Help with cloudy water Please

[amydaveg]

I will try to give as much info as possible, but if you need more please let me know.

I have a 125g freshwater tank that has been running for about 1 year.

I recently noted the water to be cloudy. At the time I was running 2x fluval 306 loaded with MarineHD biomedia, a sunsun 404b with 2 l matrix and filter pads, and 2 x sunsun 302 filters with 1l matrix each.
One with chemipure and the other with 250cc purigen.

I noticed the water a cloudy white and assumed it was due to the cheap sunsun filters , so I removed all of them and replaced them with a fx6.

I moved as much media as possible to the fx6, and left the two other fluval in place.

It has made no change in the water clarity.

My parameters are
Ammonia 0.25
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 20
Ph 6.8-7
Kh 3 drops
Gh 4 drops

I have been changing the water every other day, about 70 percent assuming this was a bacterial bloom.

No change in clarity after 4 or 5 hours

Fish :
silver arowana 18 inches
Oscar 10 inches
Clown knife 17 inches
Chocolate chiclid 6 inches
Red spotted sevrum 5 inches
Pleco common 10 inches
Green texas 6 inches


I have added fritz zyme 7 and fritz monster 360.

I use seachem safe as a water conditioner


Can anyone help me with this. I just have no idea what to do.

I'm pretty sure It is a bacterial issue, but could overstocking cause all this ?

Thanks

 

[drew300]

I will try to give as much info as possible, but if you need more please let me know.

I have a 125g freshwater tank that has been running for about 1 year.

I recently noted the water to be cloudy. At the time I was running 2x fluval 306 loaded with MarineHD biomedia, a sunsun 404b with 2 l matrix and filter pads, and 2 x sunsun 302 filters with 1l matrix each.
One with chemipure and the other with 250cc purigen.

I noticed the water a cloudy white and assumed it was due to the cheap sunsun filters , so I removed all of them and replaced them with a fx6.

I moved as much media as possible to the fx6, and left the two other fluval in place.

It has made no change in the water clarity.

My parameters are
Ammonia 0.25
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 20
Ph 6.8-7
Kh 3 drops
Gh 4 drops

I have been changing the water every other day, about 70 percent assuming this was a bacterial bloom.

No change in clarity after 4 or 5 hours

Fish :
silver arowana 18 inches
Oscar 10 inches
Clown knife 17 inches
Chocolate chiclid 6 inches
Red spotted sevrum 5 inches
Pleco common 10 inches
Green texas 6 inches


I have added fritz zyme 7 and fritz monster 360.

I use seachem safe as a water conditioner


Can anyone help me with this. I just have no idea what to do.

I'm pretty sure It is a bacterial issue, but could overstocking cause all this ?

Thanks

What kind of substrate do you have?

 

[amydaveg]

Sand , just plain old aquarium sand that is supposed to have no effect on ph etc.

Thanks for the reply

 

[drew300]

Sand , just plain old aquarium sand that is supposed to have no effect on ph etc.

Thanks for the reply

Well I honestly can't think of anything that can cloud your water. Maybe your sand. Did you rinse it before you put it in?

 

[V227]

Maybe the problem is an algae bloom, not bacterial. With algae it's all about nutrients and light. You have an impressive stock lineup, many of which are big waste producers, especially the common Pleco. It looks like you are on top of things regarding filtration and maintenance, but maybe it's time to find a way to reduce the amount of waste being introduced into the tank via feedings or possibly rehoming some of the larger waste producers. Every once in a while I'll get a small algae bloom. In my case it's usually over feeding plus leaving the light on too long. The situation has always cleared up in a week or two. Good luck.

 

[amydaveg]

Well I honestly can't think of anything that can cloud your water. Maybe your sand. Did you rinse it before you put it in?

The sand has been in for a while, but wouldn't that clear up by now anyway ?

