I came home from school and my tank water was all cloudy in the big tank. Here's a pic:
Full Version: Cloudy Water
Yep,looks pretty darn cloudy to me. Anic,is this tank cycled,or did you recently start it up? How many fish did you add/what kind/what type? If it's a newly established tank ,or you added alot of fish all at one time,this article may help you. 
Everyone familiar with setting up a new tank knows about the cycle or at least should. The new tank syndrome usually shows up right after or close before the cycle is complete.
Ammonia, nitrite and finally nitrates are nitrogen compounds, nutrients that can accumulate and cause problems on a short or long term basis. The highest accumulation can be measured right around the time when the tank has cycled. These excess nutrients are responsible for problems such as cloudy water, green water, and all sorts of algae joining in to feast on the high nutrients.
While in the past the cycle had been defined as new tank syndrome, today it is separated from the cycle by definition, but still causes a lot of hobbyists to throw in the towel.
New hobbyists often get excited when completing the "cycle". After all it has a scientific ring to it and it wasn't too difficult to achieve. The next step according to plan is to stock the tank with fish, as all levels read safe values. Once stocked, the problems take their course. The water gets cloudy, green, and/or algae make their appearance. Finally fish death occurs in worst-case scenarios.
The reason is excess nutrients created by the newly introduced fish. The bacteria colonies are not able to readily adjust to the new circumstances, which would allow them to prevent the new tank syndrome. In return bacteria colonies start to grow, sometimes at a rate that turns the water whitish.
Stocking the tank slowly can prevent new tank syndrome, giving the whole system enough time to adjust. Another way to avoid the new tank syndrome is by cycling the tank using the fishless cycling method. This method allows stocking the tank as soon as the cycle has been completed.
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Everyone familiar with setting up a new tank knows about the cycle or at least should. The new tank syndrome usually shows up right after or close before the cycle is complete.
Ammonia, nitrite and finally nitrates are nitrogen compounds, nutrients that can accumulate and cause problems on a short or long term basis. The highest accumulation can be measured right around the time when the tank has cycled. These excess nutrients are responsible for problems such as cloudy water, green water, and all sorts of algae joining in to feast on the high nutrients.
While in the past the cycle had been defined as new tank syndrome, today it is separated from the cycle by definition, but still causes a lot of hobbyists to throw in the towel.
New hobbyists often get excited when completing the "cycle". After all it has a scientific ring to it and it wasn't too difficult to achieve. The next step according to plan is to stock the tank with fish, as all levels read safe values. Once stocked, the problems take their course. The water gets cloudy, green, and/or algae make their appearance. Finally fish death occurs in worst-case scenarios.
The reason is excess nutrients created by the newly introduced fish. The bacteria colonies are not able to readily adjust to the new circumstances, which would allow them to prevent the new tank syndrome. In return bacteria colonies start to grow, sometimes at a rate that turns the water whitish.
Stocking the tank slowly can prevent new tank syndrome, giving the whole system enough time to adjust. Another way to avoid the new tank syndrome is by cycling the tank using the fishless cycling method. This method allows stocking the tank as soon as the cycle has been completed.
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My big tank has been cycled for months now. I have all my commons and Glenn, my Comet in there with my pleco. And they've been in there since about a week after it was cycled. They've been in there for a long time and this hasn't happened before. Actually, once it got cloudy, but that was because some one fed them too much. This morning the water was fine and when I got home the water was really cloudy.
Hi,
Here are a couple of things that could have happened.
Perhaps there was an ammonia spike that your filter/tank microbes had to take care of?
I'd guess either that or suspended particles from your gravel, like an emulsion. Did you stir the gravel recently?
Good Luck.
Slugger
Here are a couple of things that could have happened.
Perhaps there was an ammonia spike that your filter/tank microbes had to take care of?
I'd guess either that or suspended particles from your gravel, like an emulsion. Did you stir the gravel recently?
Good Luck.
Slugger
it could be a case of baterial bloom...have you tested the params of your water today?
No, not today. I tested it when I cleaned the gravel and changed the water (about 30-45%) and everything was hunky-dory. The water 'color' was back to normal this morning.
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