clear water

[jasonm]

Can anyone help, I am new too fish tanks, I have had one for a month and I cannot get the water clear. I have a 55 gallon tank with 8 angel fish, I have just done a 25% change on the water and this is the second time I have done it in a month. So every two Weeks. My changes, I do not use tap water I go to the store and buy sping water.my nitrite is a little high but all the rest are good. I thought it was my filter, so I bought a new filter a pen plax cascade 1000 good for a 100 gallon tank it cleared it up alot but The tank still has a haze to it. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Aqualady40]

A picture could be helpful; however, new tanks can do that which it is called a bacterial bloom (I think) and if your TRITES are high you should be doing more than 25% water changes every 2 weeks...you need to get them down soon very soon because your water is currently toxic to your lil angels....I would do 50-60% then wait a few hours then do 40-50%...retest then...ammo and trites are toxic and deadly..also it would be good to test daily while you are cycling so you will know if you need to do a PWC that day and how much to do....

 

[Teakwood]

Can anyone help, I am new too fish tanks, I have had one for a month and I cannot get the water clear. I have a 55 gallon tank with 8 angel fish, I have just done a 25% change on the water and this is the second time I have done it in a month. So every two Weeks. My changes, I do not use tap water I go to the store and buy sping water.my nitrite is a little high but all the rest are good. I thought it was my filter, so I bought a new filter a pen plax cascade 1000 good for a 100 gallon tank it cleared it up alot but The tank still has a haze to it. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Also, if you bought a brand new filter any good bacteria that had built up in your old filter you just got rid of. Definitely do more water changes and if you have another tank with a nice long used filter you want to use some of the filter media in your new tank. Or you can ask a local fish store or someone you know for a used filter, keep it wet in tank water until you get home and add it to your new filter.

 

[blert]

Massively overstocked.
"Cycling" with Angels can be difficult. I would return them to the store if possible and continue with a fishless "cycle" or choose a more resilient fish to "cycle" with. There are good threads in the sticky section of the Getting Started forum to help you with this. Someone will be along shortly with direct links more than likely.

If you are bent on keeping all eight Angels then you need to maximize your bio-media and test for ammonia and nitrite at least twice a day and do an appropriately sized PWC any time either ammonia or nitrite gets at or above 0.25ppm.

Hit your LFS and see if they can give you a big piece of some of their filter material from their system. Keep it wet and cram it into your filter.
You might even try buying a few pieces of driftwood that has been in an established tank for a while. Petco usually has a lot of driftwood for sale that they keep in their tanks. It will have bacteria on it that will help get your bio filter establish as quick as possible.

 

[Dallascowboys16]

Had the same problem

Had the same problem when I first started keeping aquariums. Belive it or not but I got a uv sterilizer and never had problem with water clarity again. Hope this helps.

 

[Rivercats]

Yes, UV sterilizers will clear bacterial blooms but your tank isn't finished cycling as stated. Until you have 0 ammonia and nitrites you need to do WC's, up to 50% as needed to keep those levels below .25 as stated. Once your tank is fully cycled you should do weekly 50% water changes to ensure good water quality. Plants will also help use excess nutrients in the water column and can help speed cycling. If doing large WC's is a problem investing in a Water Changer, I use Aqueon's, is a life saver. I have a 220g that I do weekly 50% WC's on and couldn't do it without the water changer. I love that piece of equipment.

 

[jasonm]

Thanks for The advise, I thought something was wierd so I went to the local pet store and had them check the water for me I had them check it 3 times once with the one that I have been using and twice with there API kits mine was reading high but both of there's were low. basically the tank water its good, they told me to use API stress zune + and that should get the bacteria going in the tank. Do you really think that the tank its over stocked with 8 fish In a 55 gallon tank? From what I have been reading one fish for every 5 gallons of water.

 

[Rivercats]

I didn't post this but 8 angelfish when full grown in a 55g is over stocked due to their adult size and aggression issues. I keep 12 adult angels in a 220g. If the tank was heavily planted you would be best keeping 1 pair, you "might" be able to have 2 pairs if as I said there are alot of plants to break up the line of sight from one end of the tank to the other so that each pair could claim a territory.

 

[phishfriend]

Just an added note. Don't and I mean DON'T use any chemicals in you tank while in cycle or
After if you can help it. 9 times out of your doing more harm then good.
Remember that you LFS is there to make money first. So selling you something is the goal. Research anything and everything you are thinking of putting in your tank. It will save you time and money in the long run.

