Please help

[Norwayfoxx]

I kept seeing this site come up when searching diffrent things. I am having a tank crisis and don't know what to do. I have 2 guppies 2 corycats and 2 small pleco. My tank started getting cloudy so I ordered a electric gravel cleaner and bought the new 4 in 1 top fin power filter. I noticed the ammonia was up in the tank so I cleaned the bottom took out the decor and changed 50% of water. I turned the air stick up and added ammo lock. Next day tested water and ph and alkaline down and ammonia up the nitrate and nitrites are fine. I added an alkaline buffer.. The tank is still very cloudy so I put the old filter back on the tank to try to help the cycle. Well the ammonia is still very high. I read to keep doing water changes then a contradiction that frequent water changes doesn't allow the beneficial bacteria to build up which lowers the ammonia. I don't know what to do. My tank is still cloudy and high ammonia. What should I do before I run to petsmart and buy things I don't need. Thanks

 

[Aiken Drum]

Is the tank new?

 

[Aiken Drum]

Can you list out your water parameters?

Your target should be to keep ammonia + nitrite combined no higher than 0.5ppm through water changes. If your parameters are really bad that may be a lot of water changes. 0.5ppm combined is a relatively safe level of ammonia and nitrite while still leaving enough to establish your cycle.

If you do your water changes you won't need the ammo lock. You probably dont need the buffer either.

Cloudy water is normal in an establishing tank. Its bacteria taking advantage of an imbalance in nutrients. As your cycle establishes it should go away on its own.

 

[Norwayfoxx]

I went to pet smart and bought floral ammonia remover pellets and a top fin bacteria starter. I came home and changed 40% of the water and added both these and checked the ammonia again with api home tester. It turned greener than before!!!! I did a test strip of everything else because they were out of kits. The nitrates are fine ph back to normal alkaline fine hardness fine. My fish seem to be ok but I just noticed the cory coming to the top more. They have settled down some but this ammonia thing has me scratching my head. I've had this tank for 2 months and it just started this. I thought because I didn't rinse the gravel or because I have it close to a window caused it to become cloudy. I blocked of the direct sunlight and Also the fact I hadn't cleaned the bottom since I got it. That's why I got the electric vac and took out ornaments and cleaned gravel. My Cory's keep going to the top now and I didn't notice this behavior b4. Guppies seem fine and plecos too..

 

[Norwayfoxx]

I posted the reply in the wrong place

 

[Norwayfoxx]

Here are a couple pics. Camera makes I look greener than is. As u can see I have 2 filters running on it.

 

[Norwayfoxx]

BTW I bought a new male guppy 3 weeks ago and had 4 large females at the time. The new little guy harassed the females so much one at a time they got fungus I guess from being nipped. 1 at a time 3 of them died. I removed them as I saw each one get a cotton like white spot on their back but even in a hospital tank they died. Like I said 1 after another. The last female I moved out of the large tank and put in a smaller tank with my adfs and she is fine. Maybe that's what clouded up the tank but since then I have done multiple water changes.

 

[Aiken Drum]

Could you post actual test results rather than saying they are fine. What you say is fine we may be able to read something from. Especially when taken together.

The cloudy water is actually green, so its not biological bloom its algae. Too much light. How long are the lights on for? Is the tank located in direct sunlight?

 

[melosu58]

Welcome aboard. We are glad you found us here at AA.