bkiggy
Aquarium Advice Addict
Didn't know where to put this? I did a 15g WC (40g) tank, all planted heavy and now water is cloudy and looks like 'floaties' swirling around. Did an awesome gravel vac with WC. Is is a bacterial bloom??
Cloudy water
- Thread starter bkiggy
- Start date
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BBradbury
Aquarium Advice Addict
- Joined
- May 24, 2011
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Cloudy Water
Hello bk...
If your tank hasn't been up and running long, then time is needed for the plants, fish and water to do their work of stabilizing the water chemistry. The smaller the tank, the longer this can take.
You can do a couple of things to help. I'd recommend large, weekly water changes of half the tank's volume. This will help maintain level water properties. You can add an HOB filter to the tank and use a good polyfiber medium. I like the products from HBH and ACUREL. The fiber is dense and will attract and hold floating particles in the water. Just run the filter until the water clears. I'd also replace part of the medium when you do the water change.
Patience is important too. In time, if you're a good "waterkeeper" the tank water will clear.
B
Hello bk...
If your tank hasn't been up and running long, then time is needed for the plants, fish and water to do their work of stabilizing the water chemistry. The smaller the tank, the longer this can take.
You can do a couple of things to help. I'd recommend large, weekly water changes of half the tank's volume. This will help maintain level water properties. You can add an HOB filter to the tank and use a good polyfiber medium. I like the products from HBH and ACUREL. The fiber is dense and will attract and hold floating particles in the water. Just run the filter until the water clears. I'd also replace part of the medium when you do the water change.
Patience is important too. In time, if you're a good "waterkeeper" the tank water will clear.
B
OP
OP
bkiggy
Aquarium Advice Addict
So, it is a 40g. Never had issues with cloudy water. Fully cycled. 6 months old. WC 25% w Gravel Vac every 5 days. 406 Fluval canister. 15+/- plants. 8 Cory's, pictus cat, USD cat, school of guppies, 1 Betta , T8 light
Use Seachem Prime and couple drops of vitachem
Use Stability every now and then .... Just to keep BB good. Replace filter media 1 pad at a time and carbon. Replace Puragen and recharge it as necessary
NitrAtes always at 40+/-
Use Seachem Prime and couple drops of vitachem
Use Stability every now and then .... Just to keep BB good. Replace filter media 1 pad at a time and carbon. Replace Puragen and recharge it as necessary
NitrAtes always at 40+/-
You can usually tell a bacterial bloom as the water has a whitish look to it and if it's real bad you can actually see the bacteria swirling and moving in the water. I have occassionally caused this to happen in the big tank when I've done some massive plant moving/removing and it will usually clear up in a day or so.
OP
OP
bkiggy
Aquarium Advice Addict
So the filter will clean it up?... I did add/remove some plants. As I did that last WC, probably just stirred things up. I could add some seachem clarity I guess?
I never use any clairifiers I don't feel comfortable using products like that. But if you've used it before and it worked okay without bothering any fish then go for it. Otherwise bacterial blooms have to clear up on their own or a UV sterilizer will clear them up.
