# murky water



## Darren (Oct 4, 2010)

Hi all,

In the last couple days my water has started to get murky/cloudy. I have a 60gal tank with 5 Red Bellies (3 large, 2 small) which have been in the tank for two weeks now with no issues. The tank itself has been cycled for over a month, and I have tested for ph (but not nitrate/nitrite). I leave no uneaten food in the tank and do 20gal water changes every week. I also clean the gravel at this point too. Also, I recently added a AC110 to the tank with media. Im really stumped as to why the water would start to do this now... My fish seem fine, and the water isnt too bad, but I would still like to get this sorted out just to be safe! Any input would help! Thanks a lot...

This is my first post on this forum, so hopefully I've posted this in the right place!


Darren


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## charles (Apr 21, 2010)

do a water parameter test.


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## effox (Apr 21, 2010)

It looks like a bacterial bloom to me, but I could be wrong.


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## Darren (Oct 4, 2010)

I'll pick up a full test kit tomorrow, and start doing more water changes in the meantime. Might be higher ammonia due to the bacterial bloom?? - hopefully not enough to effect the fish before I get this under control. The fish still seem to be thriving, but they are hardy fish.


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## gklaw (May 31, 2010)

It may sound silly. Did you use bio-rings and rinse them well?


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## Darren (Oct 4, 2010)

I put bio rings in yes, with the new filter. I rinsed them quickly, but not very well (they were already clean)... Is there something to this?


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## gklaw (May 31, 2010)

The new one has a bit of fine white powder. It could be a bateria bloom as effox suggest - overfeeding could be the cause. Are they messy eaters?


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## hgi (Jun 13, 2010)

They would be messy eaters, I have 7 rbps and my water hasn't gone cloudy cause of their eating. 
Even from the photo it doesn't look cloudy to me... But if anything I'm leaning more towards a bacterial bloom, also the fish only been in the tank for 2 weeks now. 
Check your nitrites, I bet you got a little mini cycle going right now since p's tend to be a big bio load.


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## hp10BII (Apr 23, 2010)

Sounds like a bacteria bloom to me too. What did you cycle the tank with? Your RBP are probably placing a heavier bioload on your biological filtration and right now it's trying to catch up. Watch your parameters and continue to do frequent water changes.


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## donjuan_corn (May 6, 2010)

Do you use carbon?


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## Darren (Oct 4, 2010)

I do use carbon. 

Did a water test and found my Ammonia, Nitrates, and Nitrites are a bit high. Ive used ammo lock and will start doing more frequent water changes in the meantime. I think hgi and hp10BII are right and its my bio filtration thats not up to snuff yet, so Ill just stay on top of things for the next week or so, see what happens. Thanks!


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## donjuan_corn (May 6, 2010)

How long has the tank been running?


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## Darren (Oct 4, 2010)

month and a half.


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## donjuan_corn (May 6, 2010)

I would just do my weekly water changes, is your tank near a window? keeping your tank too clean without enough beneficial bacteria can also cloud your tank, I had that problem once.


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## discuspaul (Jul 2, 2010)

A few thoughts, Darren:
You might want to try a week's dosing with Stability -one capful for 20 gals. daily - that should help beef up the bacterial colony. Also you may want to consider adding some filter floss and Purigen to your AC 110.
Shouldn't be long clearing up with a couple more w/c's in any event.


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## hgi (Jun 13, 2010)

What are you using other than the aq110?


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## Darren (Oct 4, 2010)

Thanks Emile, I did grab some stability a few days ago and started adding that to help the bio-filitration. It hasnt started to clear up yet (infact its gotten a bit worse), if it is a bacterial bloom should I buy treatments for it or just keep doing what Im doing???


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## discuspaul (Jul 2, 2010)

I believe you just need to be patient, darren.
Keep doing a few periodic, moderate water changes, keep up with the Stability dosing, and as I mentioned before, try using carbon, or preferably, Purigen, with some filter floss in your AC filter - it should resolve itself in a few days.


