Cloudy water

[cactusbbq]

Hey all. Still doing large water changes. Have fish in an un cycled tank. My ph is 6.6/ started at 7.2, .25 ammonia, and 0 on both nitrites and nitrates. I fish has been lost to this mishap.
Any suggestions?

 

[IcedAngelKiss]

How long has your tank been set up? It's normal for a tank to become cloudy a few days after setting up and then again a week later, at least that was the case when I set my tank up, also have you been vacuuming the gravel? That can sometimes make the water cloudy for a little while...

 

[cactusbbq]

Been up and running for 3 weeks. I have not vacuumed the gravel. Have done the water changes every day just about for a week and a half.

 

[Matt68005]

uneaten food and fish poop will rot in the gravel causing a "bad" bacteria bloom this is why the water gets cloudy. I do not use gravel, i use sand or nothing at all in the bottom so i can see the uneaten detris and vacum it up. also, what kind of filter are you using?

 

[cactusbbq]

Using an Aqua CLear With the Bio Media, Carbon and Spoge. I still have no traces of Nitrites or Nitrates. PH at 6.8 and Amonia very low. Using a API Master test kit. Cant figure it out. Do I need to swith to sand for the freshwater fish?

 

[cactusbbq]

Would switching out to sand this weekend be a bad idea? I am intrigued.

 

[Aspencer]

Would switching out to sand this weekend be a bad idea? I am intrigued.

Sand will not solve your problem. It is just a different substrate. It takes a fair amount of time to do a fish-in cycle. You will know you are close when nitrAtes begin showing up.

 

[cactusbbq]

Ok. Thaks.
Would it hurt to switch it out?

 

[LyndaB]

It won't hurt. I have sand in all my tanks now and will never go back to gravel.

 

[Aspencer]

Ok. Thaks.
Would it hurt to switch it out?

The bacteria that you need to cycle your tank lives in your filter, in your substrate, and on your hard scape. Changing out your substrate will push your cycling back a bit but with water changes, manageable. Sand is somewhat messy to add. Needs to be well rinsed and even then, will float in your water and get into your filter. Can even damage your filter unless you clean it out often at the beginning.

 

[cactusbbq]

Makes more sense. I was planning on doing a large water change anyways. I could get it done real quick and the gravel vacum would just lift the debris of any kind right off the sand correct? It wont get all nasty underneath right? Just thinking of different variables before I do it.

 

[cactusbbq]

Thanks to both of you. I wil think on this. I can do water changes, and cleaing the filter I would just not rinse the bio material. Right? That is where the cycle stuff is.

 

[LyndaB]

I never had issues with my filter when changing over to sand, and all but one of my tanks were fully stocked when I changed over.

As mentioned, rinse the sand in a bucket, and rinse, rinse, rinse again. When you think it's rinsed, rinse it again. Twice. I'm serious.

This helps prevent the cloudiness associated with the sand.

When you put it into your tank, take a plastic dinner plate (or the like that's never seen soap) and place it kitty corner in your tank. Slide the sand down the plate into the corner of the tank and then you can later spread it around.

 

[cactusbbq]

So do this with some water in the tank? I was going to take water out put the fish in the bucket with the same water and do the switch then. I like this sand idea.

 

[cactusbbq]

I will rinse like crazy. One last question. How much sand for a 30 gallon tank? 30 lbs?

 

[LyndaB]

I would use 40, unless you want a really shallow substrate.

I removed about 50% of the water, kept the fish in, and added the sand.

I don't believe in taking the hard road if there's an easy one available.

 

[Hobgob]

To be honest I would wait until your tank is cycled. Then switch it. Since bacteria does live everywhere. Your tank will only benefit in looks...when I first started to keep fish i did fish in cycles and the three of them took a month to a month and a half...

 

[Hobgob]

Thanks to both of you. I wil think on this. I can do water changes, and cleaing the filter I would just not rinse the bio material. Right? That is where the cycle stuff is.

I wouldn't clean you filter until your tank is cycled...

 

[LyndaB]

To be honest I would wait until your tank is cycled. Then switch it. Since bacteria does live everywhere. Your tank will only benefit in looks...when I first started to keep fish i did fish in cycles and the three of them took a month to a month and a half...

I respectfully disagree. At this point, my opinion is that any bacteria in the substrate is negligible.

 

[Hobgob]

The amount of ammonia also seemed to vary the cycle time. And you do not need sand for freshwater fish...it's just for looks. Also you will need to watch out for gas pockets. You should get some type of digger you will stir up the sand a bit.