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Flammable

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Nov 2, 2003
Messages
16
Location
Tulsa, Ok
Hello I have had my 29gal Tank setup for about 5 months now and about 3 weeks ago my water started to cloud up. The water has a light haze to it it’s not bad just an eye sore what can I do to get rid of it. One more thing my water has a lot of little bubbles all in my tank about the size of a pinhead is that normal can I do anything to get rid of them? I do a 20% water change and vac the sand once a week. Thanks for the help

Filter= penguin 170 Bio-Wheel
Nitrate=15
Nitrite=0
Ammonia=0
 
With the teeny bubbles going it sounds like a bacterial bloom

Unless it is very green then perhaps you have algae bloom.

If you are confident that you have your biological in check which it wounds like you do, I would suggest letting it ride out

As usual I will yield to Allivymar and other FW experts here.... :D

Hope this helps a alittle
 
Hiya Flammable and welcome to Aquariumadvice :)

Could be a couple of reasons for the haze as snap mentioned. Green indicates algae, white/gray can indicate bacterial or even pH issues. What is your pH? And are you trying to change it with any of those pH changing chemicals?

What are you using to feed your fish? And what sort of fish/how many do you have?

If its definitely not algae or Ph, try not feeding your fish for 3 days and see if the water clears (they won't starve, I promise).
 
Hmmm. And if it's a bacterial bloom, I don't think a diatom filter would clear it.... Too small.

Hold on. I see this all the time at the LFS (reprehensible, I know). They use the diatom filter to clear up similar cloudiness. Perhaps try renting a Vortex D-1 diatom filter or a Magnum 350 from your LFS. I know that mine said they could rent it to me without a problem. Almost all LFSs have diatom filters.
 
No pH changing chemicals i feed the fish Flake Frenzy (Tropical Flakes) PH is allways 7.4. I have 4 Silver/Bala Sharks and 1 molly yes i know that the balas will get big im going to be getting them a bigger home in the next few months 120g tank :D Would a piece of driftwood give the water a light white haze? Thanks for the help
 
Sure sounds like it... I would try not feeding the fish for a few days as Allivymar was suggesting and see if the water begins to clear.


Did you get a chance to boil the driftwood before adding it, and did the cloud appear after adding the driftwaood?
 
Most likely; theres a great article on bacterial blooms here: http://www.tomgriffin.com/aquamag/microbes2.html

Its gives you a lot more info then I can stuff into this smaller space :)

My guess is there is an overabundance of nutrients in the tank; how often do you feed and how much? And how often do you gravel vac?
 
Hey guys just wanted to say thanks for helping a Noob out. I have only been in the fish hobby for five months im still trying to learn the ropes. No I did not boil the driftwood before adding it. I did not know that I had to do that is that a bad thing? The water had the white haze to it before I added the Driftwood. I feed the fish one pinch a day some time twice a day. I do a 20% water change and vac the sand every Saturday. Could all the little bubbles be from the bacterial bloom? This has been going on for the last 4 weeks will it ever go away? Thanks Allivymar for that link on bacterial bloom. Thanks for the help to snapcrackler
 
Ok guys this is the last question I have. A few weeks ago I was looking at my tank a few feet away it look like I had water spots on the inside of the glass. I went up to the tank to get a closer look. Well I had all these little white things looked like little flowers with little stems attaching them selves to the glass what is it? I don’t know if my eyes were playing tricks on me or not the part that looked like a flower would close and open real fast any thoughts.
 
Bwaaaahahaha last question. There IS no last question Flammable *grin*

As for your new tank guests, you have hydra. Yep, those lil buggers you probably studied in high school. They are also a sign of overabundance of food, and usually come in on plants. Not dangerous unless you have small fry in the tank; larger hydra can catch n eat em. I've had a coupla outbreaks in my 55g; dealt with em in a combination of ways. First was a reduction in feeding; every other day seemed to help (I also feed my guys twice a day, so it was a big diff). I upped the gravel vacs to twice a week. I also went n bought something called Panacur. Its actually a goat dewormer LOL but its death to hydras too. Just need a few grains per 10g, and doesn't hurt the fish or the bacterial colonies either. If you need to order some, let me know and I'll get you the link.

Not sure about the bubbles tho; how do you aerate the tank? Do the bubbles show up right after a water change or are they there all the time?
 
I have a Bio-Wheel, no the little bubbles are there all the time about the size of a pinhead. There not just under the bio-wheel they are all over the place some go right up to the Surface and some hang around in the middle.
 
Allivymar said:
I also went n bought something called Panacur. Its actually a goat dewormer LOL but its death to hydras too.

I worked at a vet and we always used Panacur in liquid form for deworming cats, and tablet for dogs. I believe it's used as a dewormer for many animals, large and small, actually. Never heard of it used in a tank though, lol :p
 
Neat eh Sati? I guess the physiological aspects of hydra are similar to worms found in the mammal digestive tract. I've heard Panacur will also kill worms in fish, but as I've never used it to treat for that I can't say for sure.
 
Have you ever heard of some one having Hundreds of little bubbles in there tank water? And why do people let there water sit for 24 hours before adding it to the tank?
 
I have heard of this, and that it is part of the bacterial bloom, although I am not sure what part of the bloom helps these very teeny bubbles along.


Letting your water sit out before adding to tank allows the chlorine gas to flash off.
 
Well I had all these little white things looked like little flowers with little stems attaching them selves to the glass what is it?

Yup, they are Hydra. Read about them below.

http://members.optushome.com.au/chelmon/Hydra.htm

I have them in one of my tanks, they cause no trouble, as best I can tell. However, if you are going to breed fish, they are capable of killing and eating fry(babies).

One more thing: Hydra will not tolerate poor water conditions, so even though you may be going through this bacterial bloom, you are doing something right if you water is good enough for hydra!

Edit: thats what I get for not reading the 2nd page of the post! oops!
 
Micro bubbles are common with some biowheels. try raising your water to the lip of the outlet. It seems to help minimize the production of these bubbles.
 
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