Clouded 55 gal tank

[fish_funatic]

I'm going insane here. I've done EVERYTHING to keep this water clean and it's just not working. I've put water clarifying liquids, tabs, water changes, everything. The water is still clouding up withing a few days. My ONE guess is that it's because there is no carbon in my filter. I have a 75 gal that I had to do an ick treatment on and had to take the carbon out, about two days into the treatment the tank started to cloud up. After the third treatment, I put the carbon back in and within 24 hrs the tank was clear again.

I've had to move all of my unhappy fish to the now ick free 75 gal while I figure out what to do with this 55 gal.

I have a Fluval filter designed for a 59 gal on there. It's an in water filter and it's CLEAN... also have a bubble wand down the back side. Should I get a over-flow filter with a carbon filter system in it?

I'm at a loss. I've never had this problem before. It's upsetting the delicate nature of the fish in the tank... and making me mad. LoL.

Please help.

 

[meegosh]

Have you added anything new to the tank, or removed anything recently? Is it a white or green cloudiness? What are your ammonia, nitrite and nitrate readings?

For starters, I'd stop using 'water clarifying liquids and tabs' and just do water changes when necessary. I doubt the carbon has anything to do with it. A lot of people on here don't run AC (activated carbon) unless they are trying to remove medications or foul smelling water. The carbon itself will become pretty much useless within 3 weeks or so.

Hope we can get this straightened out for you soon!

 

[fish_funatic]

color

The color is actually a kind of nasty brown. It doesn't smell bad and it's done it about four times now. The levels of nitrites and nitrates was normal... since I didn't have any fish in there right now because I have been trying to fix it, so I haven't taken a reading for a while.

I've done two water changes and both times it's done this. It's gross LoL.

 

[asudavew]

Try a different dechorinator.
And try not to over use it.

CARBON works.
Load it up.

 

[meegosh]

Don't get me wrong... AC does work wonders, when necessary. I haven't ran any AC in my 10g for over 2 years and my 30g for a year or so.

May be a dumb question... Do you have any driftwood that would be leaking tannins into the water column?

 

[fish_funatic]

No, I think I need to do a different dechlorinator and see if that helps. Haven't tried that. I'll as least put some carbon in there and see what happens.

No I don't have any driftwood...

 

[GhostKnife]

I dont think it is your dechlorinator. Well what dechlor are you using? When you had your fish in there...how often were you feeding and how much... Because that is why I had the same problem. I stopped feeding for two days... now I feed every day however I feed very sparingly only what the fish can eat they are all healthy and happier this way. The water is crystal clear. This may not be your problem but I would look into it!

 

[fish_funatic]

I think it might be over-feeding in that tank. I tend to feed a lot because I don't want fish to miss a meal. I'll try that because I haven't been doing that in the 75 gal.