Help with cloudy water

[N8sobes1216]

So I was an impatient lad and bought the API quick start liquid instead of cycling my tank properly before adding stock. Today was day 4 of it being up and running while stocked and when I got home today, I noticed my water was on the cloudier side, and two of my neon tetras had passed at different points through the day. Is it likely that the quick start didn't work? Is it possible that all of my fish may die now?? Any suggestions are appreciated. But here is my equipment list for anyone who's curious: 20G tank, Aqueon 20 quietflow filter, preset heater good for 30 gallons, Finnex stingray 24" LED.

I've chalked the cloudiness up to uneaten food and fish waste, but I know I might be wrong. Thank you

 

[nirbhao]

The cloudiness is probably a bacterial bloom. Look up new tank syndrome.

Get an API master test kit. You are doing a fish-in cycle. It's possible your other fish will make it, but you need to do daily water changes until your cycle is complete.

How many fish do you have?

 

[N8sobes1216]

9 other fish. 2 neon tetras, 2 blue platys, 2 cobra guppies, 1 baby bristlenose pleco, kribensis cichlid, female betta

 

[nirbhao]

Your platies and guppies will probably survive the cycle. Tetras, I've read, are more touchy. They need to be in a school, though. Wait until after the cycle is completed to add fish.

I'm not so sure about having aggressive / semi aggressive fish (krib, betta) together with such peaceful fish like guppies and platies. I'm also not sure how touchy they are, except that African cichlids often have very specific needs.

Either way, you have a very full tank. Get the test kit and do daily water changes until ammonia and nitrites are 0.

 

[N8sobes1216]

In their defenses, the betta is quite peaceful and she has quite a social personality as well as the same for the Krib. They both swim up to the glass when I walk by the tank

 

[nirbhao]

Aggressive in this sense isn't meanness. It refers to how strongly they will react to other fish being in their territory or eating their food.

We have a dwarf gourami who will push other fish out of the way so he gets food first. We feed on both ends of the tank at the same time to make sure everybody else has a chance. It's not that he's a bad fish. Really it looks like he's a diva, especially the way he uses his ventral fins.

 

[coralbandit]

Read up on fish in cycling.
Generally ammonia and nitrite should NEVER go above 1 ppm.
Basically you should do 50% water changes as needed..This may be daily as you are stocked pretty heavy for an uncycled tank...
Most serious keepers with small hearts will say ammonia over .25 is in humane so I would just change 50% daily until you have an API master kit[not dip sticks{get the name}]....
You could and may easily be in for weeks of this ,maybe not...
Dr.Tims one and only and TSS[Tetra Safe Start} are the two proven starter bacteria since biozyme....