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.