Cloudy Tank won't clear up

[Maltimomma]

I added Petco gravel to my 55g tank after washing it and now just can't get the water to clear up again. I do pwc 2 or 3 times a week and it still stays cloudy. The last time I removed half of the water and its still cloudy. I have decreased how much I'm feeding and now I'm going to only feed them every other day to see if that helps. The parameters are all normal. I have scraped the sides of the tank and vacuumed, and its still cloudy. I'm at the point where I'm ready to use a clarifier, but wonder if that will just create more problems. I don't like adding a lot of chemicals to my tanks, but am at a loss. Anyone have suggestions or ideas?

 

[Maltimomma]

I was just wondering if it would help to remove all of my gravel and was it again and again and again. My concern would be will I then have a cycling issue.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Did you replace all the gravel in the beginning or just put the new stuff on the old?

 

[Maltimomma]

Did you replace all the gravel in the beginning or just put the new stuff on the old?

I put the new stuff on the old. I'm also wondering if I have a bacterial bloom.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

That was my first thought. If it is there's not much you can do, I don't think. I had one once but I have a uv sterilizer so it cleared up within hours of turning it on. Haven't had one since, no uv either. So it's milky colored?

 

[Matteyecus]

True doing 2 large changes each day, it takes heaps of work but will pay off

 

[Maltimomma]

I was at the point of totally emptying my tank because it just wouldn't clear up. I finally decided it might be going through a mini cycle, but my parameters were all fine. I had some Stress Zyme that came with the tank when I bought it, so I did a water change tanking out half the water and added the Stress Zyme and Stress Coat, and the next morning it had started clearing. This morning it is 99 percent clear and the parameters are perfect. I don't know if I was just lucky or what.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

I'm glad it's clearing for you. Hope it stays that way

 

[aqua_chem]

I had some petco gravel in a 5 for awhile. I ended up taking it out because 1) it was cloudy and 2) it made the water foamy. I think that the coating on the gravel is just poorly made, more designed to look one way rather than function well.

 

[Maltimomma]

I had some petco gravel in a 5 for awhile. I ended up taking it out because 1) it was cloudy and 2) it made the water foamy. I think that the coating on the gravel is just poorly made, more designed to look one way rather than function well.

I have noticed that when I vacuum the gravel it still clouds up a little. I will buy my gravel at PetSmart from now on. I've bought gravel there before a never had a problem.

 

[Bert B]

I think that some gravels have a lot of fine dust particles that end up in your water suspended each time the gravel is disturbed. When i set my tank up with the move to the new house, i decided to use 100 % pool filter sand # mesh 20, never clouds water and easy to vac, just need to skim surface of the sand as everything lays on top of the sand.