Unclear water in new tank

[Corydoras4Ever]

Hello everybody,

A couple of days ago, I set up a 20 G tank. I am using an under gravel filter suitable for 20 G tanks, and an additional Power filter for a 20 G tank. I have four tiny underwater plants, a small air stone, a 100W Heater, fluorescent light, and only three fish (two of them are corydoras).
I washed the gravel properly before I put it in my tank.

However, I am noticing that my water is losing some of its former clarity and is becoming blurry. Is this something I should worry about or will it eventually settle down?

Thanks in advance!

 

[RogerMcAllen]

A couple of things.

First, UGF might not be the best choice. This seems to be an antiquated method that will cause problems down the road as things build up under the filter. It is also bad for plants.

Second, what kind of plants/fish?

Third, get some more corys, they do better in schools of 5 or more.

Fourth, you might just be having a bacterial bloom. Just wait it out and it will go away, perhaps cut back on feeding a bit.

Fifth, welcome to AA.

 

[Corydoras4Ever]

Thanks for your reply.

I have four tiny Borneo Swords.
My fish: 2 Corydoras Trillineatus and 1 Tiger Barb.

I originally had 4 Tiger Barbs, but one of them managed to kill the others off.

Oh, I would like to add that I have a good current inside the tank.

 

[TankGirl]

Welcome to AA!

It sounds like the tank is beginning its cycle. You will need to be testing for ammonia and nitrite, which is the first thing I would do in the case of cloudy water. I don't know if you are familiar with the nitrogen cycle or not, but if this is a brand new tank then you need to do frequent partial water changes to keep the toxic levels of ammonia and nitrite down to keep the fish alive. Definitely a bacterial bloom can occur in a new tank as well, so testing the water will help determine if this is the case. Don't add any more fish until you know where you stand with your cycle.

 

[youronlysin]

My tank water was clear as could be before I added fish. I did some re-arranging of the decorations before I added the fish and the water clouded up quite a bit. My power filter clearwed it up after a couple of days. after I do a water change, it tends to cloud slightly as well, but again, the filter clears it back up after only a couple of days. Your larger tank might take a little bit longer than a couple of days to clear Ill bet.

 

[jaysono]

When I started my tank, my water was crystal clear for the first few week, then one day I went a little 'vacuum' happy and cleaned every inch of the tank.

The result: within a few hours, my tank was really cloudy...I mean reall cloudy. But within 36 hours I noticed improvement, and with 48-72 hours it was back to normal without me adding anything.

 

[powderbluetang]

i agree with TankGirl on the cycle starting. what it is is basicly a balanceing of good and bad bacteria. and during the process your water gets cloudy and ammonia goes through the roof! and this cycle goes on for about a month or so. the UGF is not a real bad piece of equipment either. if you use a powerhead on the tops of the tubes it becomes very effective piec of bio filtration but some heavy rooting plants may have problems with it but the nutrents under the grate will help fertilize the plants

 

[youronlysin]

Also, be careful when you change those filters. I made the mistake of replacing the filter bag on my power filter mid-way through my cycle....I did some deco changes and the filter got a bit clogged; I threw it away and replaced it without thinking, Almost immediately afterward my water parameters started to rise in a bad, bad way. The Activated charcoal does wonders to remove cloudyness and smell, but it sure didnt help stop the Nitrite and Amonia levels. The old, dirty filter did better!

 

[Corydoras4Ever]

Thanks for all the feedback. I appreciate it.

I did a 25% water change, not wanting to do more, but just to go a bit safe. I am keeping a close eye on the Amonia, Nitrite, and pH levels.

 

[krap101]

is charcoal the same thing as carbon?

 

[RogerMcAllen]

Yes, I think so.

 

[TankGirl]

Yes, charcoal and carbon are usually referring to the same type of filter media.