Non-steady water color

[LankyGiraffe]

Hey all, first of all thanks for reading my post. I've done lots of research on aquariums and I've tried to endure my issues but it's gotten to the point where I have to ask on a forum for some help.

I have a 10G tank with one betta and three emerald cories (and one ghost shrimp!). A cheap $20 filter and a heater. I know I made the mistake of not having my tank fully cycled before adding the betta. However it had been about a month before I bought and added the cories.

My issue is my water quality constantly changes. Before the cories it was relatively clear, though it was a hazy white. This is just off memory though and I can't be positive. Basically, my water color has gone from hazy white, to clear, to now a dark hazy yellow. I've read that the white hazy was bacterial bloom, but that yellow also is bacteria. I took some of my water about a month ago to petsmart and they tested it with those simple strips. I have also tested my water every week with them. I have no nitrates or nitrites but also no ammonia. The girl at the store told me to stop water changes (because I had been changing about what I estimate to be possibly not even 1/4th a gallon (only about 1~2 inches) of water daily. So it has been about 2~3 weeks since then. And just now I water changed about a gallon of water because I'm getting very concerned. The water was clear for maybe a little under a week.. but now it feels like I'm back at square one.

As for my filter cartridge I haven't changed it since I have had the tank. I've read that most of the beneficial bacteria are on the filter and changing the pad is not good.. and that you should only really change it if it tears or becomes damaged. The filter itself is covered in a greenish muck, what I assume is bacteria, but as to whether it's beneficial or not I can't know.

So at this point I'm completely lost. I'm sorry for the long winded post.. but I'm new to the hobby and am really in love with it. And as this is my first tank I don't want to screw it up! As for the fish themselves they seem perfectly healthy (though I know bettas and cories are hardy fish.. they're even beginner leveled at petsmart haha!).. but yeah. Any replies are greatly appreciated.

Should I leave it alone? Continue water changes? Change the filter?

 

[RedDevil83]

If you have anything growing on the substrate or decor than you can change the filter if needed. What are you feeding the fish?

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[Fishperson]

First of all, welcome to the forum!

Is there any driftwood in the tank? Wood leeches tannic acid that can stain the water a tea color, but is harmless to the fish.

First off, I wouldn't do much listening to the LFS (local fish store) employees unless you can confirm that they know what they're talking about, and if they're telling you to stop water changes then they definitely don't.

We usually express water changes in %, because tanks have vastly different sizes; a 5 gallon change is huge on a 10 gallon tank but has little to no effect on a 75 gallon.

I recommend you do a 30-50% water change, really whenever you're concerned about water quality.

Speaking of water quality, if you're using test strips you may not be getting an accurate reading of your ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates. Instead, you should buy an API freshwater master test kit, which is considered by most members much more accurate than strips. They are expensive in stores but are only $20-25 on Amazon or eBay.

 

[LankyGiraffe]

@RedDevil83

Feeding the betta dried blood worms and pellets.. Not sure if I have anything growing anywhere. It's not a planted tank, but I do see some fuzz on some of the stones I have in it.

@Fishperson

No, no driftwood. All artificial plants and fake wood, but I do have a large seashell in there that I had not boiled before putting in there.. just washed it off. Not sure if that could cause problems. I'll look into getting better testing kits in hopes of finding out what's really going on in the tank.

 

[buffalochip]

It is unlikely you are without ammonia, nitrites nitrates all three, so try to get test kit and see where you are. Your filter pad is a place where the good bacteria grow so don't throw it out. Remove it from the filter and gently wash the green goo off in aquarium water you have removed during a water change then put the pad back in the filter. Do a 30% water change every other day for a few days. keep us posted on results. Hopefully someone with more experience than I will have other ideas.

 

[Gillie]

If you have anything growing on the substrate or decor than you can change the filter if needed. What are you feeding the fish?

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No, 99% of the beneficial bacteria is in the filter, there is not enough growing anywhere else to sustain the cycle. A filter cartridge should only be rinsed, then replaced when it is starting to fall apart, even then it should be placed behind the new cartridge for a couple weeks or so to seed it.

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[RedDevil83]

I wouldn't recommend rinsing the filter because it will fall apart, maybe the carbon filter can be rinsed, also if you have bio stones in the media you can replace the filter.

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[mikem691]

Re read what Gillie said.

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[ImACoolguy]

I wouldn't recommend rinsing the filter because it will fall apart, maybe the carbon filter can be rinsed, also if you have bio stones in the media you can replace the filter.

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If your filter contents are falling apart it may be time to look for a better filter I've had quite a few different types and have yet to see one where the filter pads fall apart over a simple rinsing.

I have the same pads now I did 8 months ago. Just rinse them every couple weeks so it doesn't build up too bad and ruin the pad.


Caleb

 

[Fishperson]

If your filter contents are falling apart it may be time to look for a better filter I've had quite a few different types and have yet to see one where the filter pads fall apart over a simple rinsing.

