Cloudy Water Has Returned - At My Wits' End...Is Purigen the Answer?

[Osage_Winter]

Well, I suppose it was bound to happen with all the rotten, sour, ridiculously depressing bad luck I have been experiencing since setting up my 60-gallon goldfish tank (you all know my horror stories by now)...the cloudy water has returned yet again, and between a burnt carpet from a Top Fin heater "accident," multiple gravel vac returns because they wouldn't work, a cracked glass top and soaked carpeting every time we need to do some maintenance to this tank, I'm simply ready to throw the proverbial towel in at this point.

I hadn't checked my water levels or done a water change recently, but no matter -- my water level was getting low, so I replaced the evaporated water with fresh, topped off the tank, added Prime to condition the new tap water and alas...the tank is exhibiting that whispy, hazy look again. What is going on here? Is it my goldfish that are putting out ridiculous amounts of ammonia? Is it my filters that cannot keep up?

Further -- I am really tempted at this point to go ahead and drop some Purigen into the filter canisters to try and polish this water up...is this advised? Should it clear the water at least? I'm getting really tired of these Aqueon filters simply and seemingly not filtering a !@%! thing -- after I read a reply by a member in the thread below this one about an Aqueon that was left in the dust, performance wise, by an AquaClear, I am beginning to think these filters simply cannot do the job...

Is it remotely possible my tank isn't even cycled yet??

I'll tell you, friends...this cloudy water issue is getting really long in the tooth...

Any tips/suggestions/opinions/insight would be appreciated and met with warm reception.

 

[mfdrookie516]

I'm unsure of what you've done so far... Do you have a white foam or plastic cup? Can you take some tank water and put it in that cup and shine a light in it? If so, is the water white cloudy or green cloudy? When you say you've not tested it, how long has it been? Can you test it now? You really need to get a python for an easy no spill water change. How often are you changing water, and how much? I'm not sure where you're at, but at my house, my tanks never get below the black trim between my weekly water changes.

 

[crazyfishkeeper101]

I have experinced this before and somtimes it is because when you put the new water in the tank it kicks up dust. Usaly it settls down in a feu days.

 

[snowdrop7]

I've had some recurring problems with cloudy water BUT there is out there an amazing product called EcoBio-Block. A natural stone made of volcanic and grass matter. I have found it just amazing. My water looks wonderful! You might like to check it out
I have no vested interest in this, just want to help.

 

[Osage_Winter]

I'm unsure of what you've done so far...

Oh man, 'rookie...look up some of my threads on here and read about my ongoing, relentless sagas with this tank...

Do you have a white foam or plastic cup? Can you take some tank water and put it in that cup and shine a light in it?

I suppose I could do this...

If so, is the water white cloudy or green cloudy?

Up to this incident, it has been a whispy, whitish cloud -- but now it looks like there's some brown mixed in there, and I don't have ANY driftwood or anything like that in there...

As far as I could tell, it's never been green...

When you say you've not tested it, how long has it been?

Weeks, but I have the test strips, not the liquid type...

Can you test it now? You really need to get a python for an easy no spill water change.

I can test it now, but the strips don't yield, from what I'm told, "correct" results...as for the python, if this is the device that hooks up to a sink, that is impossible based on where the tank is set up in our home. It's nowhere near a sink, and we cannot move it at this point.

But -- I DO need to get a hold of something that makes the water changes easier because the Top Fin gravel vac thing that we bought twice and returned twice just doesn't work right...the spilling and mess this thing created just got way out of hand.

How often are you changing water, and how much?

I haven't done a change in quite some time -- as I have stated, the routine requires us to do it the old fashioned way, by dipping a jar into the water and pulling out the water that way, dozens upon dozens of trips from the tank to a bucket. It was too daunting and made a MESS of our room and carpeting. No matter what we did, we couldn't make the Top Fin gravel vac/syphon work; is there ANYTHING you can suggest that would make the water changes easy without hooking up to a sink?

I'm not sure where you're at, but at my house, my tanks never get below the black trim between my weekly water changes.

The tank is in our home, indeed -- the water level has dropped significantly below the black trim of the aquarium this last time, but I didn't think that was a big deal because it was just due to evaporation...

 

[Osage_Winter]

I have experinced this before and somtimes it is because when you put the new water in the tank it kicks up dust. Usaly it settls down in a feu days.

I was thinking it could be this...but the water was getting cloudy before I put the new water in; also, the water didn't seem to reach the gravel when I poured it, but I could be wrong...

 

[Osage_Winter]

I've had some recurring problems with cloudy water BUT there is out there an amazing product called EcoBio-Block. A natural stone made of volcanic and grass matter. I have found it just amazing. My water looks wonderful! You might like to check it out
I have no vested interest in this, just want to help.

Thanks Snow. Does this just drop into the tank, like an ornament of some kind?

Wouldn't this be the same as using Purigen?

 

[mfdrookie516]

Ok, not to try and sell you a product or anything, but they make extensions for the pythons. Really, what you can do is buy the sink attachment, then buy however many feet you need of the clear tubing from lowes or home depot. They sell the hose really cheap. I have 100' of tubing for mine, so I can do all my tanks from my kitchen sink

If it is a white cloud, its quite possibly a bacteria bloom. Some good solid readings on your parameters would be a great start. Are you planning on getting a liquid test kit? Just out of pure curiosity, what are the readings from your strips?

