I have 3 platys, one catfish and a couple loaches. I put the conditioning salt in last week when I did the water change, and it was cloudy. I added some stuff to clear it up 2 days later, it never got any better. Then I tried Stress-zyme... that didn't work either. It's still REALLY cloudy. I changed the filter and cleaned the glass inside out! What's causing this?
2007-04-12 17:51:21 · 6 answers · asked by munkees81 6 in Pets ➔ Fish
Two of my platy fish are pregnant. Will it hurt them if I feed them less? I don't give them too much, just a pinch twice a day.
2007-04-12 18:03:34 · update #1
You don't say how long you've had this tank set up, but if it's recent (less than two months old) your cloudiness might be due to your tank cycling. Here bacteria that convert the by-products of your fishes' metabolisms (ammonia) into nitrite and nitrate. You may just be seeing a bacterial bloom (which is a good thing!). See this link for more info on cycling and cloudy water: http://www.fishlore.com/CloudyWater.htm
As far as feeding, what your fish can eat in two minutes' time twice a day is enough.
2007-04-12 19:20:04 · answer #1 · answered by copperhead 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If your tank is new chances are it is going thru the start up cycle. What are your water tests coming up like? The cloudyness is a simple bacterial bloom.
Also, water changes when cleaning the tank should be limited to 25% of the water removed and replaced only. Adding excess salts, chemicals to clear cloudy water and excess stress zymes are not helping the problem.
Over feeding can also cause cloudy water but since you don't feed them all that much to begin with I don't think that is the problem.
Test your water to ensure you are not having ammonia spikes. Change only 25% of your water during cleanings once per week. The bacterial bloom will settle down once your tank has completely cycled.
2007-04-13 03:17:12 · answer #2 · answered by danielle Z 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The problem is not the feeding, but the fact that the water is new. Regardless of what rip-off chemical you put in the tank, your water doesn't have the micro-flora (essential bacteria) to breakdown the substrate from excreta or excess food. As a result to the absence, you water will be cloudy for quite a while until your tank is "established", meaning that you have little organisms that eat and break-down the cloudiness growing in your tank. You have "New tank Syndrome". I would recommend that you keep the water in another tank and put your fish in that tank, meanwhile you can establish the original tank by putting new water in it and run the filter for two weeks before putting in the fish. Hope this helps.
2007-04-13 03:17:23 · answer #3 · answered by Antonio D 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
How much are you feeding the fish? If you are feeding more than the fish can eat, then the particles of food left over will be suspended in the water and it will make it cloudy. Try cutting back on the feeding and see if it starts to clear up.
2007-04-13 00:58:00 · answer #4 · answered by fgcuchica 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
try to get the aquarium vacuums, you can find at any pet store, you get down in the rocks to get alot of the big chunks that break down into the water. also do a 25 % water change every other day for a week with the vacuum. after the water should settle.
2007-04-13 01:13:56 · answer #5 · answered by Justin 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
first of all,change the water.If you feed the fish in excess,the water will become cloudy.A little less feeding won't bother the platies.
2007-04-13 04:40:12 · answer #6 · answered by Dragon Buster 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