just got a fish tank yesterday now the water is cloudy, and the fish arent eating, how can i make the fish eat

Question

and make the water not cloudy

Answer 1

Most likely just the tank breaking in, unless you have a ton of uneaten food left in the tank.

If your fish aren't eating the food make sure to remove it. they will be ok for a few days without eating, they should adjsut in that time.

Washing off the carbon probably isn't going to help at this point if you have been running the filter for 2 days.

Answer 2

The cloudiness of the water is a bacteria bloom caused by the ammonia in your tank. For your tank to be healthy, and the inhabitants to survive, you -must- cycle the tank completely before you add any fish. This takes, on an average, 4 to 6 weeks to complete. You can do this with a couple of small fish, or fish-less by simply contributing the ammonia necessary. For more information, please google "fishtank cycle".

Good luck.

Answer 3

Cloudy water could be from one of several things.

You don't say what type of substrate you used but in a brand new tank cloudy water is often simply a case of the sand/gravel not being rinsed well enough. You'd be amazed at how much dust in in a bag of gravel and all of that gets suspended in the water when you add it to a tank.

Make sure you let your tank cycle before adding more fish. Here is a brief article on cycling a tank.


A Short Brief on the Nitrogen Cycle.


When you start a new aquarium it will go through what is called the nitrogen cycle.

The nitrogen cycle is a process which allows "good" bacteria to establish and multiple in the tank, thus breaking down the fish wastes.

Fish excrete ammonia as a waste product. Ammonia is highly toxic to fish and even small quantities in the water can kill your fish. The first bacteria that establish as part of the nitrogen cycle break down ammonia into a product called nitrites.

Nitrites are also toxic to your fish, but not nearly as toxic as ammonia is. As the nitrites start to rise in the tank the bacteria that feed on nitrites will start to multiply and consume the nitrites breaking them down into nitrates.

Nitrates are also toxic to fish, but only in very high quantities. The nitrates will continue to rise in your tank as long as you have fish and are feeding them. Water changes are used to reduce the nitrate levels.


How long does this process take?

Typically the nitrogen cycle takes between 4-6 weeks to complete. During this time it's recommended that you take samples of your tank water to the local fish store and ask them to test it for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. The test levels will progress as follows:


Stage 1:

Ammonia zero
Nitrites zero
Nitrates zero

Stage 2:

Ammonia starts to rise
Nitrites zero
Nitrates zero

Stage 3:
Ammonia continues to rise
Nitrites begin to rise
Nitrites zero

Stage 4:
Ammonia levels drop
Nitrites continue to rise
Nitrates begin to rise

Stage 5:
Ammonia: zero
Nitrites levels drop
Nitrates continue to rise

Stage 6:
Ammonia: Zero
Nitrites: Zero
Nitrates continue slow rise



Tips to reduce the time of the nitrogen cycle.

The easiest way to reduce or eliminate the nitrogen cycle is to use a filter from an established tank. This filter already has the bacteria needed to breakdown ammonia and nitrites. By using an established filter you essentially bypass the nitrogen cycle.

Another easy way to shorten the cycle is to use "seed" gravel from an established tank. Simply take a few cups of gravel from an established tank and add it directly into the new tank. This gravel will contain a starter of the bacteria needed. If you don't want to add the gravel to the tank because it is a different color/stone than your gravel you can simply put it into a nylon stocking or cheese cloth "bag" and drop it into the tank. Using this method can cut your cycle time by 50%.

Finally there are live cultures of bacteria such as Bio-Spira (available at http://www.fishstoretn.com ) which will seed your tank with the bacteria needed. This product can virtually eliminate the cycling process.



Stocking your tank during this period.

During the cycling process you want to stock your tank very lightly. This is because if you have too many fish the ammonia will build up faster than the bacteria can break it down and your fish will die. I recommend only 1 or 2 hardy fish such as mollies. You want a fish that can tolerate the fluctuating ammonia and nitrite levels during the cycling process. There are many fish which should be avoided during this process including all catfish and any scaleless fish such as loaches.



Feeding during the cycling process.

I recommend that you feed your fish only once per day, and only as much as they will eat in 5-10 seconds. You should net out any food left over after feeding to prevent it from breaking down into ammonia. Once the cycling process completes you can double the feedings to twice a day.



Water changes during the cycling process.

If done correctly your tank shouldn't need any water changes during the cycling process. However should you find that your ammonia or nitrite levels are dangerously high during the cycling process you should do an immediate 25-50% water change to lower those levels. Water changes during the cycling process can extend the time it takes for your tank to cycle. Once the tank has completed cycling you should start your weekly 10-25% water changes to lower the nitrates in the tank.

Answer 4

Your tank will cycle naturally, nitrofying bacteria need ammonia to cycle, and if tank has no fish in it, they won't survive..so leave fish in it. As far as cloudy, its probably new tank syndrome, (ammonia is being created).. it should clear up in a couple days. If your sure your tanks tempature and ph are ok, then just give it a day or two before you stress over it.

Answer 5

pay interest on your mom! you haven't stepped ahead the acceptable bacterial stability in you tank. end feeding the snail, i have under no circumstances "fed" a snail and under no circumstances considered one starve. in case you do not have one, evaluate an undergravel filter out, to boot to the single you've already got. bypass to you nearest pond, lake, or move and assemble sufficient water, as sparkling as you are able to, to do a 25% replace. this can help leap commence your useful micro organism. be certain the water has come to room temperature earlier including it to you aquarium. do not problem if the water is murkey before each thing, it is going to sparkling up in some days.

Answer 6

You should have cycled the tank first.I would take the fish out take out the water and start over.Cycle the tank,then put the fish in.

Answer 7

Well, first of all you should always check the PH of the water first. Water with too high of a PH will kill the fish and if it is too low, they will become sluggish. I don't know what kind of fish you have, but most of them need the water to be almost constantly aerated. Betas would be an exception to that rule.
The other alternative is that you fish were sick when you got them. That is pretty common actually.

Answer 8

first of all, you should have your tank up and running with the filter for at least 48 hours before putting fish in. cloudy water is a sign of a new filter. if it is a carbon filter, try taking it out and washing it in the sink. when you first put water in the tank, it needs the 48 hours to get regulated with the new filter and all. for the fish not eating, they may just be stressed about being relocated into the new environment. give them a couple of days.