Please help : Cloudy tank :(

[Aquarium-mania]

Hi everyone , I'd really appreciate some help - my tank just won't clear up ! It's a 20 gallon with a fluval U3 internal filter and no fish only live plants .Its a dirted tank , with a play sand cap , and it's been set up since Saturday , but the filter had been running (as a 2nd filter) in my 29g with crystal clear water for 1 year.

I've changed 40% of the water on Saturday , 50% on Sunday and 30% today but the cloudiness just won't go away
Ammonia : 0.25ppm
Nitrite:0
Nitrate :0
pH: 6
Any ideas on the cause and solution to this problem ?

 

[Caliban07]

Hi everyone , I'd really appreciate some help - my tank just won't clear up ! It's a 20 gallon with a fluval U3 internal filter and no fish only live plants .Its a dirted tank , with a play sand cap , and it's been set up since Saturday , but the filter had been running (as a 2nd filter) in my 29g with crystal clear water for 1 year.
View attachment 228791
I've changed 40% of the water on Saturday , 50% on Sunday and 30% today but the cloudiness just won't go away
Ammonia : 0.25ppm
Nitrite:0
Nitrate :0
pH: 6
Any ideas on the cause and solution to this problem ?
View attachment 228792

If it's only been running a few days then it's most likely a bacteria bloom. It bacteria suspended in the water column. It will settle in the next few days although they usually only last a few.

Are you sure your ph is 6? This is rather low and too low to have a healthy tank. There could be something in your tank that is lowering this or your source water is natural low ph. Test your source water by leaving it out on the side for 24 hours.

I don't know if there is any relationship between too low ph stopping bacteria settling but ph this low will halt the cycle.

If this doesn't make sense ask more questions.

 

[NinjaNomad196]

Well, within my (little) experience, most tanks, when starting up, are cloudy. But if it stays for, say another week, then there's a problem.

 

[Caliban07]

Well, within my (little) experience, most tanks, when starting up, are cloudy. But if it stays for, say another week, then there's a problem.

This is correct. Nothing to worry about in a new setup.

 

[Aquarium-mania]

If it's only been running a few days then it's most likely a bacteria bloom. It bacteria suspended in the water column. It will settle in the next few days although they usually only last a few.

Are you sure your ph is 6? This is rather low and too low to have a healthy tank. There could be something in your tank that is lowering this or your source water is natural low ph. Test your source water by leaving it out on the side for 24 hours.

I don't know if there is any relationship between too low ph stopping bacteria settling but ph this low will halt the cycle.

If this doesn't make sense ask more questions.

I checked my tap water's pH a couple weeks back ,it's 6.5.
My 29 gallon has a pH of 6 also , and it has been cycled for 3 years (0,0,5) , but I attributed this to some bog wood that was in the tank. However , this new tank has no bogwood *-*
Should I add some (clean!) seashells to the new tank ?

 

[Caliban07]

I checked my tap water's pH a couple weeks back ,it's 6.5.
My 29 gallon has a pH of 6 also , and it has been cycled for 3 years (0,0,5) , but I attributed this to some bog wood that was in the tank. However , this new tank has no bogwood *-*
Should I add some (clean!) seashells to the new tank ?

Crushed coral would be better. Put it in your filter.

 

[Aquarium-mania]

Crushed coral would be better. Put it in your filter.

Unfortunately , my LFS is freshwater only .Are there any alternatives ? It seems very expensive online ;-;

 

[90galWavefront]

You can try a bit of baking soda, it will help raise the PH. Be carful not to use to much.

 

[Aquarium-mania]

You can try a bit of baking soda, it will help raise the PH. Be carful not to use to much.

How much should I add and how often ^-^ ?

 

[mrvincent]

This look like new tank syndrome. It often occur during the cycling process, as I can see according to your test results, your tank is cycling.

If there's no fishs here, dont do water change, just wait it clear up itself. Wait until the cycle is finished.

If the PH is low, baking soda raise KH, carbonate calcium (or crushed corals) raise both KH and GH. Do you know your KH&GH ?

Higher KH tend to higher PH and keep it more stable.

 

[Aquarium-mania]

This look like new tank syndrome. It often occur during the cycling process, as I can see according to your test results, your tank is cycling.

If there's no fishs here, dont do water change, just wait it clear up itself. Wait until the cycle is finished.

If the PH is low, baking soda raise KH, carbonate calcium (or crushed corals) raise both KH and GH. Do you know your KH&GH ?

Higher KH tend to higher PH and keep it more stable.

Thanks ! You're right , there aren't any fish. However , I'm doing water changes to remove any toxins coming from the dirt (I'm following the Walstad method) . Unfortunately , my API master doesn't test KH or GH :/ . I'm not able to get crushed corals , but how much baking soda should I add please ? It's a 20 gallon tank ^-^The water in my area is generally spoken of as 'soft' compared to other areas if my country , so I would assume I have a low GH (not sure) ?