 

[blert]

... Do you really think that the tank its over stocked with 8 fish In a 55 gallon tank? From what I have been reading one fish for every 5 gallons of water.

Yes.
It's not a matter of fish/inch per gallon, all those "rules" are outdated and of no use. It's a matter of adult size, territoriality, aggression levels and activity levels. Angels grow fast, get big and can get very aggressive, especially when they are a mated pair and breeding. They also produce a lot of waste. As stated above, you MIGHT be able to do two pair so long as you have plenty of driftwood and tall plants to break up territories and line-of-sight.

 

[luvlife23]

Hey J,
I read that you are using already flirted water...any particular reason? If not, tap water is great as it dots have nutrients in it. Fill up bottles of water and let them sit a few days uncovered prior to your water change. When you are ready to do a water change, add Seachem Prime prior to adding the water to the tank....a little goes a long way. Your levels at this point should be "0". Keep up with your water changes and you water should clear up in no time. Give the tank some time. There will always be someone who says a tank is "overstocked". It's not about that, just make sure you are consistent with water changes and do not overfeed. Good luck Happy Fishkeeping!

 

[luvlife23]

Also....once you have a steady routine of water changes and your levels are steady, look into Seachem Purigen. It really does make the water crystal clear. But this should only be used after you have addressed.the major issue otherwise the Purigen becomes like a bandaid and not really stressing the problem.

 

[blert]

Hey J,
I read that you are using already flirted water...any particular reason? If not, tap water is great as it dots have nutrients in it. Fill up bottles of water and let them sit a few days uncovered prior to your water change. When you are ready to do a water change, add Seachem Prime prior to adding the water to the tank....a little goes a long way. Your levels at this point should be "0". Keep up with your water changes and you water should clear up in no time. Give the tank some time. There will always be someone who says a tank is "overstocked". It's not about that, just make sure you are consistent with water changes and do not overfeed. Good luck Happy Fishkeeping!

When keeping moderately aggressive large fish there is so much more to it than that. Big difference between trying to keep two Goldfish alive in a 20 gallon and eight Angels in a 55.

 

[luvlife23]

I agree Blert....but it's a start.

 

[luvlife23]

Fishkeeping had been my neighbors hobby for over 30 years, both salt and freshwater. His advice to me is always K.I.S.S. (keep it simple stupid). He has been right.

 

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Fishkeeping had been my neighbors hobby for over 30 years, both salt and freshwater. His advice to me is always K.I.S.S. (keep it simple stupid). He has been right.

Haha smart

 

[jasonm]

Yes, the alkaline and Ph is real high in the water. Just a test of the water out of the faucet Ph levels are at a 9 so to keep it down I have been buying spring water. Either way I am paying for the water might as well get better water than what I have for city water. Unless someone tells me there its something wrong with that water. I do not want to use chemicals if I do not have to, the lady at the PS. Is real nice and she is more interested in the animals than the money.(that is the impression that I get). As for the fish they all seem to get along fine for now I will keep a close eye on them. which is not a issue since I watch the tank more than I watch TV.

 

[blert]

Yes, the alkaline and Ph is real high in the water. Just a test of the water out of the faucet Ph levels are at a 9 so to keep it down I have been buying spring water. Either way I am paying for the water might as well get better water than what I have for city water. Unless someone tells me there its something wrong with that water. I do not want to use chemicals if I do not have to, the lady at the PS. Is real nice and she is more interested in the animals than the money.(that is the impression that I get). As for the fish they all seem to get along fine for now I will keep a close eye on them. which is not a issue since I watch the tank more than I watch TV.

Nothing wrong with spring water, good stuff, it can just get expensive. Have you tried letting a cup of tap water gas out overnight and then check the pH? Put some in a shallow bowl and give it a stir every once in a while and then check the pH after about 24 hours. It would work better if you could use an air pump and bubble stone but stirring works.

 

[jasonm]

No I have not, but the tank that I have now, has two bubble stones in it that run 24/7 and the filter runs 270 gph. So I would think that if it was going to Change it would with that. I am still running a 7 on the Ph. So I guess that it does go down a little, but I think it should be down to at least a 5 or 6.from what I have read they are close to the same as discus. My goal is to one day get a tank that will hold healthy discus.

 

[blert]

Is this a heavily planted tank?