3 year old fish tank , cloudy water

[davidwolf]

3-year-old 115-gallon fish tank water became cloudy. I'm pretty sure it was the water perimeters because of the nitrate and ammonia Spike. I just did a 50 percent water change, in which the water is still cloudy. Also, what's strange is a lot of the fish poop is floating on the top of the tank.

How do I stop the cloudy water, and why poop is floating on top of the tank.

[Andy Sager]

Originally Posted by davidwolf

3-year-old 115-gallon fish tank water became cloudy. I'm pretty sure it was the water perimeters because of the nitrate and ammonia Spike. I just did a 50 percent water change, in which the water is still cloudy. Also, what's strange is a lot of the fish poop is floating on the top of the tank.

How do I stop the cloudy water, and why poop is floating on top of the tank.

It sounds like a bacterial bloom which can solve itself in a matter of days to a week or so. As for the floating poo, that can be from what you are feeding the fish. Any foods high in fiber will float as poo vs sink. You may want to check your tank for pockets of poo as having floating poo in an established tank generally means your filtration is not keeping up with the bioload anymore. Make sure your filter impellers are clean, your filter pads are not clogged and your intake and outflow lines are clear.