i can clean my tank and within a few days the tank starts to get cloudy and then the water will turn green. i have to filters running on my tank. HELP.
2007-02-11 05:11:52 · 16 answers · asked by tommy h 1 in Pets ➔ Fish
You are probably feeding your fish a bit too much. Uneaten food will go bad in no time and pollute your tank making it cloudy. Then the nutrients in the water will cause green algae to grow making the water green.
Be sure you don't tear the tank apart to clean it. Each week remove about 25% of the water while siphoning up the waste in the gravel. That will help too.
MM
2007-02-11 05:28:52 · answer #1 · answered by magicman116 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well a normal nongreen cloudy is usually a sign of a bacteria bloom from OVERcleaning.
Fish need bacteria in the water, this is why you are told to cycle your water and let it sit for a few days before adding fish.
How much water are you taking out when you clean it? If you are taking out a lot - then thats why it is cloudy. It's just bacteria (good) and it needs a while to settle. However, this can take a week to up to a month to clear. Cleaning it more and more will just make the matter worse. Let it be and it will clear up.
Now.. the green water.. that is algea in the water. Algea can grow two ways, on the tank and ornaments or it can actually get in the water, turning it green.
How long are you leaving your light on? Light makes algea grow, so cut back on that. If it is near a window or in a room that gets a lot of sunlight you need to either move it or reduce the sunlight coming in during the day.
It's a little hard to get rid of algea in the water. It takes time. You cannot clear it up in one day. I would suggest first figuring out the light problem causing the algea, then removing about 15-25% of the water per week, until the water looks clear again. If you do it all at once you'll have a bacteria bloom (cloudy look) and it is dangerous to your fish as well to remove a lot of water at once.
There are chemicals that claim to help - I've never known anyone to have success with them.
Normal cleaning should be a 25% water change monthly with a syphon.
Just know even though it is not pretty to look at, the algea itself isn't going to harm your fish.
2007-02-11 06:54:34 · answer #2 · answered by Miss. Kitty 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is an algae bloom. Algae need two things to live: nutrients & light.
Nutrients - Make sure you don't overfeed your fish. They should eat everything within 2 minutes of the food being put in the tank. Unless you are caring for babies, only feed 1 - 2 times a day. Make sure that the number/size of fish is appropriate for the size tank - don't overstock. Be sure the filter you have is appropriate for the size tank - it should run (in gallons per hour, or GPH) 5 - 10 times the volume of the tank (that is, for a 10 gallon, the filter should be rated 50-100 GPH). Do weekly 20-30% water changes to remove any fish wastes & dissolved compounds. Live plants in the aquarium will take up excess nutrients.
Light - Have your tank in an area where it is out of direct sunlight (can also cause water to overheat). If you use lights on your tank, only have them on 10-14 hrs., max - you can use a timer to control this. The exact time that they're on doesn't matter - if you're out of the house during the day, you can set them to be on when you're most likely be home to view the tank. You can reduce the time, or turn the lights off completely (unless you have live plants in the tank) until the problem is under control.
Chemicals should be used as a last resort - they are only a temporary "fix" and won't keep the tank clear in the long run - you need to address the source, whether it be nutrients, lighting, or both.
See links for more info: http://www.fishlore.com/CloudyWater.htm, http://freshwater-aquarium-fish.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=category§ionid=6&id=24&Itemid=46
2007-02-11 06:17:39 · answer #3 · answered by copperhead 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you take some of your tank water to a local fish store they should be able to help give you an explanation. Not one of those chain stores like Petsmart but a real locally owned shop. I do know that some of the chemicals the city puts in the water that can cause cloudiness when mixed with fish tank chemicals.
2007-02-11 05:16:59 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Could be bacteria,overcrowding,changing water too often,or changing too much of aged water. when cleaning aquarium you should omly remove and replave 1/3 of aquarium volume or it will upset ph balance its like starting a new aquarium after you've created an acceptable one.Aquariums NEED bacteria to maintain an environment and when you drain the tank flush the bacteria that were supporting the tank down the drain.Finallly keep aquarium away from windoews with sunlight and do not leave aquarium light on mor tha a few hours a day.
2007-02-11 10:15:20 · answer #5 · answered by xxx 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
they make water treatments to clear up a cloudy tank. The green sounds like algae. Is there a lot of sunlight on your tank? Try getting a pleco.. they eat algae, or put live plants in your tank (available at pet stores where they sell fish)
2007-02-11 05:45:16 · answer #6 · answered by heinzlsm 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Make sure you have a filter, and then buy some drops. They sell em at your local pet store for about 3 bucks. Its will help the amonia and ph in the tank, and get rid of the harmful things for fish from tap water. It helps my fish, and even my crab! (Crabs are dirty animals, so it helps me from cleaning the water every day.) Works wonders!
2007-02-11 10:17:38 · answer #7 · answered by jennypenny_929 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it may nicely be countless issues. because it really is a quite new tank, my first concept may be that that's the hot gravel. it may take as a lot as 6 months for the cloudiness to sparkling with a clean tank, via new gravel. After 4-6 syphonings, it really is going to sparkling.. yet, if not,is your tank close to a window? it should be algae boost, via solar. If the solar many times shines on your tank, this may ensue. the superb answer then, is to flow the tank, that is a discomfort, yet may be your purely answer. also, blending tropical fish and goldfish, may also be the area. Goldfish on my own are VERY messy. actually, they produce 5 situations as a lot waste as tropical fish. blending both kinds does reason a pressure element nonetheless. Fish also produce extra waste even as in annoying situations, and your ammonia and nitrate stages may be extreme. you are able to purchase drops to position on your water to reduce that. very last, yet not least, if you're overfeeding, it ought to reason your water to be cloudy. quite if you're utilising frozen meals or stay food. yet in spite of the dry food, in case you spot plenty sink to the bottom, cut back your feeding. Your fish ought to purely take a minute to devour, and maximum experts will feed smaller quantities, extra many times, as a lot as ten situations an afternoon!! So please attempt to stay clear of that. in case you spot flakes, or any food, touchdown on the bottom, maximum probably you're overfeeding. wish i became effective!!
2016-11-27 01:05:19 · answer #8 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The best product I have found to stop this from happening is called Waste Control available at most pet stores - it stops fish waste from making water cloudy. If that doesn't work, visit this website
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/
They will allow you to write to them with questions and have an expert help.
2007-02-11 05:15:53 · answer #9 · answered by ginabgood1 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Is the filter new? Clean? Big enough for your tank size? Is this a new setup?
2007-02-11 05:14:43 · answer #10 · answered by JT 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