why is my fish tank cloudy?

Question

hey people i just purchased a 65 litre fish tank. it came with one of those undergravel filters which im told is crappy so i bought an expensive canister filter and the water has a slight haze in it. i have 3 oscars and ive only just put the filter in. (about 2 days ago)

Answer 1

There are a number of reasons your tank is getting cloudy and or smelly. First off it is a new tank and is still going thru the cycling period. Undergravel filters are great to have but in tandem with a back pack filter or other filter means not as a stand alone

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. Both could result in the loss of some or all of your fish. 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.
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? (Sorry forgot it is only 7 days old) 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.



Good Luck

Answer 2

You may be over feeding. Left over food causes harmful bacteria that consumes oxygen. Oder also is caused by bacteria. (not to be confused with beneficial bacteria) therefore skip that chemical. Increase your filter size. Feeder fish nor any fish are necessary to start algae. Light is (the more light the more & faster algae growth). You also may have introduced to many fish to quickly IF they are gold fish feeders as they tend to be "dirty" by nature. Also general rule 1" of fish per gal. of water. I take you mean DE-CHLORINATOR not chlorine chemicals as chlorine kills fish. If the water were left as long as you stated chlorine remover would not be necessary. Chlorine would dissipate within 48 hours at normal room temperature. In new tanks because no beneficial bacterial have yet developed a sudden intro of that many fish could easily start clouding with little filtration. The aeration is help full keep it going. Given about 5days with less food the tank should clear up. You could use a chemical like "CLEAR" that causes "dirt" molecules to bond and be filtered out more easily or sink to the bottom, but it should clear without it. Cut back to 1 or 2 pinches a day and make sure they consume it in less than 5 minutes. Put your money into a better filter and buy chemicals only when nessary. Don't clean the tank & filter at the same time. If you do your getting rid of all the beneficial bacteria at once and you will have to start the process over once more. Clean one or the other wait 5-7days and then clean the other. You won't need to buy starter em-zines. Do use declorinator when doing water changes or addind fish before 48 hrs. unless you have well water.

Answer 3

There's a few things going on: if you just bought it AND put a new filter in, you've restarted your cycle. Make sure you check daily your ammonia levels. This could be a bacteria bloom creating the chemistry needed for the aquarium. The bacteria live in your filter and yours is new. It could also be a brown algae bloom due to water conditions.

Next up, is food particles. Oscars are one of the messiest eaters and food goes a-flying. In this case, the canister vacuum is a great idea. I would also make sure you use a filter for Oscars that is the next size up from your tank.

Now the tank is the biggest flag I'm getting. You say it's a 65 litre tank. How big are these Oscars? A 65 litre is only 17 gallons. For 3 Oscars you need 150 or preferably larger!

As I said before, they are messy fish. Not only are their eating habits messy, they put out a ton of ammonia in their feces and simply through breathing! If the ammonia levels get too high, it will burn them. This is toxic to fish. The nitrite bacteria will then crop up and eat the ammonia. High levels of nitrite are also harmful to the fish. They inhibit the fish's ability to convert oxygen. After a few weeks of nitrite, the nitrate bacteria will start to form to eat nitrite. Then your tank is cycled.

Unless these are little babies that you are quarantining for a bit or you are purchasing a MUCH bigger aquarium immediately, the future won't look bright for your new babies. Don't forget, these fish are supposed to be about 12" when fully grown. If you stunt them, or cannot provide good enough water conditions for them, they will have internal organ damage and will die. The are cichlids and are territorial. You have not provided enough room for them to have their own territories and fighting will break out.

Answer 4

If your tank is only 65 litres it is way to small for even one oscar.

Answer 5

The tank is recycling. Because of the new filter. It has to rebuilt the bacteria again in its filter.

Answer 6

i would think that since the filter is brand new, the cloudiness is just temporary and would go away after a few uses. or your fishtank is really dirty.

Answer 7

you must clean the gravel first. It has a lot of stuff it it that clouds the water. Then let it settle for a few days.

Answer 8

The fish tank must be dirty, or your filter isn't really working.

Answer 9

Ditto to DanielleZ's reply. Watch the tank closely and be ready to take action.

MM

Answer 10

is your fish tank near a window ?
or it can also be coz of over feeding ?
i really dunno sorry