I clean it every week ad it still looks like crap the next day! What gives.
2006-06-26 14:24:53 · 25 answers · asked by dorkish_jenni 1 in Pets ➔ Fish
I have a 55gallon tank, 2 algae eaters, a mini shark, a beta, rope fish, a catfish, and that's it. I was told that the tank is big enough and it happens.
2006-06-26 14:32:28 · update #1
My tank gets cloudy when I change the water. Things get stirred up and cloud the water. I just use a bit of clear water solution and the next day it looks great.
You might want to back off of the feeding if it persists. Twice a week to once a day at most, and only what they can eat in 2 minutes.
2006-06-26 19:40:53 · answer #1 · answered by JustJake 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't get another freaking pleco algae eater. freaking a - why does everybody say this is the solution. Do you know how much crap these things poop out their butts?! augh. Most of them only eat the green algae.. most people have brown algae.. And most of them get huge. If you MUST get one., get a rubber lip pleco, it eats both green and brown algae and stays small.
1) FISH/WATER RATIO: If you have six fish that are let's say on average 3" each as an adult.. you'd need a tank that's about 20 gallon tank. (i.e. about 1 gallon for each 1inch of fish). That's your first goal.
2) LIGHT: If you only have plastic plants, Leave the light on only when you want to see them. Keep the tank in a location away from sunlight. In most tanks, fish don't need the tank light. It's a human need, not a fish need.
3) FEEDING: Fish only need the amount of food that is equivalent to the size of their eyeball (in general) once a day. Twice or three times that is fine.. but most people put in tons of food and several times a day.
4) CYCLING: If you just started your tank, or ar changing too much water, you could have cycling issues. If you want more detail, email me. Every tank does this when first started and it can take a few days to a few months depending on your setup. it can also be very very devistating to your fish and you don't even know it.
People think tanks are hard work. But to be honest, if you leave the light off most of the time and feed small amounts of food., you hardly ever have to clean the water. I do water changes every three months. 1/3 of the water at most. I clean a bit of algae off the tank wall every month or two. I have a 60 gal tank and get compliments left and right.
My co-worker has a 3 gallon tank with two neon tetras and a water frog. She is so lazy - she never changes the water (I don't suggest this).. just adds water. It has a lame-o undergravel filter. I told her to feed once every other day if that.. and leave the light off. Four years later.. neons are still doing fine and so is froggy. Amazing.
Any other questions, feel free to email me. I keep my answers simple.. and non scientific. Just an average Joe here.
2006-07-03 05:22:42 · answer #2 · answered by game buddee 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Is it a new tank?? I had a problem when I first started my fish tank. My water seemed cloudy all the time at first no matter how often I cleaned the filter or how much I fed the fish or changed the water. I asked the people at the local pet shop and they told me that because it was a new tank, it needed to be "broke in". They said it's a common problem with new tanks that haven't developed a protective film of "good bacteria" that aids in keeping your tank clear. At least that's what they told me...
2006-06-26 14:34:50 · answer #3 · answered by jEnNiE c 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Either your tank is too small for your fish, or your pump and filter system, while good, may be too small for the tank. Overpopulation results in fast soiling of the water.
Also, if its dirty because of algae, then you've probably got your tank in front of a window. Direct sunlight makes algae happy, and happy algae reproduces fast. Move your tank away from direct sunlight.
2006-06-27 07:13:15 · answer #4 · answered by Privratnik 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Overfeeding is the number one cause of dirty water in any tank or pond. Fish poop does not cloud the water it sinks or gets sucked into the filter and colonizes good bacteria which actually help keep the tank clean. But uneaten food goes rancid and clouds the water and is very unhealthy for the fish. Dont starve them but do remember "A HUNGRY FISH IS A HEALTHY FISH.'
2006-06-27 03:00:55 · answer #5 · answered by tw 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's probably algae..that actually means your tank is healthy but it can look kinda gross.Is your tank near a window or do you keep the tank light on all the time?That can cause the algae to grow more rapidly.If its not green then maybe you're feeding them too much(fish don't eat much)or maybe you just need a bigger filter(or more algae eaters)
2006-06-26 15:29:16 · answer #6 · answered by Courtney L 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There could be many things wrong but it should not be the fish poop. It could be the type of fish you have in there...guppies are a messy fish...so dont get any of them....got to walmart and they have a lot of algeclear chemicals that you can buy and all of them work just follow the directions carefuly...dont over feed and make sure you keep the fish light on a good amount of time but not all the time...that will cause the alge to become over powering
2006-06-26 16:44:16 · answer #7 · answered by dragon_fly2006 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends on the kind of fish you have. I have a 72 gallon tank with: 2 angel, 2 bolla sharks, 1 aero descent shark,4 silver dollars and 2 fire eels. Your filter could be clooged or you're feeding them to much food and also depends on the kind of food their being fed. I have no alge eater and I have no problems.
When in doubt you could go to your nearest fish store to find out the problem.
2006-06-26 16:31:22 · answer #8 · answered by Shay~Shay 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because u need a water snail or a algae eater and or probably a bigger tank
2006-06-26 14:30:13 · answer #9 · answered by thadeusbo95 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Put gravel at the bottom. It will keep the fish waste there instead of floating around so you can use a siphon to clean every week.
2006-06-26 15:37:45 · answer #10 · answered by Rocky 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