 

[amydaveg]

Maybe the problem is an algae bloom, not bacterial. With algae it's all about nutrients and light. You have an impressive stock lineup, many of which are big waste producers, especially the common Pleco. It looks like you are on top of things regarding filtration and maintenance, but maybe it's time to find a way to reduce the amount of waste being introduced into the tank via feedings or possibly rehoming some of the larger waste producers. Every once in a while I'll get a small algae bloom. In my case it's usually over feeding plus leaving the light on too long. The situation has always cleared up in a week or two. Good luck.

Thanks for the reply

I will be setting up a inline uv light today. I think that should help if it's algae.

 

[amydaveg]

If the uv light does not work, I'll remove the sand.

 

[Brookster123]

It's not the sand. It's most likely an algae bloom due to nutrients in the water column. A uv should clear it up. You have 6 canisters? How often do you clean them? With that stocking/bioload those canisters will be nutrients bombs after a month, bi-weekly massive wcs to keep tank in check. I'd consider rehoming some fish l, you'll be fighting that setup the whole way. Losing the pleco is a no brainer for me

 

[amydaveg]

I now only have three canisters
2x 306 fluval and one fx6.
They are all cleaning within 2 weeks.

I tried to get rid of the pleco.

My 5 yo will not let me

 

[fishenthusiast]

It's not the sand. It's most likely an algae bloom due to nutrients in the water column. A uv should clear it up. You have 6 canisters? How often do you clean them? With that stocking/bioload those canisters will be nutrients bombs after a month, bi-weekly massive wcs to keep tank in check. I'd consider rehoming some fish l, you'll be fighting that setup the whole way. Losing the pleco is a no brainer for me

I agree with Brookster on this one. Common Plecos get huge. Rehoming would be a good option for some of the fish. Fish stores are usually open to taking fish back, and they may provide you with some credit for future purchases! After some rehoming, a Clown Pleco (with some driftwood to rasp on) might be a fun fish for your kid.

 

[amydaveg]

I could put him in a extra 10g I have for a week or so to see if it makes a difference.
See if my son notices him missing

 

[Brookster123]

I could put him in a extra 10g I have for a week or so to see if it makes a difference.
See if my son notices him missing

That's a poor idea, just tell the lil guy dory needed his help and he went on a mission

 

[Fishdude3233]

I could put him in a extra 10g I have for a week or so to see if it makes a difference.
See if my son notices him missing

Just rehome the common putting him a ten is awful idea. You could always get a clown, or bristle nose or red/green dragon or any other pleco for that matter and maybe even have your child pick what species of pleco to get

 

[Skarb75]

I don't know if it helps but I had a cloudy water problem after changing lights to LED and keeping them on for too long. That was in a small fishtank, also overstocked. It took awhile to resolve. I did frequent 50% water changes and reduced artificial light periods and eventually it resolved but it took me a couple of weeks, maybe longer. It never happened again even though I didn't reduce number of fish. No experience with plecos...

 

[amydaveg]

So just an update for everyone that helped.


I saw my clown knife make a big move against the sand, and it made a huge cloud .

I was thinking that the sand was just full of waste

Over the last year I have been vacuuming the top of the sand, it never really cleaned it like gravel (I was told to clean that way).

I removed all the sand which filled up about 2 gal buckets

Changed the water, and two days later I am still crystal clear.

Maybe all the waste was contributing to a bacterial or Algea problem..

I was changing water weekly due to nitrate levels of 90.

Hopefully that will change also.

? Should I not hookup the uv sterilizer?


And the pleco is back in

 

[V227]

I'm glad things have cleared up. Regarding the UV sterilizer, if the problem is over I wouldn't use it. Just one more gadget to deal with.

 

[kashif314]

I had water cloudiness problem and uv sterilizer solved it. I have it on 24/7 and water is always clear and it kills many diseases as well so a nice addition to your tank.

 

[amydaveg]

I still haven't setup the sterilizer and I am still pretty clear.

I bought an inline pump and a sterilizer to setup separately.

Do you have yours attached to a filter ?

What's your setup?