Nothing unusual anyway. The bubble's are forming around all the edges of the tank, especially in the corners. We don't use aerosol room deoderizers. I honestly know of no way soap could have gotten in there.

The fish seem to be fine. I would like the first one to die would be my baby guppy in the breeders net, but they're all acting perfectly fine from what I see.

I didn't do anything w/ the gravel this time. no cleaning or anything, because it's never dirty for some reason... I tried cleaning one part w/ the gravel vaccuum... got nothing, so just stuck w/ the PWC.

Like I said... cleaned out the filters, but left the biowheel. I dunno what is causing this.

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

Well, that pretty much excludes detergents anyway (the bubbles would be oily), same with organics. (and a bulk of contaminents)

Is the tank in daylight? have you tried putting some in a clear bottle to look at it in daylight to see if it's still white?

 

[bunebop]

Well, that pretty much excludes detergents anyway (the bubbles would be oily), same with organics. (and a bulk of contaminents)

Is the tank in daylight? have you tried putting some in a clear bottle to look at it in daylight to see if it's still white?

No, it's not in daylight and I haven't tried that. I'll try it tomorrow, but I'm positive the cloudyness is white

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

So was I, then I did that and saw it was green.. Powerglo lights do that for some odd reason..

 

[bunebop]

It's definatly white, though it looks like it may be beginning to clear up a bit. I don't want to turn on the tank lights this early... but from the lights in the room... it looks like it MIGHT be clearing up...here's hopin'. There's still quite a few bubbles though.

 

[bunebop]

Ugh, I guess I'll update. I came home from work to find my 4 new albino cory cats dead. I tested the water parameters (my mom somehow lost the charts for everything but the nitrite and the nitrate, so I only tested those). But were off the freakin' charts so I scrambled and did a 50% water change and I'm praying I don't lose my other new cory's... I had the water checked out before I bought the fish and the store said it tested perfectly... I don't know how it can go off the charts in that little of time... but here's hoping everyone else will be ok. I'm gonna do another 25% change each day till I get it down

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

I hope it works out for you, sorry for the loss of cories, they are entertaining.

Perhaps there was a spike of something in the water? (all I can think of)

 

[Rocket2001]

i would like to add my two cents...i think 50% changes may do as much harm as what ever the problem is. I'd recommend 25%-30% changes weekly or every other week. And try to get it under control that way

 

[pooka37]

i had the same problem with the cloudiness. it turned out to be a bacterial bloom and you can treat it pretty easily. there's some drops you can get to put in the water.....but i can't remember what they're called. something with the letter B in it, like "formula B" or something. i never had any fish or plants die from it. i don't know what the bubbles are. if it's because of a bacterial bloom, the bubbles could be excess gases or something. just an idea. good luck.