Cloudy Water

[Twoapennything]

Hi. Over the weekend I did a large PWC (about 60% of the tank) because I cleaned the tank very thoroughly due to algae. So it's been over 24 hours now, and the water is slightly cloudy. It wasn't cloudy before I did the maintenance. Any ideas? Should I continue to do PWCs until the water is crystal clear again? Do I need to mess with my filter at all? It's just slightly cloudy and the cloudiness is near the top of the tank; it's not all over. Thanks in advance for any replies.

 

[cabezon]

hard to tell. it might be a bacteria bloom from cleaning too much and getting a mini cycle going, or it might just be dust from the substrate. Did you test the water? what substrate do you have, how deep is it, and how much did you disturb it. and, did you dechlorinate the water prior to filling, or did you add prime as you went?

 

[BigJim]

You probably just stirred something up if your water parameters are still good. As Cabezon said, a mini cycle is possible too. You'll see ammonia and nitrite levels if you're experiencing a mini cycle. Test your water and do PWCs if you see ammonia or nitrites. Otherwise, run some activated carbon or filter floss if the cloudy water really bothers you.