My Fish Tank has been Murky for the past 2 days ? HELP PLEASE PEOPLE?

Question

Heya people, I baught a new tank from a pet store for my 2 goldfish Jay and Dorris lol, It came complete with two live plants and gravel, I cleaned the gravel to a good extent using a siv and my hands and i washed the plants well, Im not sure why it is STILL murky and cloudy but i cant imagine it is healthy for my fish, Please any idea's would be helpfull, I do not have a filter as i plan to change 25-40% of the water twice a week, I also do not have an air pump as i have the plants and they do not appear to require it despiratly , Many thanks p.s the tank is a 10 litre ( i think ) it is about 40cm length and 30 cm width by about 30 cm height thats just me estimating ? Thanks

Answer 1

Your tank is way too small for 2 goldfish. If you want to keep them and keep them alive and healthy you will need a tank no smaller then 76 liters, you will need to upgrade in the future though so if you can get a 150 liters tank now. You also need a filter, goldfish are one of the messiest fish which means their water gets dirty very fast. Until then I suggest cleaning the tank out more often, once you have the new tank then you can do 10-20 % water changes once a week. Also if you don't already know read up on cycling a fish tank, all tanks must be cycled to have healthy fish.

Answer 2

I have been a hobbyist fish keeper for years now and hope I might be able to help you with your aquarium problem. It is not unsual for a newly set-up tank to be cloudy for a short time. Never use soap or cleaners of any kind on anything that goes in your tank. Also, a new tank goes through a period of chemical changes with ammonia spikes (which comes from fish waste) for about the first month. When your tank is going through the cycle period the first month is when it is the most dangerous for your fish. As soon as you add your fish these changes start. In an effort to not be too wordy here I believe a good filter is imperative! I recommend a good power filter that hangs on the back of your tank. Goldfish are known to produce alot of waste so get one that is at least rated for the size of your tank. Actually I would go the next size bigger and if it comes with a bio-wheel all the better. Frequent water changes are also very important. You need to remove one third of the water and replace it with fresh at the very least once a month. Weekly at this point wouldn't hurt a thing. I know you see goldfish kept in bowls with no filtration or aeriation but the fish won't live that way for any length of time. Goldfish will live years and grow to be quite big with good water quality. Also, overfeeding can cause cloudy water. I feed once a day and only what they will consume within about 5 minutes. There's alot of information on fish keeping on the net. In your search bar type in goldfish and you'll find lots of useful info. If I can be of any further help don't hesitate to e-mail me. Hope this helps in some way. Good luck!

Answer 3

Your tank is too small, and you need a filter. The plants are useless. You'd need 10-30x the mass of plants to fish to provide oxygen, and remove nitrates. (The only source of oxygen in your tank right now is difuson from the surface of the water.)

With the current tank setup you'll need to change 100% of the water at least once a week. Normally a full water change is bad as it tend disrupt your "biological filter". This not true in an unfiltered tank as the "biological filter" requires aeration, and circulation of the water.

Most people say that a goldfish require 5-10 gallons per fish. (Personally I view goldfish as small pond fish.) In a 10-20 gallon filtered tank you will be able to do 20-40% weekly water changes.

10 gallon ~= 38 liters

Answer 4

With that small tank for goldfish you need to change 100% water daily, regardless of if you have a filter or not, until you can get 40 litres per fish. The tank has too much bioload. What you are seeing in the water is a buildup of ammonia, a waste product given off by the fish. Ammonia is a toxin and will eventually kill the fish. In a cycled tank, the bacteria in the filter media uses the ammonia and changes it to nitrate, which is much less toxic. But as I said, your tank is too small to even become cycled.

Answer 5

it can be a few things that is causeing the trubble but first what did ya wash the tank with befor useing it . if you use sope it leaves a fim and can all so kill your fish they say you are able to use white viniger. an rince well with water . all so a filterd tank will clear up much faster than a non filterd tank all so a filterd tank is healther for your fish and less cleaning is invalved the more you have to put your hands in the tank to remove waterthe oils from your skin can mess the chemical in the water and hurt your fish aswell there is so many things that it could be if ya want e amil me from my page and ill try to help ya . good luck !

Answer 6

Did you soak the gravel in hot water? Change the water and clean your gravel and sides of your tank. you will also need to buy a filter. Soaking the gravel will get rid of bad stuff in the gravel. you don't really need an air pump unless your fish need a lot of oxygen.

Answer 7

you need to get a filter cause wastage hasn't got anywhere to go.so it will contaminate the water. It also sounds like you could be over feeding the tank.Please don't change the water that often it only needs to be done once a month. Changing the water that often will damage the fishes health as they develop their ammune system with the water.

Answer 8

buy a good filter with changeable filters and never change more than 25% of the water. gold fish are always going to be dirty get rid of the live plants

Answer 9

You do need a filter. According to my fish store,.Gold fish are a "dirty" fish. You can also try a different type of fish food. I had this problem; was told to try a different food and be careful not to over feed them. Lots of luck. I think that this will help.

Answer 10

clean it more lol.