polluted tank

[Gloria Davidson]

I thought I would try a different way of feeding my bottom feeders, and put some tablets of fish food in for them. in a few hours the tank was murky and white, with a bad smell. Since then I haven't been able to clear the tank completely, short of emptying it and starting again.
There is no smell now, but it is not clear.
Also, I have trouble using PH UP. by API. I put in the amount it tells you, but nothing! It does nothing at all. So far the water is not bad, but it is getting a green tinge to it. How do you use the PH UP? Please.

 

[Taiken5968]

I can't help you with the ph, but all I can tell you to do for the cloudy water is maybe do a 30% water change daily until it clears up.

There are also products that you can add to clear it up. It makes smaller particles clump together and get caught In the filter. If you get some I would put it in after your water change, and only use it every other change. I don't know if it would be safe to add it every day.

I hope this helps.

 

[brunettebaby4571]

I would continue to keep doing water changes. It should eventually clear up. Also try cleaning your filter media in old tank water to help clear things up. Also what is your ph and why are you using ph up?

 

[Gloria Davidson]

My PH is 6.4 and that is why I'm using PH UP. I have never had much trouble before this, and my tank is always pristine clean and balanced, so I have never had to use it.
How do you use it??? I read the directions, but nothing happens when I put it in.

 

[Samzter]

My PH is 6.4 and that is why I'm using PH UP. I have never had much trouble before this, and my tank is always pristine clean and balanced, so I have never had to use it.
How do you use it??? I read the directions, but nothing happens when I put it in.

PH up is really not needed. Fish will adjust to the pH of a tank. pH up only works for 24 hours then it shoots back down to what it was before. This would result in killing your fish.

 

[Cactuspixie]

My PH is 6.4 and that is why I'm using PH UP. I have never had much trouble before this, and my tank is always pristine clean and balanced, so I have never had to use it.
How do you use it??? I read the directions, but nothing happens when I put it in.

I use crushed coral but you can also use shells to buffer your ph. Mine tends to be low because of all the driftwood, so I use a bag of coral in my filter.
But as said earlier, it is FAR worse to chemically alter your ph and create an unstable ph than it is to have a low ph. 6.4 is not drastically low anyway, so you should be fine.
If you aren't changing enough water the ph will drop also. Take a reading of your tap water as a comparison.

And to the forums

 

[Gloria Davidson]

Thank you guys. Interesting about the PH. Thank goodness I won't have to use the stuff.
My tap water is very suspect, as I rent this place, and it tastes awful. I fully intend to catch some rain water.
My Angels were laying eggs several times when I first cleaned the tank, and when the PH dropped they stopped, so that is why I was concerned.

 

[Cactuspixie]

Cories and clown loaches are not fussy about food- though the 'meatier' the better. Lol
Anything that sinks is fine