Need help with foggy tank

[SammieT]

Trying to get rid of the fog and debris in the tank. I do my regular water change. Changed my filters. cleaned the gravel and even used the clear water chemical to the tank. Nothing has worked. I need help on this. Driving me crazy.

Just a heads up its white fog, not algae

Freshwater tank as well


Please help. I'm going insane trying to make it crystal clear!!!!!!

 

[billsreef]

[moved]


How long has the tank been set up? What filtration? Size of tank? Numbers and type of fish?

While this a salt water forum, we still can help you with the fresh water tank. Some of things will also apply to the salt water tank when you get one set up

 

[Teenreefer15]

Your gonna need to polish your water. Just attach a water bottle with the bottom cut off to a maxi jet and put some filter pad in the bottle and run the pump. This should clear your water up.

 

[pyithar]

possibly a bacetria bloom. is the tank new? did you recently added new fishes? overfeeding? i would stop using chemicals and start running activated carbon and probably purigen as well.

 

[Sk8r]

x2 on the bacterial bloom. You may have a dirty substrate [sand]. I'd do a 30% water change, then 3 days on, do a 20%; then do a weekly 10% until it gets better. If you can attach a 1 micron filter sock to your system (we use them in the marine hobby), you might find it helpful, but wash the thing every few days and don't use any more clarifier. I think your problem may be a buildup of uneaten food or untreated fish poo and mulm (detritus) that has just made a bunch of bacteria way too happy. If you can develop a program of water changes and perhaps increasing your filter strength (for our 50 gallon freshwater we use a Marineland cannister the size of a deskside wastecan. Monster filter. Has a lot of filter pads and keeps the water quite nice. Looks a lot like thjs one, which is Eheim, another good brand. http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3579+16109&pcatid=16109

 

[SammieT]

[moved]


How long has the tank been set up? What filtration? Size of tank? Numbers and type of fish?

While this a salt water forum, we still can help you with the fresh water tank. Some of things will also apply to the salt water tank when you get one set up

Currently over a month set up. A decent amount of fish including mollys, green spotted puffer fish, angel fish and other small fish

Currently have 2 filters. An aqueon and a tetra

Tank size is 25 gallons


Once I purchase my 75 gallon tank THAN its gonna apply to my salt water set up [emoji4]


Waiting on black Friday haha yes I'm cheap

 

[SammieT]

possibly a bacetria bloom. is the tank new? did you recently added new fishes? overfeeding? i would stop using chemicals and start running activated carbon and probably purigen as well.

Well when I say chemical I mean the water clarifier

 

[SammieT]

Your gonna need to polish your water. Just attach a water bottle with the bottom cut off to a maxi jet and put some filter pad in the bottle and run the pump. This should clear your water up.

I think I've seen it on YouTube but I'm not sure. I'm extremely new to all this lol..

 

[billsreef]

Currently over a month set up. A decent amount of fish including mollys, green spotted puffer fish, angel fish and other small fish

Currently have 2 filters. An aqueon and a tetra

Tank size is 25 gallons


Once I purchase my 75 gallon tank THAN its gonna apply to my salt water set up [emoji4]


Waiting on black Friday haha yes I'm cheap

New tank, lots of fish. You're going through "New Tank Syndrome". Basically free floating bacteria chowing done on all the available nutrients. Once the tank is fully cycled, the bacteria growing on the substrate and filters will outcompete the free floating bacteria and your water will clear up. Best thing is patience. Feed the fish lightly, leave the filters alone...they need to grow some good bacteria. Keep an eye on water quality, notably ammonia, nitrite and pH. So long as water quality is good, just wait the cloud out, it will clear on it's own. Generally everything one does to try and clear those "new tank syndrome" cloudy water issues just frustrates themselves and prolongs it, as they are just chasing the symptom. Simple patience will actually treat the cause and cure it

 

[SammieT]

New tank, lots of fish. You're going through "New Tank Syndrome". Basically free floating bacteria chowing done on all the available nutrients. Once the tank is fully cycled, the bacteria growing on the substrate and filters will outcompete the free floating bacteria and your water will clear up. Best thing is patience. Feed the fish lightly, leave the filters alone...they need to grow some good bacteria. Keep an eye on water quality, notably ammonia, nitrite and pH. So long as water quality is good, just wait the cloud out, it will clear on it's own. Generally everything one does to try and clear those "new tank syndrome" cloudy water issues just frustrates themselves and prolongs it, as they are just chasing the symptom. Simple patience will actually treat the cause and cure it

Well I purchased a 2nd filter for my tank. Think it's best to keep it running with the other one or only one? I've noticed that the tank is slightly getting a little more clear but I'm not sure if I'm doing more harm than Good on it right now with the bacteria and I checked my filter, almost completely black... I changed that out as well.. good idea or no?

 

[billsreef]

The 2nd filter is a good idea. Most people underfilter, partly because the manufacturers overrate their filter capacities. The filter cartridge, I probably would have just given a good rinse to flush the dirt

 

[SammieT]

The 2nd filter is a good idea. Most people underfilter, partly because the manufacturers overrate their filter capacities. The filter cartridge, I probably would have just given a good rinse to flush the dirt

Thanks for the information [emoji4]

 

[billsreef]

Your welcome

BTW as a result of this conversation, I wandered into PETCO :eek1: while waiting for the pharmacy to fill a prescription. Figured I'd take a look at what they are selling as an "aqueon" filter When it comes time to change filter cartridges, alternate the filters by a couple of weeks...i.e. don't change both the same time Both the Aqueon and Tetra are a bit short of the mark with the what the use for the biological component. By not changing the particulate/chemical cartridge on both filters at the same time, you'll be able to have the new cartridge develop some biological filtration activity while still having a decent reserve in the old cartridge of the other filter