the water in my fish tank is always murky?

Question

i have a 55 gallon tank with the right filter and expensive filter so i know its not that i have a pocostamos so its helps keep the tank clean i just emptied the water out and the glass on the inside came off blue onto my rags that i cleand with the rocks in my tank are also blue can anyone suggest away to clean the rocks to keep them from dirtying up my tank. Remember the rocks have a substance on them to keep the tank clean so bleach i dont think will work i need to know a way to clean the rocks with out it eating all the stuff off the rocks

i also have 2 jack dempsies an albino oscar in the tank and some accesories like a treasure chest a tree and a little house in it

Answer 1

The stuff that lives on your rocks is essential in keeping your tank healthy. Beneficial bacteria digests fish waste (ammonia) and converts it into nitrites. Other bacteria converts nitrites into less harmful nitrates. This cycle tanks time to develop and your mucking with the tank just sickens the fish. Be a bit more patient and it will develop. Feed a lot less food, and change 25% of the water weekly (use a gravel vacuum) and make sure the temp of the new water is the same as the tank. You don't want to destroy too many of the beneficial bacteria when you do a water change and changing too much water or having it at the wrong temp stresses them. Also, your filter media has a lot of the bacteria growing on it. Don't change it too often (and never at the same time as a water change). When it start becoming clogged, rinse it out in cool tap water. Only change it when rinsing no longer is effective.
Remember, without this bacteria, your tank cannot break down excess fish waste and food, making the water murky and polluted. It can take three weeks for your tank to clear up, but it will (if it doesn't, you are feeding way too much).
A

Answer 2

If you keep emptying the water out because it is murky (cloudy) and wiping down the tank, then you are causing the problem yourself.

BTW, is it murky green or white? Green is algae from way too much light on the tank. If it is white, see below. Algae can be wiped off the rocks (how big are the rocks?) with a brand new scrubby pad. Do not empty the tank to do this.

When you say rocks, do you mean gravel? If the gravel is affected, you will have to use your net to scoop it out and clean it off. Do not use anything except bleach, and rinse them EXTREMELY well before replacing in the tank. I use 4 or 5 freshwater soaks after the bleach bath with DeChlor drops in it each time.

The white cloudiness is a natural part of the nitrogen cycle that each tank must go through when it is initially set up. Every time you empty the tank and wipe it down, it removes all of the nitrifying bacteria that all aquariums need! Then the nitrogen cycle has to start all over again.

It takes about 3-5 weeks for a tank to "cycle in." The cloudiness will go away on its own when the bacteria have built up to the correct amount.

I have never heard of rocks or gravel that have a "substance" on them to keep a tank clean. Can you email me (just for my info) and tell me what they are called and where you got them? BTW, shortcuts like that are never a good idea. There are certain things you should do and if you follow the tried and true ways to set up and maintain a tank, you can't go far wrong.

Go to "About.com" and follow their link to setting up and maintaining a freshwater aquarium. They have a lot of good information there.

Answer 3

Cause of murky water: high amount of waste and dissolved waste. Plecos and oscars are notorious waste producers and oscars are also messy eaters.

With an oscar in the tank, 50% weekly water changes should be the norm. Double up on your filtration (get another filter and configure it primarily for mechanical filtration).

Get a algae magnet and clean the glass on a weekly basis or more often if needed.

I'm not clear on the type of rocks you're using (never heard of "rocks with substances on them to keep the tank clean")..don't sound like they're working well.

Test your nitrate level. If over 40ppm, you need to increase the frequency and/or percentage of your water changes.

Answer 4

you could desire to take the wager artwork away and verify out the water on your tank. You cab purchase kits out of your community puppy save, or some friendly pets shops could try this for you for unfastened. the main significant exams for a sparkling tank would be for Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate. New tanks will take in to 6 weeks until now the clear out is working precise. time-honored water differences with dechlorinated water is a strong concept. possibly replace quarter of your tank two times a week. additionally end feeding your fish for a pair of days. it may desire to sound merciless, inspite of the incontrovertible fact that it reduces the burden on your organic and organic clear out and that's larger than killing your fish by poisoning. besides fish can bypass weeks without nutrition. faucet secure isn't designed to get rid of micro organism yet chlorine.

Answer 5

you said when you cleaned it you emptyed the water. i hope yopu dont meen all of the water as this will imbalence the water quality levels.
only do a small water change 50% max once every week or two.
and buy a water tester and test the.
amonia levels
nitrate levels
nitrite levels
ph levels.

also if the tank is in direct sunlight this will make the water murky quicker.

Answer 6

The blue has got to be coming from somewhere.
Maybe it's the rocks.
What the heck kind of rocks are you talking about?

Remove all the rock for a few days and see if that helps.

If it does, change to regular aquarium gravel.

Answer 7

make sure you only have natural rocks and accessories in the tank. If there's color on anything it has a potential to bleed off into the water. Also, i have a bio-filter...with the carbon and all....it works pretty well

Answer 8

your fish arent eating their food and it endes up at the bottom of the tank and thats how your water gets murky