I have the same pads now I did 8 months ago. Just rinse them every couple weeks so it doesn't build up too bad and ruin the pad.


Caleb

Same. My pads never fall apart. I've had the same one for months. I've had my tank for 2 and a half years and I've only replaced it once.

 

[RedDevil83]

If your filter contents are falling apart it may be time to look for a better filter I've had quite a few different types and have yet to see one where the filter pads fall apart over a simple rinsing.

I have the same pads now I did 8 months ago. Just rinse them every couple weeks so it doesn't build up too bad and ruin the pad.


Caleb

Maybe I do have cheap filters as it seems the fibers come off easy... but I get the ones perfectly sized for the tank.

If I let the filter go for too long it seems to look like it's going to overflow over time so I usually replace it because looking around in the media there is plenty of bb off filter. Hopefully I'm not breaking the cycle....

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[jarrod0987]

White is bacteria usually. Unless it is dust from substrate which only happens when you add new, un rinsed substrate. The yellow is called Tanins. They come from dead plant material, drift wood, etc. They are beneficial and not harmful. However, some people do not like them. To remove them there are 2 main ways. In this forum the popular way is to do a bunch of water changes which will reduce it a lot. Depending on how much plant material there is depends on how many changes it will take to get rid of it. If you want to get rid of it much faster and all the way to clear I recommend activated carbon. Buy a good brand. Rinse it first. This approach works very well but always draws a lot of argument on this forum. Many here are against it although none of them will tell you it is harmful. They just feel it is lazy. I love it personally. To really get that water sparkling you can also use a micron filter. 10 micron is fine. This helps get rid of floating particles and micro organisms that make the hazy white color.I am using soil in my current tank which resulted in very cloudy and yellow water. Water changes for weeks was not enough for my taste so I used a a custom packed column and in 24 hours it is beautiful. If I try to discuss that here I will get a constant onslaught of arguments. PM me if you wish to know more. The accepted way around here is just to do a hell of a lot of water changes all the time. That may or may not be enough in your case.

 

[Fishperson]

White is bacteria usually. Unless it is dust from substrate which only happens when you add new, un rinsed substrate. The yellow is called Tanins. They come from dead plant material, drift wood, etc. They are beneficial and not harmful. However, some people do not like them. To remove them there are 2 main ways. In this forum the popular way is to do a bunch of water changes which will reduce it a lot. Depending on how much plant material there is depends on how many changes it will take to get rid of it. If you want to get rid of it much faster and all the way to clear I recommend activated carbon. Buy a good brand. Rinse it first. This approach works very well but always draws a lot of argument on this forum. Many here are against it although none of them will tell you it is harmful. They just feel it is lazy. I love it personally. To really get that water sparkling you can also use a micron filter. 10 micron is fine. This helps get rid of floating particles and micro organisms that make the hazy white color.I am using soil in my current tank which resulted in very cloudy and yellow water. Water changes for weeks was not enough for my taste so I used a a custom packed column and in 24 hours it is beautiful. If I try to discuss that here I will get a constant onslaught of arguments. PM me if you wish to know more. The accepted way around here is just to do a hell of a lot of water changes all the time. That may or may not be enough in your case.

I'm sorry if you feel you've been greeted by arguments. People on here are generally very accepting, but behind a keyboard it is very easy to get into arguments.

That said, it might be better to try not to victimize yourself and just respectfully state your opinion, and let other people initiate arguments.

 

[Fishtank3]

Hey all, first of all thanks for reading my post. I've done lots of research on aquariums and I've tried to endure my issues but it's gotten to the point where I have to ask on a forum for some help.



I have a 10G tank with one betta and three emerald cories (and one ghost shrimp!). A cheap $20 filter and a heater. I know I made the mistake of not having my tank fully cycled before adding the betta. However it had been about a month before I bought and added the cories.



My issue is my water quality constantly changes. Before the cories it was relatively clear, though it was a hazy white. This is just off memory though and I can't be positive. Basically, my water color has gone from hazy white, to clear, to now a dark hazy yellow. I've read that the white hazy was bacterial bloom, but that yellow also is bacteria. I took some of my water about a month ago to petsmart and they tested it with those simple strips. I have also tested my water every week with them. I have no nitrates or nitrites but also no ammonia. The girl at the store told me to stop water changes (because I had been changing about what I estimate to be possibly not even 1/4th a gallon (only about 1~2 inches) of water daily. So it has been about 2~3 weeks since then. And just now I water changed about a gallon of water because I'm getting very concerned. The water was clear for maybe a little under a week.. but now it feels like I'm back at square one.



As for my filter cartridge I haven't changed it since I have had the tank. I've read that most of the beneficial bacteria are on the filter and changing the pad is not good.. and that you should only really change it if it tears or becomes damaged. The filter itself is covered in a greenish muck, what I assume is bacteria, but as to whether it's beneficial or not I can't know.