 

[mrvincent]

Thanks ! You're right , there aren't any fish. However , I'm doing water changes to remove any toxins coming from the dirt (I'm following the Walstad method) . Unfortunately , my API master doesn't test KH or GH :/ . I'm not able to get crushed corals , but how much baking soda should I add please ? It's a 20 gallon tank ^-^

Very not so much, 1/2 teaspoon will increase 1.2dKH° for 20g. It depends on the value you want, you must keep this value stable on each water changes...

IMO playing with KH&GH requires tests kits. 10$ for cheap API GH&KH test kit.
By testing GH and KH, you will know if you want to dose carbonate calcium or bicarbonate sodium.

Sodium bicarbonate raise KH
Calcium carbonate raise KH&GH.

 

[Aquarium-mania]

Very not so much, 1/2 teaspoon will increase 1.2dKH° for 20g. It depends on the value you want, you must keep this value stable on each water changes...

I was looking for a pH of 6.7 to 8 for honey gouramis , is there anything I can add to stabilise the pH ?

 

[mrvincent]

I was looking for a pH of 6.7 to 8 for honey gouramis , is there anything I can add to stabilise the pH ?

"Ideal water parameters for Honey Gourami

Soft to moderately hard (< 20 dGH), acidic to slightly basic (pH 6 to 7.5) water, temperature 22-27C/72-82F. Available fish will normally be commercially raised and suited to the ranges given for hardness and pH, but wild-caught fish must be kept in soft, acidic water.

Read more: http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/profiles/honey-gourami/#ixzz2wQs1nh00"

I will say add a teaspoon of baking soda and see what happen to PH. When the PH is that low, it means there's acid (like ammonia) in the water and/or the KH is low.

Give 1 hour for PH to stabilise after adding baking soda.

It's hard to guess when you don't know KH and GH. At least if we know your KH we know how much baking soda to put in there... For each water 50%WC (10g), add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda to new water (in a buck before throw it in tank).

 

[Aquarium-mania]

"Ideal water parameters for Honey Gourami

Soft to moderately hard (< 20 dGH), acidic to slightly basic (pH 6 to 7.5) water, temperature 22-27C/72-82F. Available fish will normally be commercially raised and suited to the ranges given for hardness and pH, but wild-caught fish must be kept in soft, acidic water.

Read more: http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/profiles/honey-gourami/#ixzz2wQs1nh00"

I will say add a teaspoon of baking soda and see what happen to PH. When the PH is that low, it means there's acid (like ammonia) in the water and/or the KH is low.

Give 1 hour for PH to stabilise after adding baking soda.

It's hard to guess when you don't know KH and GH. At least if we know your KH we know how much baking soda to put in there... For each water 50%WC (10g), add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda to new water (in a buck before throw it in tank).

My tap water actually seems to have some ammonia , as it is colouring the test with a small tinge , <0.25ppm. I'll try the baking soda , and see if I can get a KH test kit.

 

[mrvincent]

My tap water actually seems to have some ammonia , as it is colouring the test with a small tinge , <0.25ppm. I'll try the baking soda , and see if I can get a KH test kit.

If you're using API test kit, sometime it read false <0.25ppm.

If that's the case, your tank is not cycling. Add ammonia source, like a dead shrimp or pure ammonia...

I like to start with tiny cycle on new aquariums with my GF betta... I feed it a lot...

 

[Aquarium-mania]

If you're using API test kit, sometime it read false <0.25ppm.



If that's the case, your tank is not cycling. Add ammonia source, like a dead shrimp or pure ammonia...

Oh um I meant I just tested some water straight from the tap as you suggested that it may contain ammonia , which it did.

The tank should be cycling , that filter used to run in one of my established tanks ... The ammonia in the tank is 0.25 according to API

 

[mrvincent]

Oh um I meant I just tested some water straight from the tap as you suggested that it may contain ammonia , which it did.

The tank should be cycling , that filter used to run in one of my established tanks ... The ammonia in the tank is 0.25 according to API

Wait a week, and if ammonia still read 0.25ppm in the tank, it means it's false reading.

Both my tap and tank water reads 0.25ppm, but I know there's no ammonia.

 

[Aquarium-mania]

Wait a week, and if ammonia still read 0.25ppm in the tank, it means it's false reading.

Both my tap and tank water reads 0.25ppm, but I know there's no ammonia.

Ok . I'll add the bicarbonate and a pinch of fish food (we don't sell pure ammonia in my country for some reason) . Then I'll retest next Wednesday.

 

[mrvincent]

Ok . I'll add the bicarbonate and a pinch of fish food (we don't sell pure ammonia in my country for some reason) . Then I'll retest next Wednesday.

Put heterotrophics bacterias on the fish food if you can... Or put the food in a high flow area...

The best thing I found for generating ammonia is a big dead shrimp in a net (it tends to decompose) you let it here 24-48h, the tank will have ammonia spike.
The guy at the grocery told me this single shrimp won't do a big meal... lol