20 gallon tank cloudy water?

Question

The water will be as clear as day, but when I add new water(the water evaporates) it clouds up. If I change the water and add new it clouds up. It will clear up again in 2-3 days but it's annoying. My fish are mostly tetra's, and they seem ok. I got the tank over a month ago.

Answer 1

My first question is how old is your tank? If your water isn't cloudy from the tap it could be from a number of sources. Do you have any fish?

There are a number of problems leading to your tank being cloudy and/or smelly.

All too often too many new fish owners make the same common mistakes. 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/biologicalcycle/a/nitrogencycle.htm


Your biggest issue now isn't the cloudy water; it's the ammonia spike that will soon occur (if it hasn't already), followed by elevated nitrites. 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. (If it is a new tank)
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
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. As long as your water "quality" is fine, do this every other day until the water is clear. Each time, be sure to rinse your filter out as well.
Adding an air your bubble want does nothing for the fish or the water. Dissolved O2 comes from the water itself moving. Bubblers move very little water there for add very little to no Dissolved O2 to your tank.

Do your water change every other day (I know pain in the butt) but if the tank needs to be cycled properly
Good Luck

Answer 2

It's possible your tank hasn't finished cycling yet - this can take 1-2 months depending on tank conditions. What you might be seeing is a bacterial bloom.

It's equally possible there's dust in your gravel that is stirred up each time you add more water and it settles out in a few days. Do you use a gravel vacuum to clean the gravel?

Do you know the pH or hardness of your water? If you have a naturally high pH, it could come with compounds like calcium sulfate in the water that create a cloudy haze when concentrations are high enough. A call to your water company could give you this information.

Here's a website that has other suggestions on causes and solutions for cloudy aquarium water. Maybe this can "clear up" your problem: http://www.fishlore.com/CloudyWater.htm

Answer 3

I have the same problem. Make sure the water you are using is clean and add a few drops of chlorine eliminator (in any pet store) so the water isn't harmful to the fish. If the tank is still cloudy, they sell chemicals that will clear up your tank. You can use them every few days when necessary. I have the Animal Planet water clearing chemical, it works great and doesn't bother my fish.

Answer 4

it might be your tap water put the water in a white cup and look for cloudiness if you do call the water department. It cold be adding the new water puts a lot of air in the tank and the air bubbles give it a cloudy appearance. if none of these complies invest in a carbon cartridge that is refillable and is usually used in an Under gravel filter or UGF.

Answer 5

this is normal this is the good bacteria breeding this is excellent but i don't no why u get it whenever u change the water

Answer 6

http://www.environmentalbacteriacorporation.com/page5.html