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Any aquarium people here? Help with "cloudy white" water


gillbot

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I've been fighting "cloudy" water in my aquarium for about a month. It has a slight white color, like "fog" but it never seems to get better or worse.

 

I started doing about 10-15% water changes daily, that clears it up slightly due to the fresh water, but it goes right back.

 

I started 25% then 50% water changes, it never goes away. I tried doing nothing and letting it clear on it's own. Nothing. Never got worse, but never got better. I did a near complete clean (~80-90% water change) and dropped the fish back in, a few days later it clouded right back up. All fresh filters, you name it, nothing helps.

 

I also noticed something odd the last change. There was green algae in the filter motor and brown diatom "algae" in the pipes of the under gravel. I didn't think they couls easily coexist but I guess they can?

 

Obligatory pics:

http://img812.imageshack.us/img812/8697/img2570f.th.jpg

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/1033/img2569y.th.jpg

http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/6361/img2568w.th.jpg

http://img839.imageshack.us/img839/6761/img2567e.th.jpg

http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/3141/img2566zz.th.jpg

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Ok the 1st thing you need to stop doing is so many water changes. How long has the tank been setup?

like a year or more, dont recall exactly

 

most local fish places keep telling me more water changes since it's a bacterial bloom but i dont think it is since their suggestions arent helping

Do you have any aerators? Have you tested your water. If so what are the levels. PH ammonia.

 

Alot of cloudiness is from micro bubbles created by some filters.

 

there is the undergravel bubbler and one air stone, nothing has changed recently, it just popped up out of the blue and won't go away

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like a year or more, dont recall exactly

 

most local fish places keep telling me more water changes since it's a bacterial bloom but i dont think it is since their suggestions arent helping

 

 

there is the undergravel bubbler and one air stone, nothing has changed recently, it just popped up out of the blue and won't go away

 

Turn off the undergravel bubbler and air stone for a little while see if it start to clear up. You should notice if its clearning up in a short period of time.

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Get rid of that undergravel filtration system and get an over the tank filter. Those are outdated and they hold nitrates underneath the filter and its hard to keep it clean. Cloudiness is usually caused by ammonia/nitrate spike.

 

it has a back hanger too

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Cloudiness is usually caused by ammonia/nitrate spike.

With as many water changes as you've been doing, and the volume involved, there's a good chance this is at least part of the problem unless you've pre-treated the replacement water with a dechlorinator, as you'll have killed off all the nitrogen cycle bacteria. Hard to say more without running some test strips, though.

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With as many water changes as you've been doing, and the volume involved, there's a good chance this is at least part of the problem unless you've pre-treated the replacement water with a dechlorinator, as you'll have killed off all the nitrogen cycle bacteria. Hard to say more without running some test strips, though.

 

i always pre-treat the water, but i have also tried letting it go to no avail. it just wont balance now.

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I recently dealt with this.

 

What "fixed" mine......

 

Removed all decorations

Cleaned Gravel

50% water changes every other day

 

It took ~ 2-3 weeks

 

:thumbup:

 

KillJoy

any filter changes or anything?

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With as many water changes as you've been doing, and the volume involved, there's a good chance this is at least part of the problem unless you've pre-treated the replacement water with a dechlorinator, as you'll have killed off all the nitrogen cycle bacteria. Hard to say more without running some test strips, though.

 

Not if there is hidden waste under that filter system. You can do as many water changes as you want and you will never solve the problem. Doing that many water changes causes the "system" to believe it is starting over and over and over again. Its not good nor is it beneficial to the cycle.

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