So at this point I'm completely lost. I'm sorry for the long winded post.. but I'm new to the hobby and am really in love with it. And as this is my first tank I don't want to screw it up! As for the fish themselves they seem perfectly healthy (though I know bettas and cories are hardy fish.. they're even beginner leveled at petsmart haha!).. but yeah. Any replies are greatly appreciated.



Should I leave it alone? Continue water changes? Change the filter?

CHANGE THE NASTY FILTER but put the new one in and the old one behind it and then take the old one out after a week then u will lose less of the good bacteria hope it helps


This has been a public service announcement published by fishtank3

 

[trennamw]

To the OP, you're being bombarded by lots of different elements of aquarium care at once ... Here's my two pennies and an attempt to organize what's been said above.

It sounds like you have some understanding of the nitrate cycle, that's good, but it sounds like you could use some more. Doing fish in cycling with a betta in a 10 isn't terrible if you are vigilant.

Whether you should change 10% a day or 50% a week during cycling depends on the ammonia levels. The test strips are ok but not quite as accurate. Test bottles are more economical and more precise but sometimes hard to read and the ph test often leads newbies into chasing a specific ph to the detriment of the fish.

After cycling is complete, there are several different ways to keep the tank water clean. None are as easy for a newbie to master, none are more foolproof or broadly successful, than changing 50% of the water each week.

Your beneficial bacteria, which grow up during your cycle and keep processing ammonia in future, live on all the surfaces in the tank including (especially) the filter media. Some stay on the tank walls and decor and substrate but not enough to compensate for losing the ones that live in the filter media. This is why it is typical to not follow manufacturer instructions ... You instead take a bucket of tank water or dechlorinated water and gently shake the filter media. If the media is a type that can't handle this you can buy foam pads to cut to size. Foam and sponge and blue filter pad usually last forever.

Carbon fills up fast but also hosts beneficial bacteria. Lots of fancier things exist that brag of more surface area for more bacteria, it's hard to say now much surface area you really need.

What is commonly practiced and recommended is not throwing away more than 1/3 your filter media at once.

Do see if you can shake off some of the green in old tank water. Don't just toss it.

I also like modifying cheap filters with new media. I'll often stack a large pore sponge with a 30ppm median pore sponge and a polishing pad (basically 3 layers of increasing fineness). Then a few rocks on top to keep it from floating out. I've heard pumice, poly fill from fabric stores, and all sorts of things recommended. There aren't many wrong answers here if it's durable and you rinse it and rarely or never replace it.

The cloudiness can be many many things. But if you cycle the tank fish in, and then do weekly 50% changes, and don't throw away filter media if you can help it, you're off to a good start. Then you can research the alternative ways to everything.

At some point you'll want to know your GH and KH (a fish store can check it once and tell you if you're way high or low) and the ph of your tap both right when you get the water and after it has settled a day or two. If the ph changes a lot, if it's not 6.5-8 (others will disagree but that's my 2 cents), or if your KH or GH are below 4 degrees or waaaaaaaay high, check back with us.

The getting started section is helpful.

And my load of newbie advice is never complete without recommending The Simple Guide to Freshwater Aquariums by Boruchowitz. It breaks it down simply, and helps you tell the good internet advice from the bad.


Sent from my iPhone with three hands tied behind my back.

 

[RedDevil83]

About time someone chimed in with sense lol

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[LankyGiraffe]

@jarrod0987

Thanks for the reply. I've read a little of using carbon before.. but I'll look more into it, as well as micron filters.

@trennamw

Thanks for the long winded reply! I cleaned off the green gunk from the filter pad on sunday and did about 33% water change in the morning. I'll look into maybe doing the pad swap after having left it in there for a week, or adding some of that median pore sponge stuff to the filter. My pad is pretty cheap so maybe it's not doing as good a job as it could be with some added help. I'll look into that guide as well, thanks for sharing it.

 

[jarrod0987]

I'm sorry if you feel you've been greeted by arguments. People on here are generally very accepting, but behind a keyboard it is very easy to get into arguments.

That said, it might be better to try not to victimize yourself and just respectfully state your opinion, and let other people initiate arguments.

I guess I'm just tired of having to defend every thing I say for days. Most people are pretty pleasant here. The debates can get pretty draining though.

 

[Fishperson]

I guess I'm just tired of having to defend every thing I say for days. Most people are pretty pleasant here. The debates can get pretty draining though.

That's true, but to be fair, this is a forum for discussion so we all are expected to be able to defend our points.

As far as the OP goes, I have trouble believing that the sponge is doing all this. Its worth a shot to clean it though.

AC would definitely be something to try.

 

[jarrod0987]

That's true, but to be fair, this is a forum for discussion so we all are expected to be able to defend our points.

As far as the OP goes, I have trouble believing that the sponge is doing all this. Its worth a shot to clean it though.

AC would definitely be something to try.

I agree that being able to defend you statements is an important part of science. The first 10 times It is not science anymore when people willfully ignore the science because it is not what they want to hear.

I'm rambling now, sorry. Un subing this thread.