I can definitely understand why you hate doing water changes... I used to do 50% in my 55g weekly with buckets. While the tank was only about 15' from the kitchen sink, it still sucked pretty bad.

Oh yeah, I read back in some of your threads... I was asleep when I replied earlier

 

[Osage_Winter]

Ok, not to try and sell you a product or anything, but they make extensions for the pythons. Really, what you can do is buy the sink attachment, then buy however many feet you need of the clear tubing from lowes or home depot. They sell the hose really cheap. I have 100' of tubing for mine, so I can do all my tanks from my kitchen sink

Oh, we simply can't do this -- the tank is in a loft room on the second floor of our home, and I would have to run at least 100 feet of piping down the stairs and into the kitchen...can't do it.

If it is a white cloud, its quite possibly a bacteria bloom. Some good solid readings on your parameters would be a great start. Are you planning on getting a liquid test kit? Just out of pure curiosity, what are the readings from your strips?

Yes, I am planning on getting an API kit -- I will give you the readings from the strips as soon as I do them...

I can definitely understand why you hate doing water changes... I used to do 50% in my 55g weekly with buckets. While the tank was only about 15' from the kitchen sink, it still sucked pretty bad.

Oh yeah, I read back in some of your threads... I was asleep when I replied earlier

To do the jar method every time this tank gets cloudy is just too much work, and creates too much spillage onto our carpet -- I need to find another method...

 

[snowdrop7]

Thanks Snow. Does this just drop into the tank, like an ornament of some kind?

Wouldn't this be the same as using Purigen?

I'm not sure about Purigen, never used it, but I have 9 rescued goldfish. Love'em to death but keeping the water clear is quite a challenge. This rock (yes you just plonk it in your tank, then see what happens
If you google ecobio block you'll get all the info. Good luck.

 

[Osage_Winter]

I'm not sure about Purigen, never used it, but I have 9 rescued goldfish. Love'em to death but keeping the water clear is quite a challenge. This rock (yes you just plonk it in your tank, then see what happens
If you google ecobio block you'll get all the info. Good luck.

Thanks.

 

[nategi]

Using a siphon is really quite easy once you figure it out, here is a video that helped me, try it just like this and it'll work. YouTube - 1-2-3 On how to siphon your aquarium tank

 

[Osage_Winter]

Thanks, Nat; I'll check it out...

 

[crazyfishkeeper101]

do you have a filter on the tank? sometimes dust comes out of the filter especially if you turn the filter off.

 

[Osage_Winter]

do you have a filter on the tank? sometimes dust comes out of the filter especially if you turn the filter off.

Of course I have a filter on the tank; why wouldn't I? I am running two Aqueons on either side -- have you seen my signature?

 

[summit]

Not to keep going back to the python idea, or to get the thread off track, but 100 feet of hose is really not that bad, and will still be 100x easier than the bucket method, I use 125 feet of hose on my python for water changes going downstairs into a basement, and roll it up with a garden hose reel, a water change on my 40 and 69 together takes about 25 min to drain and refill, and putting it away is pretty simple by just cranking the hose wheel to wind it up, best of all, hardly any mess once you get used to how it works!

I did the bucket method for years, never again! I would strongly suggest trying to figure out a way to make your water changes easier, or else over time they may not get done as much as they should and you run into other problems, speaking from experience

As with water clarity, I agree with others to test your water to see if its a bacterial bloom, and then go from there, does not sound like green water, but like another suggested could very well be some sand/dust being kicked up, how long does it take to clear? or does it clear?

 

[Osage_Winter]

Not to keep going back to the python idea, or to get the thread off track, but 100 feet of hose is really not that bad, and will still be 100x easier than the bucket method, I use 125 feet of hose on my python for water changes going downstairs into a basement, and roll it up with a garden hose reel, a water change on my 40 and 69 together takes about 25 min to drain and refill, and putting it away is pretty simple by just cranking the hose wheel to wind it up, best of all, hardly any mess once you get used to how it works!

I did the bucket method for years, never again! I would strongly suggest trying to figure out a way to make your water changes easier, or else over time they may not get done as much as they should and you run into other problems, speaking from experience

I believe you, it's just that we're not prepared to run hundreds of feet of tubing down our stairs and through the house; I need to find another way.

As with water clarity, I agree with others to test your water to see if its a bacterial bloom, and then go from there, does not sound like green water, but like another suggested could very well be some sand/dust being kicked up, how long does it take to clear? or does it clear?

Well, it's NEVER been CRYSTAL clear since the tank started, and this round of hazy water is pretty bad, and has been sustaining for at least a week now -- I just bought an AquaClear 110, so we'll see where that goes...

 

[Khalix]

I've never had any issues getting the top fin gravel siphon to work. That video nategi posted is definitely very helpful. I have to say it's much harder to get my larger siphon going than it was my smaller one. Anyway, hope you find a solution.

 

[Osage_Winter]

I've never had any issues getting the top fin gravel siphon to work. That video nategi posted is definitely very helpful. I have to say it's much harder to get my larger siphon going than it was my smaller one. Anyway, hope you find a solution.

I wish my experience with the Top Fin syphon was as successful as yours was, Khalix; I will take a look at the video nat posted.

Thank you.

 

[Mark Hewitt]

Surprised a syphon isn't working, after all it's just a plastic tube! In fact any plastic tube will do!

I'd love to have a python, but they are seemingly impossible to buy in the UK. JBL do a python rip-off but seemingly you can't buy that either! I'm not sure it would fit my tap anyway, are all taps threaded in the USA or something?