cloudy water

[Piscesman]

I have a 17 gallon tank, about 8 weeks old, and have 9 guppies in it. All was going so well, then about 2 or 3 days ago I noticed that the water had turned a little cloudy, even cloudier the next day, and by today it was very cloudy. By cloudy I mean it looks like a misty, foggy day, down there! I changed about 3 gallons of water today, and am hoping this will help clear the situation up. Any idea what this is, and/or how it came about ? I have an internal filter Aqua Flow 200 (which I also cleaned in the old tank water today - the sponge filter. It didn't seem very dirty though to be honest) Any ideas or suggestions would be greatful.

 

[Mr. Limpet]

Sounds like a bacterial bloom to me. Is your tank cycled and what are the water parameters? Generally, a 50% PWC 3 days in row will clear it up.

 

[eco23]

I agree with Mr. Limpet that it initially appears to be a bacterial bloom based off the milky, hazy appearance.

It's also worth placing some tank water in a white cup and seeing if it has a greenish tint to it. Sometimes algae blooms will appear foggy before they establish a true green color...believe me I know

 

[jetajockey]

Another solution to bacterial blooms is to just give it time to resolve itself. Vacuum out any excess organics in the water, uneaten food, etc, and give the microorganisms time to clear it up. Changing the water out will help the process along also, but leaving it alone is not something that is damaging to the tank, it just doesn't look good.