I have a 29 gallon aquarium that has been up and running for about 10 years. I have always been lazy with water changes waiting until evaporation causes annoying splashing noise, and then I do my water change. I lose fish more than I should and I know its because of my laziness. I recently started to get serious about water changes two weeks ago. I am taking a book's advice to do 10% water changes weekly vrs 40% monthly. I also tried something another friend of mine used to do. I am putting water in buckets immediately after the water change, put de-chlorinate stuff in it, have an air stone going in it, and then let it sit for a week ready for the next water change. After adding the water slowy to the aquarium this morning, the water is very cloudy. I've never had this happen before. I'm certain its because of my new way of doing it. I tested the water, everything is fine. Its slowly clearing up, but still slightly cloudy even after 5 hours. Not sure if I should worry about it or not. What ya all experts think?
Water change - sit for a week - cloudy after change
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neilanh
Sliced Bread
Cloudy water is typically a sign of a bacteria bloom if it's a white cloud. But if you only changed 10%, it was properly dechlorinated, and sat out like that it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me.
I can say that letting the water sit out for more than 24 hours has no added benefits. It is true that letting the water sit for a day or so will allow it to offgas and normalize with the atmosphere, especially with having an air stone in there, that will help the process. But more than a day or so is overkill, but it shouldn't hurt anything.
I can say that letting the water sit out for more than 24 hours has no added benefits. It is true that letting the water sit for a day or so will allow it to offgas and normalize with the atmosphere, especially with having an air stone in there, that will help the process. But more than a day or so is overkill, but it shouldn't hurt anything.
I forgot to mention I also added about 3 caps of Cycle this morning. Its my first time doing this. I'm not even sure if its necessary to do it, but I thought it would be good since the pet store recommended it. I also bought salt based on his recommendation but I haven't added that yet.
Lager
Aquarium Advice Freak
Cycle is garbage and does little. The store recommends it since they make money on it. I have never found a need to put salt in a FW aquarium. What are your parameters?
bs6749
Aquarium Advice Addict
Salt has it's uses. Most likely when you added the water you stirred up a lot of wastes in the gravel and that is causing your cloudy water. How large is the tank? I'd do a 75% water change and I'm sure you will see the water turn clear within hours.
Its a 29 gallon aquarium. No I don't think its me stirring up allot of waste. I pour it in at the same rate as the filter drops water in. Two weeks ago I did a 75% change to get on the right track, and prior to that I have never seen cloud like this. Like I said, I've had this aquarium for 10 years now. I'm wondering if it was the Cycle. Its either that or the water that sits for a week might be the cause. But I think that would be a good thing. Its completely declorinated and its had a week of getting lots of oxygen into it. These are the only two things I did that I have never done before. Next week when I do the change I'm not going to add the Cycle and I'll see what happens. BTW... its clear now. It just took about 6 hours or so.
bs6749
Aquarium Advice Addict
You don't need to let the water sit out for a week. If you are adding dechlorinator then why are you letting it sit out? The purpose of letting it sit out is to let the chlorine have a chance to gas off and to let the pH settle. There's no need to put in dechlorinator if you are letting the water sit in a bucket without aeration as it will gas off in less than 24 hours. Also, the water would be good to go without adding dechlorinator if you aerated it for an hour. You are wasting your time and money by adding dechlor and letting the water sit for a week.
Well this is something my friend did growing up and he always had a successful aquarium. As the water sits for a week, its like a mini aquarium underneath my tank. I don't think I'm wasting my time. I would have to go fill the bucket the next week anyway. When its time to do a water change, everything is ready to go right away. I also have a heater in the bucket so the water is exactly the same temperature as the aquarium.
Alaris
Aquarium Advice FINatic
The guy at the LFS is usually wrong, ignorant, or lying. Just assume as much. Always do your research and ask true aquarists for advice, not business owners and sales people. Sad, but true.
black hills tj
Aquarium Advice Addict
I'm unfamiliar with the cycle product, but it is probably just "bacteria in a bottle." Each time you add it, its probably causing a mini-bloom.
IMO...unless you are working on a spawning cycle with particular fish, a 50% water change on a weekly basis is the way to go. I also disagree with letting the water sit out for a week. It only gives it time for crap to fall into the bucket that would contaminate your tank. I would suggest using Seachem Prime dechlorinator. Best stuff on the market if you ask me.
IMO...unless you are working on a spawning cycle with particular fish, a 50% water change on a weekly basis is the way to go. I also disagree with letting the water sit out for a week. It only gives it time for crap to fall into the bucket that would contaminate your tank. I would suggest using Seachem Prime dechlorinator. Best stuff on the market if you ask me.
black hills tj
Aquarium Advice Addict
Dust, dirt, bugs, whatever you might knock into it while rummaging around underneath your aquarium. I see no reason to let it sit out for a week. Also, I've never believed that a 10% water change on any tank does much good. 3 gallons compared to the 29g that are in your tank really isn't going to help remove any contaminents or assist in maintaining your parameters. The only way I'd see a 10% doing any good, was if you did it on a daily basis.
Thanks for the concern about my method, but like I said, it always worked for my friend growing up, and it seems to be working for me too. No fish losses yet since I've been doing this. I'd rather be certain that all the chemicals are out of the new water, and I prefer to have it at the exact same temperature when it goes back in so not to stress the fish. Plus, its fully oxygenated, so I don't see how anything could go wrong other than possible contaminates falling in as your suggesting. I am careful about my rummaging under the cabinet so I'm not to worried about it! : ) BTW... since its a 29 gallon tank, and my container is 10 gallons, I am doing about a 30 to 40 % change I suspect. The book suggests at least a 10% change, but he recommends 50% if possible. I guess thats what I was thinking when I wrote 10%.
black hills tj
Aquarium Advice Addict
10 gallons makes much more sense than 10%.
Cycle is one of the many products that claims to help cycle an aquarium by adding beneficial bacteria. In actuality, since the contents aren't refrigerated the bacteria is most likely dead and probably adding to the Ammonia levels. This could in turn lead to a bacteria bloom as a result of increased ammonia levels.
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