VERY Cloudy Water

[melisphillips]

My friend has a ten gallon tank with a couple of mollies and a couple of other fish (I am not sure which kind). He has two small hang on filters some rocks from a LFS. He had a real abalone shell in it that he got when Abalone diving. Anyways...... his water is always cloudy even if he does consistent water changes. I told him to take out the abalone shell. Do you think that is the problem?

Thanks!

 

[Allivymar]

Its possible that shell is messing with the PH levels of his tank; tell him to test the shell by pulling it out and dripping some vinegar on it. If it fizzles, it doesn't belong in the tank.

Also, does he know what his water parameters are (ammonia/nitrite/nitrates)? That may also be a key to whats going on. Its possible he is changing so much he's not giving the tank a chance to finish cycling, although you definitely want to do water changes to keep ammonia and nitrites out of the water. And of course, it may be that his tank is overloaded, and the levels of nitrogenous waste are more then the tank can handle (just a guess as I don't know what fish he has in there).

 

[JamesMJ2]

Shells are usually very high in calcium, so it's likely it's dissolving.

 

[JamesMJ2]

Sorry Calcium Bicarbonate.

 

[cindywindy]

Melisphillips,

Shells, unless they are specifically for the purposes of housing shellies - a type of cichlid - are not generally appropriate for FW setups, so you are right in encouraging your friend to take it out. It will leech calcium carbonate into the water, increasing hardness and pH, sometimes to levels that are far higher than are appropriate for certain types of fish.

However, I would look to another cause for the cloudiness. Shells do not normally cause this, but an imbalance of microscopic organisms will, or dust sediment from incomplete washing of sand and decorations before they are placed in the tank. I don't believe you mention how long this tank has been set up, and perhaps if we could get a bit more information it will help us narrow things down.

 

[morleyz]

I like to take a clear water glass with a sample of the cloudy water and let it settle out. Believe it or not, sometimes this will simply help you determine the color of what's in your water...As an example, if you had a flourite substrate and didn't thorough rinse it, when the "cloud" settled out it would have a red color to it, even though it looks like any other cloudy tank when it's suspended in the tank's current.

Make sense?