Cloudy water

[nh2v07]

Hello, could any experienced fish keepers give me some advice please, I have a 7ft x 2ft x 2ft tank (unsure of litres and gallons), it has been set up a few years but lately we have noticed fish dying with no obvious disease, one of them being a bala shark. We tested the water which was nitrites 0, ammonia 0, nitrates 10, ph 6.6. We cleaned the filter out which is a fluval fx5, to clean it we scooped the poop off and rinsed the filter pads in a bucket of tank water, but now the tank water is really cloudy and the fish are swimming very slowly and hanging at the top, we have enough aeration with 3 air stones. I tested the water again and nitrites and ammonia are between 0 and 0.25, any ideas why the spike and why the cloudiness. What can I do, I'm going to do 10% water change but anything else.

 

[nh2v07]

A few pics, hard to see the cloudiness but it us very cloudy

 

[xxwolfpackof1xx]

A few pics, hard to see the cloudiness but it us very cloudy

can't see the cloudyness but it looks white or green white=bacterial bloom usualy harmless green= excess alge may want to pic up a few snails or some alge away stuff i hope i helped or offerd ideas at least

Sent from my Vortex using Aquarium

 

[hdultra]

Sounds like a mini cycle to me. Should clear up in a few day's. Keep a watch on your water values. I think it came from cleaning out the fx5.

You may have to do more Water Changes more like 30%.

 

[nh2v07]

Thankyou I think you are right that it came from cleaning the fx5, can anyone offer some advice as the right way to clean the filter. The levels are still 0.25 for ammonia and nitrites, I'm going to do another water change this morning, one on lunch and one tonight, hopefully that is enough as I go on holiday tomorrow. We lost a few more fish overnight, it is so sad as I have had them a few years and they have grown to really nice sizes.

 

[hdultra]

When cleaning the FX5 you have to make sure that you leave at least half of the Biological Bacteria in the cannister. It will seed the new material that you put in. Making it to clean will cause your tank to mini cycle. What do you have for media in the cannister?

 

[Davemac]

A few pics, hard to see the cloudiness but it us very cloudy

Yip you did too good a job on the filter! and the bacteria are trying to establish themselves again if you do clean a big external only parts at a time never, never change all the pads or biomedia at the same time and don't scrub filter box leave slimed, it's done now but main thing is fish! now I would add some stress zyme to ease fish over this mini cycle and do water changes every other day at least 25% to ease stress on fish I am sure the bacteria will multiple quick and such a large tank helps as lots of surfaces for bacteria I would not clean glass till mini cycle over test using api solution test kit for best results. Most fish are pretty hardy and as long as your ph is not high the ammonia has less effect at lower ph levels on fish nitrite however even traces can be fatal so water changes a must