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## hgi (Jun 13, 2010)

Post up your water test, 

Ammo
Nitrite
Nitrate


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## Darren (Oct 4, 2010)

thanks, ill give it a while...and i do have filter floss and carbon already in the filter...

my last water test i did yesterday:

ph - 7.0
ammo - 4.0ppm
nitrite - 0.25pmm
nitrate - 40ppm


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## hgi (Jun 13, 2010)

interesting test results,

I'm not 100% educated in the chemistry of aquarium water but my guess is your bio is in fact trying to catch up that's all. Personally I wouldn't do any water changes and wouldn't add anything to the water until the nitrate gets towards the 80 zone then I'd do a 50% change to bring it back to the 40's. During a cycle or Mini cycle for that matter every water change you do and anything you add to alter/lower the Ammo will slow down the progress. I think you said you have a AQ110 on your 60g, it might be that it's not enough filtration... I have a single fx5 on a 170 with nothing but ceramic bio rings, even removed to prefilter foam and placed the bio rings in there as well.

Here's my results from last year and what I went threw when I added piranhas to my tank if you want to look over it, *Note* If you sign up on that forum be ready for it when you mention you have 5rbp's in a 60g with a aq110, just like any forum they have their know it all trolls....

Water test question - Piranha-Fury Forums

My tank took about 3 month for it to finally show zero ammo and zero nitrites and all my fish lived and were not harmed, RBP's are hardy fish. Though it was for sure a huge head pain and a lot of wasted money on products I shouldn't have even gotten.

Also my tank is 76.5F/77F


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## chillin (Apr 21, 2010)

water changes and lots of filteration may help with the cloudiness, try to avoid the chemical route,your water quality is paramount,cycle time can vary, especially if bioload is increased.make sure the water you are changing is conditioned as per species parameters,before it is added to the aquarium.this seems to work for me...chillin


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## Darren (Oct 4, 2010)

Thanks for the advice!


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## discuspaul (Jul 2, 2010)

Darren,
I stick with the advice I gave you above.
Not I, nor anyone else has advised you to add any chemicals (and you are not doing so are you ?) and it seems some may feel that is what you are being advised to do. Not so, Stability will simply, but in a large measure, add to the beneficial bacterial development & colonization that is taking place, thus accelerating the bio-filtration's ability to deal with your toxic elements. 
This will not slow down your cycle.


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## discuspaul (Jul 2, 2010)

*P.S.*

In my experience, Stability has pretty much the same effectiveness in cycling as Bio-Spiria.


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## discuspaul (Jul 2, 2010)

*P.p.s.*

And if there are any doubters out there - check it out.
Google Seachem Stability, and Bio-Spira.
Good luck, Darren, it will work for you.


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## TCR (Jul 13, 2010)

judging by the perems it dosent seem as tho the tank is fully cycled.. i start with some cheap fish to start the cycle and slowly add or you will overload the bio load. you need ammonia to start the cycle, or so i have read it is more effective, i always start with a cheapy fish to bump it and then SLOWLY add more or take some out and add other fish.. the bio filter will only keep up to what its used to (again so i have read)


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## Adz1 (Apr 21, 2010)

i'm with the mini cycle.
did you put all the fish in on the same day?


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## hp10BII (Apr 23, 2010)

Darren said:


> thanks, ill give it a while...and i do have filter floss and carbon already in the filter...
> 
> my last water test i did yesterday:
> 
> ...


4.0 ppm ammonia is really high. Not sure how your RBP are surviving at those ammonia levels - it's gills may be damaged if they pull through this. I'd cut down on feeding and step up the water changes pref with Prime to detoxify the ammonia. I don't think 50% daily would be too much.


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## Darren (Oct 4, 2010)

i put ammo lock in when the ammonia first reached 4ppm, so this may read 4ppm's but it will be a neutralized 4ppm.


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