I have a 20gal fish tank, There are plants, wood. and gourami fishes. Recently, the water turns out to be yellow. I set up this tanks a year ago. And I am sure I am not overfeeding 'em. What is the problem I have right now? Would it be too many plants that they grow? Cut plants or I need a "Water Cleaner" to make it back to crystal? Do i need a water change? does it make fishes feel stressed out? Help me please!
2007-02-02 09:56:45 · 10 answers · asked by Terence Luis 1 in Pets ➔ Fish
You touched on a couple of good points... overfeeding could be the problem, but the live plants can also be an issue...especially if you have a lot of them. It's all going to depend on a few things... how many fish do you have? Really, you should have no more than 4 or 5 in a 20 gallon... is the wood "aquarium approved"? do you replace the filter cartridges regularly?
If you haven't changed your cartridges recently, a complete water change may be inevitable... Yes, complete water changes can be stressful to fish. But if you do it right, they'll be okay... Get a gravel vac and empty out about 3/4 of the water, getting the gravel as clean as possible. The water left will look pretty dirty but don't worry, there's good bacteria you don't want to get rid of or your tank will have to go through a rebuilding process that will cause it to get pretty cloudy... Fill the tank back up but make sure the temperature is okay and that you add water conditioner as you do it... BE CAREFUL with the water conditioner, use what it calls for! Overdoing it will kill your fish... Make sure you change your cartridges!! If you can't immediately, at least rinse them out w/ hot water for a few minutes in the meantime...
After a few hours, everything will settle and the water should look much cleaner... Routine maintenance should keep it this way... It's recommended that you replace cartridges at least once every 2-3 weeks. But if you rinse them weekly, you should be able to get away with buying new ones every 2-3 months instead... Make sure you have all necessary freshwater testing kits and test the water at least twice a month. You also may want to add an algae eater to help with the problem.
2007-02-02 10:39:33 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well, a few have hint on a few potential sources of the color, but the most likely cause is the driftwood staining the water yellow. This would be faily harmless to the fish. The other major source of yellowing water is a build up of protein in the water. This can eventually become a problem for the fish. Changing 25-30% of the water every week will prevent that and also would prevent the staining if it is from the wood. I would start with a 50% water change asap then do a 25% or so change every other day until the water is clear again then once a week there after to prevent the return of the problem. No chemicals, no additives for clearing the water, just change it out. Oh, do b sure to use declorinator though :)
Too bad you had to read so far down to get real answers .. geesh
2007-02-02 10:28:23 · answer #2 · answered by magicman116 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
First, check with your local pet store - most stores that sell fish will test your water for free, if yours does, bring them a sample of your tank water to be tested.
How many gourami's do you have in the tank? How much wood and plants? It could be that your tank is too crowded for your fish...gourami's grow to 5-6 inches which means you would need 5-6 gallons of water per fish. You have a 20 gallon tank, but the gravel, plants and wood is "taking away" water from that 20gal...you may only be left with 10gal of water and that will only house one gourami.
Here's what you do:
1) Get your water tested.
2) Do a 25% water change, clean the filter and change the inserts
3) Either get rid of some decorations or get rid of some fish.
2007-02-02 10:35:15 · answer #3 · answered by gorfette 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
This can be because of several factors. The most likely explanation is the pollen from the plants. Since you've only had them for a year, its probably their first pollination cycle. I would suggest to research your specific plants to check pollen colour and solutions to over pollination. Wood can also emit particulate matter but since its been in you tank for a year, its an unlikely source.
It could also be due to a change in the water you use for cleaning your aquarium. If you use well water, this is more likely than for city water.
As for if it stresses the fish, if it is really "thick" or opaque, yes it definitively will. I'm am not familiar with gourami fishes but I know some type of fish can die from stress easily.
Finally, a filter is an essential part of any size aquarium. It is a good investment since it cleans particulate matter in you water and keeps it moving. You should also change about 1/4 of you water on a weekly bases to if you want to have clean water and the gravel should be vacuumed regularly.
Hope this helps
2007-02-02 10:04:19 · answer #4 · answered by DB 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
If the wood is natural wood, I would try taking it out for a few weeks. Sometimes pigments escape wood as it decomposes (as it is likely doing submerged in your tank). Also, decomposing plant material can cause water to turn yellow. If your plants are healthy and green, they're not the source of the problem.
If you are using a side or external filter, try changing the filter pad and giving the filter unit itself a good cleaning. If you are using an undergravel filter, you may have to do a more thorough cleaning to remove the buildup of waste that may be causing your water color change.
A partial water change can't hurt either, as it will at least dilute whatever is turning the water yellow, reducing whatever (if any) impact it is having on your fishes' health.
2007-02-02 10:05:16 · answer #5 · answered by birdr 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Geeze, ya ask a serious question and ya get answers like that.
All I can think of, is if you have had it for a year, do you let the water evaporate down about an inch and then refill with fresh water? I do that with mine. I also do not touch my fish food, I sprinkle it into the lid of the food container and pour it in. I don't reccomend the cleaners! I did that my first year of having fish and they die! I quit using all that crap for the water, and I have clear water and healthy fish having babies. Yes, fish can stress, but I doubt they are stressed out over this. They would be with the water cleaners your talkin about. Checked your filter to make sure it's working o.k.? And, do you have bubbles set up in your tank? That all helps with the filtration of your water to keep it clean. One more thing, do you have a snail or sucker fish? I'd get one if not. Well, hope this helps. Good luck.
2007-02-02 10:10:51 · answer #6 · answered by Shari 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
My 10 gallon aquarium always looks yellow even after I clean it. It's probably has to do with rust in the water? I have no idea but my fish (guppies) are all alive and well and happily breeding away! It might just be the light of your aquaruim making the water look yellow. If you really want to know go out and buy an aquarium test kit and test your water. Otherwise just let the yellow color bother you like it does me EVERY DAY! Wish I knew more but maybe this will help you out! Check out the link below and see if that helps you out!
2007-02-02 11:31:39 · answer #7 · answered by Jana 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it's just dirty. clean it out after taking the fish out and putting them in another tank or install an automatic fish tank cleaner/filter. yes, it stresses the fish out but not to the point of where they die...unless it is like that for a long time-3 or more weeks.
2007-02-02 10:34:41 · answer #8 · answered by rinestonehorsegirl 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
get off the computer! you haven't cleaned that thing in a year? clean it, or the fish.....you know.
2007-02-02 10:08:12 · answer #9 · answered by christina h 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Umm have you ever changed the water? geez.
2007-02-02 10:06:49 · answer #10 · answered by Jenny 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