tropical fish tank keeps getting cloudy . WHY!?

Answer 1

First off you need to examine the aquarium setup and contents.

How many fish do you have?
How many gallons in the tank?
What filter brand and type?
What food are you feeding?
What temperature are you keeping the tank at?

The larger the tank the better off you are. Larger tanks are easier to maintain simply because the ecosystem has more room to get into balance.

If you are working with a smaller tank you most likely have overstocked your tank. A good rule of thumb is one inch of fish per one gallon of water. So if you have larger fish then you will need a larger tank. A 10 gallon fish can have approximately 10 neon tetras and a bottom feeder of some kind such as a cory cat or a small pleco.

Once you have determined if your fish to gallon ratio is correct or incorrect you then need to move to the filter. Undergravel filters are ok for small tanks but to be really effective one should be used with a biowheel filter. For the best filtration ever though you should choose a canister filter. Eheim makes some great canister filters.

Now we come to food. Cheap fish food creates lots of waste. For one it's mostly animal matter which causes severe cloudiness. I use Wardley fish flakes which has never caused me a problem. You may need to experiment to see which foods your fish eat fast and which will not cloud the water.

Water temperature can also effect the water. Too warm and the algae and bacterial blooms can go out of control. Make sure your heater is set for optimal settings depending on the fish you have.

Another way to help keep a tank clean is to add live plants. They will help keep algae down, they will use the nitrates in the water to prevent bacterial blooms, and they will emit oxygen which will help your fish. Since plants do well in water that is rich in carbon-dioxide they are very helpful in tanks that are overstocked.


Changing the water can help but if you are noticing that the water is immediately cloudy after a water change this means that youb have a bacterial bloom. Leave the water and let the filter run a few days. This will help the nitrates and nitrites settle and the ph levels can return to normal. The water should clear up on its own.

Good luck with your tank.

Answer 2

The cloudiness is because of an increased amount of bacteria in the water. This is bad for your fish because it will decrease the amount of oxygen available to your fish and can make your fish sick.

Make sure you are using a filter that will accommodate your tank size.

Change 1/3 to 1/2 of the water on a monthly basis and when you do this change the filter. (if you are using tap water, let the water sit out at least 24 hours before adding it to the tank so that chlorine can evaporate. Also, if you have tropical fish, you should put a heater in the new water to get it to the right temp. before adding it.)

Be careful not to overfeed the fish. Give them an amount of food that they will eat within 15 minutes. If there is extra food that they are not eating you are feeding them too much.

Answer 3

If you have an under gravel filter it may need to be cleaned up of any surface debris, or you airlift pipe may not be working properly there are lots of reasons why but usually a lack of oxygen in the water can send it cloudy/ too much food. Feed fish enough food that they will eat in 3-5 minutes

Answer 4

Sometimes it's totally harmless and has to do with the water you put into the tank. Mine always gets cloudy around winter, and then clears up in a few months.

Answer 5

If it is a new det up it is probably due to no bacteria set up to clear it up---or it could be overfeeding but usually it is due to over cleaning which gets rid of the necessary bacteria bed that builds up whtn fish live in the tank---if you clean it too often, get some clear aid and use it temporarily until you allow enough bacteria to grow and then stop cleaning it so often---more than likely that is going to be your problem--it ususally is

Answer 6

You are overfeeding your tank.
Or your under gravel filters are filtering all the muck back into the tank, you need to clean your tank, and thoroughly, hopefully it will sort out your problem.
Your tank is overcrowded, get another tank and divide your fish between the two and see.

Answer 7

Monica v, seriously, clever to advertise in a forum like Y! Answers. Tons of people, easy to get the word out, keeps you anonymous, and free, but couldnt you find a better outlet than the FISH FORUM????

Just think about it. Try the business section.

Answer 8

You need a better filter or get one of those fish that clean the tank there funny.

Answer 9

to much food mate been keeping fish 20 years and this is one problem a lot of people do is over feed the fish

Answer 10

How often do u clean the tank?? also you may need to replace the carbon in the filters which helps your water to be crystal... Also your filter/s may not be big enough to cope with the amount of dirt, dont forget that your filters have to be cleaned often....