can anyone tell me if api stress coat can cause cloudy water?

Question

i have a 40 gallon fresh water tropical tank with 8 neons,10 minnows and 4 fan tailed guppies i do weekly water changes but its still cloudy so the only thing i can think of is api stress coat is anyone else having this problem

Answer 1

No, stress coat will not cause water cloudiness unless you're using like a whole bottle.
You definitely aren't overstocked, so is it possible that you're overfeeding? Fish have really small stomachs, so ignore their begging and only feed what they'll eat in about 30 seconds, twice a day. If you're feeding more than that, it'll be feeding the bacterial populations.

Answer 2

API Stress Coat isn't really much different than most other water conditioners on the market, it pretty much gets lost in the pack. While API has made claims about the beneficial properties of the Aloe Vera it adds to Stress Coat, no independent study has actually proven that it's helpful for fish in any way. There's also no proof it's harmful either. The other product you linked to, API Tap Water Conditioner, is one of the water conditioners I recommend the most because it's highly concentrated, so you get more bang for your buck. In fact, it's 10x stronger than Stress Coat. A 16oz bottle of Stress Coat treats 960 gallons of water, whereas a 16oz bottle of Tap Water Conditioner treats 9600 gallons. Another product I would recommend is Prime, which is another highly concentrated conditioner. It also has the benefit of being able to detoxify ammonia and nitrates, which may be helpful in an emergency.

Answer 3

Yes, it can (and I've seen it happen). Stresscoat adds an artificial stress coat to the water and over time, since I'm assuming you are doing partial water changes only, the amount of artificial stress coat in the tank will add up. I've seen it leave a white "bathtub" ring around the sides of the glass at the water surface and funky white particles (sort of like the white flakes in a glass snow globe that you shake up) that is tough to get off of anything they come in contact with. If your fish is healthy, it doesn't need an artificial slime coat so don't use it. To condition your water, try something like Prime. Contrary to what someone else said (and I've kept fish for over 50 years, and learned from my dad who kept fish for a long time before me) weekly partial water changes is a good thing to keep the ammonia and nitrites levels under control--if you let it go and those things build up, they'll poison your fish (and if it doesn't kill your fish, it'll compromise their health). Continue doing the weekly water changes.

Answer 4

It can screw things up. If you put too much in at a time it can clog the filter media with a booger like clear slime that will prevent it from doing its job, thus clouding the tank. Check your filter floss (the polyfiber stuff outside of the charcoal) for slime.

Answer 5

Its possible that the cloudiness is a bacterial bloom. Reduce your feeding a bit and see if it helps.

Answer 6

i have been keeping fish for 12 years and in my opinion weekly water changes should only be carried out in case of problems try leeving the water say for a month with weekly tests of ph the cloudyness could be due to oxygen(to much of) i keep a 500 gallon tank and only do water changes every 2 to3 months my water is crystal clear and pure and i have never lost a fish through ill health

Answer 7

cut feeding down for 2weeks you could be feeding to much

Answer 8

ask at your local pet store theyshould be able to tell you