Cloudy tank

[lola10]

Hello folks. I'm new to fish ownership and I'm having issues getting my tank to clear up. We started the tank in December and for the last month it has been pretty cloudy. It was a greenish color so I added a bit of aqueon algae remover. Now it looks kind of bluish but my snails are hanging out above the water which concerns me. I'm supposed to dose it again in a couple days but not sure if I should. I have tried several water changes, reducing the light on time but no luck. pH is 8.2 and ammonia, nitrate and nitrite are all zero. Any ideas you can give would be great.

[LaloJ]

Has it been like this for a month? That's a long time, I would bet on the death of some bacteria, what are you using as biological filtration?

[lola10]

Originally Posted by LaloJ

Has it been like this for a month? That's a long time, I would bet on the death of some bacteria, what are you using as biological filtration?

Yes it’s been a month or so. I have been using a top fin activated carbon cartridge.I changed it once about 2 weeks ago.

[LaloJ]

Originally Posted by lola10

Yes it’s been a month or so. I have been using a top fin activated carbon cartridge.I changed it once about 2 weeks ago.

That is chemical filtration in the water, what do you have as biological filtration? Where do the bacteria in your tank lodge?

[lola10]

Originally Posted by LaloJ

That is chemical filtration in the water, what do you have as biological filtration? Where do the bacteria in your tank lodge?

I suspect this might be the issue, I thought the sand at the bottom of the tank provided the necessary substrate for the bacteria?

[LaloJ]

Lola, pH in your tank is high, if all your levels are at 0 it means that you don't have a cycle started yet, I suggest you obtain liquid bacteria and add them to your tank so that little by little they begin to colonize your biological filtration, you can place rings ceramic in your filtration, you should only put them after your mechanical filtration (sponges, perlon, etc). First place the rings and then the liquid bacteria, only then will you start your cycling, do not add fish until the cycle has finished, check your parameters once a week to monitor the development of cycling.

[LaloJ]

I forgot to mention that the liquid bacteria is sold by bottles but also by sachets, get the necessary sachets for the capacity of your tank.

[lola10]

Originally Posted by LaloJ

Lola, pH in your tank is high, if all your levels are at 0 it means that you don't have a cycle started yet, I suggest you obtain liquid bacteria and add them to your tank so that little by little they begin to colonize your biological filtration, you can place rings ceramic in your filtration, you should only put them after your mechanical filtration (sponges, perlon, etc). First place the rings and then the liquid bacteria, only then will you start your cycling, do not add fish until the cycle has finished, check your parameters once a week to monitor the development of cycling.

How is it possible that no cycle has started after 4 months of having fish in it?

[LaloJ]

Originally Posted by lola10

How is it possible that no cycle has started after 4 months of having fish in it?

Because you don't have any means of housing bacteria, the ammonia cannot be decomposed if there are no bacteria in your filtration, and a cycle cannot be started if the ammonia is not decomposed. There are cases like this, even though a new tank spends weeks working, the cycle does not really start for that reason, and people do not realize until a medium of ammonia is present in the tank.

[Aiken Drum]

Do you know your water parameters? pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate? Beyond cloudy water are you having any other issues?

Edit. I see them now. Are you sure you are doing the nitrate test correctly?

[lola10]

Originally Posted by Aiken Drum

Do you know your water parameters? pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate? Beyond cloudy water are you having any other issues?

Edit. I see them now. Are you sure you are doing the nitrate test correctly?

Fairly certain, I have done two different tests now, one with drops and one with a test strip with the same results.

[Aiken Drum]

Im just trying to dig into whether you are cycled or not. The 0ppm ammonia and nitrite would suggest you are. The 0ppm nitrate would suggest not. All of those 0 readings together dont really make sense. If you are cycled you should be seeing nitrate. If not you should be seeing ammonia and/or nitrite.

Had you been testing before seeing the cloudy water? Have you ever seen any sign of anything?

What size tank do you have? What do you have living in there?

It could all be the result of the "several" water changes you mention, meaning you are really only testing tap water. How much and how often are you changing water?

As for your discussion on filter media, do you understand what the different types of media are (mechanical, biological, chemical) and what they do? Do you have any biomedia in your filter? Is your filter a cartridge type? Have you been frequently changing the cartridges? You mention an activated carbon cartridge. Is that the only cartridge in your filter? Your substrate will hold some beneficial bacteria, but most normally lives on your biomedia in your filter.

With regards to your green algae problem, you appear to be doing the right things. Water changes, reduce lighting. UV sterilisation could be a last resort solution.