Help, I have cloudy water.

[LittleMossHead84]

So I have no idea what the deal is with my 10 gal. I am running a tetra whisper filter and a sponge filter. I have red florite substrate. 10 plants, tetras and ghost shrimp. My tank,since the last time, I cleaned it has been very cloudy like substrate has been stirred up. Should I buy a better filter? I am even using filter floss. Any ideas?

 

[blue71]

I would do 30% water changes every day until it clears up, I might replace the filter, Is it an internal filter or HOB?

 

[LittleMossHead84]

Hob.

 

[blue71]

Ok, I have a filter like that, I would stuff the cartridge with carbon and very fine filter floss. And do the water changes, this is what has worked for me in the past.

 

[blue71]

If money is no object, I would go out and buy an AquaClear 30, however I would wait a while and keep up with water changes and filter maintenance. Then if still no luck, I would go buy a new filter. P.S dont add any water clarifiers or anything.

 

[Blueiz]

How long has your tank been set up, what are your parameters? What color is the cloudiness?

Be careful if you replace the filter, you could send your tank into a mini cycle. If you cleaned the filter when you did your tank maintenance you could have cleaned it to good and sent it into a mini cycle therefore causing a bacteria bloom that will leave your water a white cloudiness until the bacteria attatch themselves in the tank and filter. If you have elevated ammonia and/or nitrITE readings, this would signal a mini cycle.

 

[LittleMossHead84]

Ugggh, so I woke up this morning and now I am freaking out. My harlequin, neon, and black neon tetras died. All of them. I have no idea what is going on. My tank has been running for over a month now completely fine and now this. I only have a couple of shrimp and rummynose tetras left.

 

[LittleMossHead84]

I never clean my filter only replace the cartridges.

 

[fort384]

Depending on color, it sounds like a bacteria bloom to me. Really annoying, but it will run it's course in a few days.

 

[LittleMossHead84]

my parameters are ph 7.0 which was 6.4 a week ago and everything else is normal 0 n02, 0 no3 and 0 ammonium.

 

[LittleMossHead84]

the color is not a color. Just cloudy. Not green or brown or anything just cloudiness.

 

[Blueiz]

I never clean my filter only replace the cartridges.

With this information, you are most likely experiencing a bacteria bloom. There is no need to totally replace your filter cartridge, rinsing it in old tank water or conditioned tap water will be sufficient and save you some dollars. I do this to mine until they are falling apart or no longer filtering the particles from the water sufficiently.

Your parameters all being 0 is suspicious. Unless your tank is very heavily planted and even then you should have some nitrates for the plants, you should have a nitrATE reading if your tank is completely cycled. I would retest the ammonia and nitrite, this seems to be the most likely culprit in what is happening to your fish.

Do you inject co2? Have you added anything new to the tank recently?

 

[LittleMossHead84]

I do inject C02 through a diy co2 reactor and through a coralife limestone. I have not added anything at all. Last time I added something it was a melon sword and more spiralis and that was 2 weeks ago. I will retest the nitrite and ammonia right now. And thanks Blueiz...I was just telling my boyfriend how you always respond to my post and put up helpful information.

 

[sweetshannon]

Have you tried Purigen? If it'll fit in your filter, It will help with the water clarity. They are a bit pricey, but you can use them over and over.

 

[Blueiz]

Check your co2..make sure that you aren't dosing to much. Do you do DIY or pressurized? This would make more sense for the fish deaths than ammonia or nitrite being elevated because of the amount of fish you have had to die in such a short period of time. Usually ammonia and/or nitrite isn't such a sudden killer. Also, considering they died over night, that gives an indication that the o2 levels may be low since plants do not use co2 at night.

 

[LittleMossHead84]

I use diy and it really has been fine. Running very slowly especially since the initial burn dies after the first day or so. I totally understand what you are saying but I have been doing 12 hours of light with co2 in all the time and I have the hob filter and sponge filter to create a lil extra air going into the tank with the disturbance of the top of the water.

 

[LittleMossHead84]

Also did two test tubes of each and nitrite still at 0 and ammonia at 0??????

 

[Blueiz]

There is a good possibility that you are experiencing a bacteria bloom and it has consumed all the ammonia and trites and that is why you are getting a 0 reading. The bigger concern now is what killed your fish. How long has it been since the tank maintenance? Have you added anything like chemicals or fertilizers to the tank in the last day or so?

 

[mfdrookie516]

any possibility that your co2 mix made its way in to the tank? do you turn it off at night or run a bubbler? that could cause your ph to swing

 

[LittleMossHead84]

This maybe could be a possibility. I am running it with a limestone air stone. I should take it out either way just to see if it helps. I have pretty hardy beginner plants, substrate, and sufficient lights so it will be okay wo it for a few days. I know the co2 is not necessary for all plants but just helps them grow.