is my fish tank cloudy due to substrate for cichilds?

Answer 1

Sometimes not washing sand or gravel properly will cloud your tank. If you have no fish in the tank turn the filter off for about a half hour to settle the tank.

There could also be a bacterial bloom or algae bloom happening in your tank, especially if it is new. What has your water been testing at?

If you have just started your aquarium, or recently changed the gravel, and are experiencing a grayish brownish discoloration of the aquarium water, don't panic. The gravel was probably still "dirty". The free-floating dirt particles should settle as well as get trapped in the external filtration fairly quickly.

A yellowish discoloration or brownish tint is typically attributed to organic matter. Activated carbon should absorb this and eliminate this yellow tint. There is much discussion on how to use activated carbon to its fullest efficiency.

White cloudiness is a result of a bacteria bloom.
Sometimes the cleaning of all filters at once, or the changing of the gravel can trigger a bacteria bloom, due to the removal of bacterial colonies that had settled on the filter media or substrate.

The bacteria are either re-establishing themselves, or are feasting on high nutrients.

In nutrient rich water they can multiply at such a high rate that the water becomes cloudy white.


Bacteria need oxygen. A few grams of bacteria consume about the same amount as an adult human, again posing a threat of de-oxygenation in the aquarium. Immediate action is required if the problem is severe, or persists.

Once again the focus should be on nutrient control. Eliminating excess nutrients will starve the unneeded bacteria colonies resulting in a clearing of the water. A UV-Filter may be somewhat effective, as it kills bacteria. Nevertheless, the problem of high nutrients will not be fixed this way. Therefore the nutrients have to be lowered through water changes.

It is also advisable to check on ammonia during the period of a bacteria bloom, as ammonia may rise to dangerous levels.

If your tank is green, this is an algae bloom which is different.

Answer 2

No, Can you please provide a few more details of what you have done to your fish tank in the past month, how often you feed your fish, how many fish you have and their sizes, and what type of fish.
scenario 1-I'm guessing you had regular fish tank gravel and you switched it with crushed coral substrate or any other type of substrate and the beneficial bacteria layer of your tank died.
scenario 2-you have too many fish in your tank and your filtration or bacterial layer cant keep up and your tank is full of amonia.
scenario 3-you recently did a large water change killing off all the bacteria in your tank.

When you have this problem as i once did, it is very difficult to get rid of if your tank is heavily crowded. This is what i reccomend doing
Solution 1-move your fish to a mature tank if possible (give it to another freind or your fish store to hold for a week)
Solution 2-get rid of some of your fish permentantly.
Solution 3-buy a larger tank large enough for your fish.
Solution 4-buy the beneficial bacteria which is sold at every fish store but most of the time isnt fresh and doesnt help.

Answer 3

Good God man what the hell you talking about.