Ahhh! Help! Tank ALWAYS cloudy!?!

[JaredShope1]

I have this problem where no matter what I do, my tank gets cloudy again. It’s not bloom, my tank is cycled, and I’ve used water clarifier and it works! But the cloud comes back in like a day! I don’t know how to get this to go away. My filter is usually so saturated with dirt that I HAVE to clean it. Any suggestions? Thanks

Edit: Added info from duplicate thread

I really really need help with this problem and it’s super super frustrating.

I dosed the clarifier again and it cleared up, but then became cloudy again. This cycle happened about 8 times. I had mollies, platies, and neons. I have gravel and miracle grow (underneath the gravel) as my substrate. I cannot figure this problem out and it’s so frustrating. My filter is an Aqueon 20 quietflow. I feed the fish only 1 time a day. I have 2 live plants, and use Purigen too.

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[Quianna]

What kind of fish aswell as how big is ur tank and the filter?

 

[Ashyxiv]

I think there's something wrong with your filter. For a good filter cloudiness is a joke. Your filter is old? or is it too small for the tank?

 

[okapizebra]

How are you cleaning your filter?

Using tap water will kill beneficial bacteria causing a mini cycle every time.

 

[JaredShope1]

I think there's something wrong with your filter. For a good filter cloudiness is a joke. Your filter is old? or is it too small for the tank?

My filter is a Aqueon 20 quietflow. And it’s brand new, and rated for 30 gallons. It’s not the filter, the filter gets so clogged with muddy residue I have to wash it out like every 3 days or it won’t work at all

 

[JaredShope1]

How are you cleaning your filter?

Using tap water will kill beneficial bacteria causing a mini cycle every time.

I use tap water but it hasn’t affected my cycle yet. I have to clean it this way because it’s so dirty it’d take gallons to clean with normal water. I test my water daily and the ammonia/nitrite etc is all good

 

[JaredShope1]

What kind of fish aswell as how big is ur tank and the filter?

29 gallons with aqueon 20 quietflow. 3 Mollies, 6 platies, 8 tetras and a pearl gourami

 

[fearlessfisch]

How did you cycle your tank? When did you start, what exactly did you do to cycle it, and how did you determine that the cycle had finished?



What are your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate readings right now, when the tank is cloudy?

 

[JaredShope1]

How did you cycle your tank? When did you start, what exactly did you do to cycle it, and how did you determine that the cycle had finished?



What are your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate readings right now, when the tank is cloudy?

I cycled my tank live, with re used filter media and decorations as well as API quick start. I started a month ago, and I have a test kit and got 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite and 10 ppm nitrate.

 

[Autumnsky]

What are your parameters...
Ammonia
Nitrite
and Nitrate?

Miracle grow????? What type?

A month to cycle a tank - usually takes 6-8 weeks, might not be fully cycled.

What kind of food are you feeding?

 

[JaredShope1]

What are your parameters...
Ammonia
Nitrite
and Nitrate?

Miracle grow????? What type?

A month to cycle a tank - usually takes 6-8 weeks, might not be fully cycled.

What kind of food are you feeding?

Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 10

Now I used api quick start and recycled decorations from an old tank, that’s why it cycled so quick.

I used organics miracle grow.

And I’m feeding flakes (tetra)

 

[Autumnsky]

This helps to understand the nitrification cycle and some useful basics for tank keeping.
Guide to Starting a Freshwater Aquarium - Aquarium Advice

I just learned about cycling but I already have fish. What now?! - Aquarium Advice

 

[Autumnsky]

About the fertilizer, there has been discussion (some which is scientifically over my head) but boils down to there possibly being heavy metals which could harm invertebrates, just a caution. And the Urea based terrestrial plant foods which may or may not work ideally in a fish occupied planted tank. And the pH level not allowing the break down of the urea to ammonium and completing the cycle. Some things to check if you are interested.

 

[Autumnsky]

I have this problem where no matter what I do, my tank gets cloudy again. It’s not bloom, my tank is cycled, and I’ve used water clarifier and it works! But the cloud comes back in like a day! I don’t know how to get this to go away. My filter is usually so saturated with dirt that I HAVE to clean it. Any suggestions? Thanks

Bloom can be caused by excess proteins in the water
Edit: ammonia is made from breaking down proteins which might be increased by the ammonia in the miracle grow.

 

[T-Dog]

What kind of substrate did you use and did you clean it?

 

[JaredShope1]

Okay so now the cloudiness is back in full brunt and my tank de-cycled. Now I’m getting 1.0 ammonia and no nitrites or nitrates. Can someone please help me with what is going on. And the cloudiness is once again particulate matter, I can see the little things floating in the water. I just don’t get why the cloudiness keeps coming back after I fix it

 

[Autumnsky]

Follow instructions for fish in cycle and a bacterial bloom will last for about 3 weeks and go away.

The article at the bottom of my signature will link, though I think it was previously linked in this or the other cloudy thread.

Water changes will keep fish safe.

Not rinsing media in tap water and doing lots of water changes allowing good BB to grow/ colonize the filter media.

If the particles are problematic you can buy bulk filter pad that helps catch the crud.

Throw it away whenever it gets mucky.

Use a pre- filter sponge on the intake tube to help catch stuff.

 

[friscuba]

Hopefully things have already worked themselves out as it's been 7 days since the last post.

If your filter is looking muddy within three days it sounds to me like you are possibly overfeeding? You say you are only feeding once a day, are they finishing EVERYTHING in 30-60 seconds? If you've got food floating around or laying on the gravel 60-90 seconds or more you're probably overfeeding and washing out the filter every three days is keeping the bacteria in the filter from getting well established.

The type of fish you listed can go a long long time on a one or two 30 second feedings a day while your filter gets established. I generally feed my fish about 30-40 seconds worth of food several times a day (twice a day by feeder and usually once a day by hand). If I don't see them eat it all in that time I'll cut back. I've got rummynose, harlequins and kuhli loaches that are 5 years old and have never seen more than 30-40 seconds worth of food at a time except for the rare occasions I throw in some sinking pellets.

I had an aquarium store a few decades back with about a hundred tanks and had maybe 2 of them go cloudy out of the blue and it took a few weeks for them to settle down, drove me nuts, couldn't figure out why those particular tanks went cloudy. I'd just feed lightly enough there's no food left 30 seconds later, do some extra water changes and try to get to a more normalized filter maintenance routine. Good luck if you are still battling it.

 

[kbalaz]

throwing my two bits in, I would suggest the miracle grow is doing it. Fertilizers and additives in it that would scare me too much to use it. The Perolite (sp.) those white lumps they add to help retain moisture I have read cause a mess in tanks. Could be wrong, but it was enough to change my mind in using it.

 

[m.j.gomez]

I use tap water but it hasn’t affected my cycle yet. I have to clean it this way because it’s so dirty it’d take gallons to clean with normal water. I test my water daily and the ammonia/nitrite etc is all good

Hello, if you need to wash filter pads in tap I suggest that you get something else to hold bacteria like biosponge or plastic pot scrubbers.
I removed the biogrid from my filter & took filter pad off mounts. Then set pad at 45° angle, put pot scrubbers in front to keep pad in place & to hold bacteria. This way pad keeps muck from building up on scrubbies. Now you can wash your pad & not lose cycle. Just make sure to rinse pad in tank water before putting in filter. Hope this helps!!!!!