i just got a new fish tank and the water is already cloudly, is there anything i can do to make it clear??

Question

oh and without using chemicals or having to buy stuff would be nice but ill take any answer you have that will help. thanks

Answer 1

Nothing. It is a bloom of beneficial bacteria developing in your tank. The bacteria will settle down to grow on your rock and filters instead. Wait a few days and it will clear up on it's own. If you have fish in your tank, stop feed them for three days. They are producing more poop (ammonia) then the bacteria can handle. The bacteria will convert the ammonia into nitrites, then other bacteria will convert the nitrites into less harmful nitrates which you keep from reaching toxic levels when you do water changes. If you clean your tank too well, there is a die off of beneficial bacteria and you start the cycle all over again.
PS your fish can go a week without eating and suffer no harm, but the excess ammonia will definitely kill them.
http://www.cichlidsrus.com/resources/tank_cycle.php
A

Answer 2

There's two causes for cloudy water in a brand new tank. One is unwashed gravel and the other is ammonia.

Gravel should be washed under running water until any water coming of it is clear, to remove dust and dirt. It's an easy step to overlook though. If this is the case the tiny dust particles in your tank should settle down within a few days.

If you've stocked your new fish tank to it's maximum population of fish right away then you'll probably have an ammonia problem. Ammonia is excreted by the fish and created by decaying food. When it gets in high concentrations it can turn the water cloudy. Some tap water can also have traces of ammonia. Ammonia-eating bacteria will start growing in a tank as soon as you add fish, but it can take weeks to months for there to be enough bacteria to handle all the ammonia that a fully stocked tank will produce. If you think you have an ammonia problem do a water change as soon as you can, and take out as much water as you can. Ammonia is highly toxic to fish, and the first sign of ammonia posioning is red marks on and around the gills.

If you do feel the need to buy something to treat your tank you can get a product called Ammo Lock. It binds ammonia into a non toxic form so it doesn't kill your fish. It doesn't remove the cloudyness though.

Answer 3

Overfeeding is the most common cause of cloudy tank.
The excess food stays in the water and does this
If it's bad you need to start over,put fish somewhere safe and empty the whole tank. Let new water stand for long enough to reach room temp/same temp
as required.
Useful things:the blue drops to make tap-water safe
An inexpensive filter
An inexpensive air pump
Quality fish food
Stop overfeeding
Weekly 1/4 tank water change
Remember fish don't have eyelids ,so unless you can get them all fitted with Raybans keep them out of direct sunlight
Have fun
M

Answer 4

LEAVE IT ALONE!! The cloudiness comes natural with the cycle that ALL tanks go through in the early stages. What is happening is the beneficial bacteria is building up. The beneficial bacteria is what takes your toxic fish poo, left over food ect and makes them not so toxic and availble to take out with water changes. Just leave the tank alone and it will clear up in a week or 2 by itself. If you add anything to it, there are good chances the fish will die, and if you do water changes now, it will make the tank re-cycle over and over and never clear up. So just sit back, leave it alone and it will take care of itself.

Answer 5

Buy a filter if you dont already have one even if you do have one it should settle in about 2-3 days it is probably because you are putting to much food in. Reduce how much food you put in. Clean the tank weekly to avoid the build of bacteria and is essential to use dechlorinator to make tap water safe for fish because the chlorine in it can damage the fishes scales.

Answer 6

Hopefully you haven't got a really big one because by the sound of it you need to change the water.
If you have gravel on the bottom it may need a really good wash before you put the fish in.
I used to have an aquarium with three (tough) fish (small tank) and I would change the water whenever the sides started to get a green slime on them.
If you can get some snails they help keep the glass clean too.
Good luck.

Answer 7

No - if this is a new tank the tank is going through it's initial nitrogen cycle. Leave it alone, and if you have fish in there (doing a fishy cycle is cruel, but whatever) then I would suggest doing at least 25% water changes a week, and just let your filter develop it's biologics.

Answer 8

MmMMm. there were guys that would change the fish tank @ my job ... well i noticed when they would clean it the water would be all cloudy... it would take about 3 hours for it to become clear again.. I'm guessing you have to wait..... hey and did you know some fish are injected with colors? :| It's so sad :*( .. a lot of people don't know.. just thought you wanted to know :)

Answer 9

Well, just leave it alone. It's bacteria and stuff like that to help your tank cleaner. It should clear up in a few days unless you're doing something very wrong.

Answer 10

it will be cloudy for the first few days.. mine was cloudy for like a week.... listen.. do not get plecos(sucker fish) they make a bigger mess than what they clean.... if you don't want to spend too much money.. get really cheap fish and let it settle for a few months before adding new fish.... then you should buy a test kit (strips) to make sure that the water conditions are good.......

Easy fish to keep are the guppy.... they're cheap and color-full....

take care..... hope the best for your fish