Cloudy water

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tweitzel79

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
May 8, 2017
Messages
18
Location
Corpus Christi, TX
Hello all,
It's been a month since we've got our tank situated and a school of Tetras swimming around. We also have some silver sucker fish dude that sucks on everything. My wife got him for algae control.

Everything was fine and dandy, but now our water has become cloudy and I can't figure out why. We have two live plants, clean filters (30 gallon filter for a 16 gallon tank), and perform a 25% water exchange every day.

What am I missing here?
 
The cloudiness was probably a bacterial bloom, common in newly established tanks, and should go away in a couple days to a week.

Did you cycle your tank?

Do you know about the nitrogen cycle?

Do you test your water?

By clean filter I hope you didn't mean you cleaned your filter media. That is where your beneficial bacteria is that converts ammonia to nitrites to nitrates which are then safer for fish. Ammonia and nitrites are toxic to your fish which is why tanks must be cycled. When you do a water change you should just swish the filter media around in the bucket of water you just siphoned from your tank to remove any dirt or debris without killing the bacteria, then put the media back in the filter. Also shouldn't change or throw the media out if using the cartridges or pads.

Here is a link from the Freshwater &Brackish -getting started forum with some tips that may help you also.

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/showthread.php?t=154837
 
About two weeks ago, we replaced the cartridges in our filter. I'm getting we shouldn't have done that. I will start washing, but not replacing our cartridges.

We cycled our tank for a while before adding fish, but have yet to test our water. I've been hesitant to test it but I guess I need to break down and do it.
 
Just clean the filter pads in the dirty water before you toss the water out. You threw away any bacteria you had.

Read the articles in the link I sent. I do not think you understand what I mean by cycling. First off forgive me if you do and I'm wrong. But cycling doesn't just mean running water through your filter, cycling is the process by which you build up the beneficial bacteria that turns fish waste and uneaten food in to the least toxic form of nitrogen.
It's a process that generally takes 4-6 weeks or longer.

I don't believe your tank was ever fully cycled, so when you replaced the filter pads you started over. The only way to tell is by testing the water. I recommend you get an Api freshwater master test kit. The only way to know what's going on in your tank is to test the water.
 
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You're right. I figured the cycle was complete since everything was going fine. Didn't realize we started over when we replaced the filters.

I'll get a kit and start figuring things out. I might be on here more frequently with questions about levels and the right steps to take.

Thanks for the input.
 
I agree with toolman. Also, a test kit is essential, some people like the strips but personally I don't trust them, I like the API liquid test kit. Let us know what your parameters are. And yes, like previously stated, never wash filter media in untreated water and never throw it away without seeding some new media first. Good luck! Keep us updated
 
Thank you all for the suggestions. It turns out I had a case of green water and purchased a UV filter. 4 days later and the tank is Crystal clear!
 
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