Why is my fish tank look so murkey, or blurry?

Question

my 20 gallon fish tank appears to be blurry and its not algae because i just did partial water change and their is "clear water" chemicals in it....

as i said before poeple, i just cleaned it and its dirty in a day or two, and its a 20 gallon tank with about 12 fish in it, mind you 6 of them are about half an inch.

Answer 1

There could be a number of problems leading to your tank being cloudy and smelly.

All too often too many fish owners make the same common mistakes from the get go (not that you have, this is just a statement as to a cause) . Did you wash your tank out properly prior to installing? Did you wash your gravel thru a strainer (and I don't mean just rinse it off)? These are the two leading cause for cloudy water.

Your tank is not cycled properly. See web page.
http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/biolog...
If you don't know how the cycling process works, I'd strongly recommend that you become familiar with the Nitrogen cycle, so you are aware of what will be happening in the upcoming weeks.

What are your water readings? You should begin testing your water right away for ammonia and take appropriate steps to keep it below lethal levels. Hang in there; once you get your tank through the initial cycle the cloudy water problem will clear up (Unless you have other underlieing problems)

Do you or are you using a gravel siphon to clean the bottom when doing water changes? Did you rinse out your filter and pads prior to installing them?

If you did not rinse the gravel well enough you can do one of two things, stir up the gravel in the tank really well. This will cause all the "dirt" particles to float in your tank. Keep the filter running and do a 20% water change.

Sometimes over changing your water will cause it to become cloudy. Adding clear water then doing a water change the next day doesn't help much since clear water basically entraps the dirt particles and drops them to the bottom of your tank. Not using a siphone to remove this chemical and the dust per sei (even though you may not be able to see it.)

Sometimes the answer is just simple. Turn your filter off and allow the tank to settle. If the water does not clear with 30 minutes (and no this will not hurt your fish) you may have an algae problem.

Please don't think because you do water changes, algae or algae bloom cannot start in your tank. If that is the case feel free to email me and I will walk you thru clearing up algae....without chemicals. I know it is a pain in the butt.....

Good luck.

Answer 2

Be sure to use a siphon to get all the food and poops out of the gravel. I had the same issue w/ my 55gal tank and after 2 water changes in a week the tank cleared right up. Most likely the cloudiness is due from excess food breaking down and maybe even gathering some bacteria. The clear water won't help too much, you need to resolve the problem, not fix it by adding chemicals.
Try to make a 40-50% water change 2x's a week for a week to see the results.

Answer 3

Once a tank is up and running, water changes are not really needed for it shocks the system. You don't see God nor man changing the water in lakes and oceans do you?

Tank should have a thermometer and heater in it, should have at least one filter system like a whisper where there is a carbon filter involved. should have at least 1 air stone running. and a under gravel filter system is best to have, but just a trickle or power jet is fine.

At least 2 bottom feeders can help.

I haven't had mine all set up for while but have a 45 tall. After bout a month of tinkering and tweaking.....the tank will run itself besides a filter change, food and maybe an occasional rub of a paper towel on the inside glass. Its like nature....the water, bacteria, algae and fish all become as a community. To do a water change or 1/2 change can kill this community.

Answer 4

Do you test your water? The answer is almost always in the water. You aren't overloaded, technically, but it's still a pretty full tank. If your water parameters are out of balance and/or you're not doing proper water changes and cleaning, the water isn't going to look right. Start at the beginning. Test your water, see what it says. If it's all in the right parameters, then this is really an interesting question.

Answer 5

Usually fish tanks are a little "blurry" after cleaning, until the water is completely filtered. Maybe there's something wrong with your filter? I hope you figure stuff out!

Answer 6

whut kind of filter do u have? put a carbon filter in there, or if u have one, carbon filters should be replaced at least once a month, if u have 2 carbon filters, then both every 2 months, after time, carbon releases whut it had absorbed, and is not good for the bactierial culture, becuase the cloudyness is dead bactieria, bad for ur fish, please refrain from using chemicals, as there are other natural remedies for such situations, but for now, just clean the prefilter, replace carbon, and u shold be fine

Answer 7

Yup, most of the time cloudy water is a bacterial bloom. This is when the nitrogen cycle of your tank is disrupted, and you had an ammonia or nitrite spike, which caused bacteria to flare up in your tank.

You need to test the water for ammonia/nitrites/nitrates, to ensure that your fish aren't in danger. Ammonia should be 0, Nitrites should be 0, and nitrates should be 5-20. You can take a water sample to a local pet or fish store, they usually test it for free.

Answer 8

Did you change the filter? fish need the water filtered because of the ammonia in the water. you also need to make sure you dont have too many fish because that will also result in the too much ammonia.

Answer 9

its probably chlorine in your water i had the same problem until i got a treatment for it or it could be the sand(if you have it) being disturbed the lighting helps too but if this isnt the case take a sample to your local aquatics shop and get them to test it could be your carbon but its best to be sure before you treat it

Answer 10

clean the tank especially the glass be careful dont use anything that will leave a residue that can harm your fish. i use to use vinegar and water on the glass. if its bad it will take several times.