Why do aquariums go misty ?

Question

my aquarium seems to go misty quite a lot i make sure it is cleaned at least every other week, i have 8 small and 1 large tropical fish in a 5ft tank i have tried remedies from the shop but it still keeps getting misty does anyone have any good advice.

Answer 1

Too much steamy fish sex.

Answer 2

Stop cleaning it so much. Sounds like bacteria blooms. They are not dangerous to the fish - but it's just not pretty to look at.

You should only clean about 25% of the water ONCE a month. That's all that is needed.

The clearing chemicals at the store make it worse. Don't use them.

You just have to wait it out - it usually clears up on it's own in a week - a month.

Answer 3

Bacteria blooms. I suspect that you are not cleaning the tank correctly. When the water is properly seasoned whatever is nourishing the bacteria will be gone and this condition will cease. You must learn the proper way to clean an aquarium. It may take weeks for this to stabilize. Your problem is certainly not overcrowding. It could also be overfeeding.The presence of quantities of uneaten food can also cause cloudiness. Good luck. PeeTee

Answer 4

This is a bacterial bloom & is very common in new tanks. You do not need to clean out the tank at all. The bacteria are there because there is plenty of food for it, usually hidden leftovers of food. Feed less, & less frequently. Make sure you have a really efficient filter, the biggest you can afford/have space for. I recommend the Fluval range of external canister filters, & I always use one which is twice as large as is needed.

Answer 5

Your nitrate levels are up,Take a sample of your water to a reputable fish shop and they will test it for you,When you do a water change,take only 25% of the water out weekly and dont clean your pump or filter,Two weekly take out half the water,and monthly do a complete overhaul on the tank including your pump,you could be cleaning it too often,if this is the case you will be killing helpful bacteria levels that you find in a mature tank,which help to keep your water clean,also feeding them too much and too often will raise your nitrate level,if it keeps happening eventually you will start to lose your fish.Incidently tiger barbs will let you know when the nitrate levels are up,they swim in one place with their noses pointing down.

Answer 6

You probably overclean. The tank needs to cycle and build up beneficial bacteria. If you clean all the surfaces, the bacteria blooms again and clouds the water. When you clean, all you should do is change the water. Only change the filter media when it is falling apart. If it is really dirty you can rinse it in a bucket of used tank water.

Answer 7

I had bad luck for awhile with my first try at having a fishtank. I found out that I was changing the water too often. The water goes through a process of balancing itself, and after the cloudy period, will start to clear when the bacterial levels balance out. Once a month, drain about two-thirds of the water only, and refill tank with proper chemicals added. This should help.

Answer 8

Your filter isn`t working properly are you using the correct size of filter for your tank
when i have problems i cant seem to cure
I always phone a expert and have always had really good advice you will find their numbers in the back of tropical fish magazines

Answer 9

The tank is overcrowded.the fish are getting too much food. The misty water is not dirty,it is bacteria that are thriving on the decaying food,and fish excrement.

Answer 10

You need to test the ph etc, it sounds like you have an imbalance there. Also if you have such a big tank try two filter pumps or one very large one.

Answer 11

It can be down to over feeding or perhaps the gravel could do with a good rinse or check the filter