very worried

[delco]

My guess is that by stirring up the detris that's been building up so long, he exposed the aquarium to a minor Ammonia spike which is resulting in a Green Water bloom. Green Water can start out looking like a faint white cloud.

I also am very worried. I dug up some old substrate on sunday, and now(tuesday) my 25gal tank is so milky I can't see the fish. The fish also seam to be gasping. How long will it take to correct itself. I changed 10 gal this morning.
I am from Council bluffs.

 

[Purrbox]

I split this thread into its own thread, to ensure that your questions are answered in relation to the problem in your aquarium.

How long has this aquarium been running? If it's new it could be a bacteria bloom. Have you tested the water for Ammonia and Nitrites? Gasping generally indicates that the water parameters are not what they should be. Most of the time there are high levels of Ammonia or Nitrite present, or the oxygen levels are too low. If either the Ammonia or Nitrite are over 0.5ppm, do a water change immediately.

 

[delco]

do I remove fish

The tank has been running for several years with 1 1/2" of sand and aquarium gravel on the bottom. Fish talk said only to have a half inch so I removed some. and this is what happened.

I changed 40% this morning and since I am on council bluffs chlorinated water I have 10 gal sitting.

I do not own testing equipment.

how long do I let my water set after treating before changing another 10 gal in this 25 gal tank.

 

[Alaris]

Buy a liquid chemical test kit and check your water parameters. Like Joy said, if they're higher than 0.5ppm then you need to do a water change.

Have you ever stirred your sand or vacuumed your gravel before?

 

[delco]

Have you ever stirred your sand or vacuumed your gravel before?

I never stir my sand. I just vacuum the top.

 

[brutus]

if the fish where healthy befor why would you remove gravel. i assume they where healthy hard to tell cant see them.

 

[delco]

The question is should I remove them?

 

[meegosh]

The question is should I remove them?

Where would you put them? Do you have other tanks? A QT tank maybe?

If you have another tank that is cycled I would take them out. If you don't there really isn't any other option. Like the others said, I wouldn't have removed the substrate if there were no problems with the tank. What was the reasoning, besides they told you to?

I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say council bluffs water.As long as the water is dechlorinated and is the same temperature, you do not have to wait to add it.

Hopefully we'll get things cleared up for you soon (no pun intended). Good luck!

 

[Purrbox]

Since you haven't be gravel vac'ing your substrate, by removing a sizable amount of substrate you've probably exposed the water column to all the built up mulm. This most likely caused a mini cycle with elevated Ammonia and Nitrite levels (we need test results to know for sure). Most likely you'll need to do a large water change to get the levels back down to the safe range.

 

[delco]

Getting better

This morning (wednesday) I got up early to do a water change before work but the tank was almost clear, not totally clean but alot better. The dozen corydoras I have looked happy.

so the event went like this.

sunday I disturbed the deep gravel

monday pm noticed the water getting milkey 20% water change, added 3 air stones. The fish were gasping for air and surfacing for air often.

tuesday am water is so milkey I can't find the fish 40% water change

tuesday pm water still white I took pictures then 40% water change.

wednesday am water is clearing up but still a little cloudy. fish back to normal.

 

[Purrbox]

Definately sounds like a mini cycle. The white cloudiness was a bacteria bloom to catch up with the spike in Ammonia/Nitrite.

 

[delco]

Thanks for the help. Next time will be a little less stressfull. Everything is back to normal and I even have some eggs this morning (thursday)

Delco from Iowa