My tank looks gross! Help !

[Katie19882010]

My tank has been running for a month or so we was cycling it and putting chemicals in to cycle faster and up the bacteria and lose the chlorine ( i don't remember what it was called now) and It started getting nasty looking 2 weeks ago or so . I did water changes and it just keeps looking like "lake water" .... what can I do to fix it !? ( I know the tank is to small for the two big fish please don't tell me that lol, they are just there until the big tank is up and running after I lay my carpet ! )

 

[Andrew McFadden]

How does the water test? Is that the only piece of wood in there? Have you had it submerged before?

 

[Katie19882010]

Idk what they are now but they was getting close to being right last time I checked .... It the only wood it's been in there for awhile before the water changes like this so I don't thing it's the wood

 

[Katie19882010]

I'll take it out an see what happens

 

[Andrew McFadden]

I'll take it out an see what happens

The reason I ask is because wood will put off tannins in the water and make it a brownish color. It won't just go away on its own. You'll have to remove the wood and do water changes to remove the tannin

 

[Katie19882010]

Anything I can do to the wood to make it ok to go back in ?

 

[Andrew McFadden]

Anything I can do to the wood to make it ok to go back in ?

It would still be fine with the tannins if this is what's doing it. The only thing is tannins will lower your ph levels. If it clears up then that would be it and if you don't want the tannins but want to have the wood then you'll need to boil it to get it out. If it is to big for a pot then some people will put it in a bath tub and fill it with boiling water. You'll have to keep doing it and replacing water till it's clear

 

[Katie19882010]

Ok thanks for the info I'll try to "boil" them in the tub

 

[Joshfishguy]

Wow test the water. Siphon 50 percent for 4 days. When was the last time you changed filter media if its due change it. If none of these work then use accu clear. Hope this helps

 

[Katie19882010]

I'm not sure when we got the filter but its not old ..I'll keep changing the water and get more tests and see what happens


How long should the wood boil ?

 

[Andrew McFadden]

I'm not sure when we got the filter but its not old ..I'll keep changing the water and get more tests and see what happens

How long should the wood boil ?

Till the water turns color then just dump it out and keep repeating till the water stays clear. Is it turning the water brown?

 

[Katie19882010]

I haven't tried boiling it yet ill let you know

 

[Perezm03]

I'm not sure when we got the filter but its not old ..I'll keep changing the water and get more tests and see what happens

How long should the wood boil ?

Boil it until the brown ish water is close to clear. So what I did I boiled a coconut for 20 min. Dumped that water and rinsed it put new water continued that processed like 3 times an water was cleared. And the fish love it.

 

[Borderlesscott]

You could be possibly under filtered and having a bacteria bloom mixed with tannins. It also looks like dirt churned up from unwashed gravel used in the substrate. You also said you where cycling for a month, was there fish in the tank during the process?

 

[Katie19882010]

Yes they was because of getting them short noticed from a lady that needed them gone ... The rock was cleaned very well before I put it in ...

 

[Perezm03]

Yeah try the wood. To see if its the main thing and see if you need to change the filter as well if you haven't in a long time like 4 month lol. But yeah. Boil it good

 

[Aski247]

Didn't read it sorry, (at work). From the pic if the parameters are all good it may be a bacteria bloom. Keep up with bi daily wc's it should clear up.

 

[spiketooth]

If you can, sent us your readings on ph, ammo, nitrite and nitrate, also what kind of filter do you use. This very well can be a bac bloom.