Problems Cleaning the Fish Tank..I See cloudiness, I'm not sure why..?

Question

i cleaned my fish tank, and added everything i needed in the tank, but when i added water, it looked cloudy, and im not sure why.
Do you guys know what i can do? cuz i alredy lost 3 Neon Tetra's and 1 Male Mollie :( .... please help me... i dont want my fishes to die, especially because i got like 18 baby fry from my white and black mollie.. i want them to servive...
please help... and i cleaned it days after, but still it was cloudy., im goin to clean it again and see if anythin happens but i hope the cloudiness goes away...

I feed my fish 3-4times a day, i read about how much to feed them on the web.
Like about 4years ago when i just had neon tetra's, i only fed them twice a day,
Im not sure if i should do the same now with my Mollies(and baby fry), and my 4 neon tetra's,.

this is how i clean my tank;
I first take out about 20% of the water out sometimes more with the Gravel cleaner the hose lookin thing, and i clean teh gravel with it, and then i add the water in, Tap water, then i move everything where they were in the tank, because of the water moving it around, then i put 2 cap full of "Aqua Plus, Tap Water Conditioner", and then I sprinkle sum "Aquarium Salt"..
and thats what i do. and i still dont know why i see cloudiness.. :(

Answer 1

You don't need to feed your adult fish more than twice a day, but you should feed the fry more frequently (3-4 times). If possible, it might be better to move the fry to a separate tank so they don't have to compete with the adults for food. This will allow you to feed the adults less.

If this is an established tank, have you just been giving 3-4 feedings since the fry were born? By adding more food, you're increasing the amount of ammonia your fish are producing and your bacteria aren't used to handling the load. This is almost like what happens while you're cycling your tank - you're building bacteria to handle the additional ammonia which is giving the water a cloudy appearance.

If you have a test kit, try testing for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate - I bet you'll find higher levels than you might expect - especially if you're trying to do too thorough of cleanings to reduce the cloudiness. You may be better off to cut down on the amount given at each feeding. Still give the overall amount they would eat in 2-3 minutes twice a day, but cut each amount given at the feeding in half to do four smaller feedings to accommodate the fry. Also do more frequent water changes.

Answer 2

you have a lot of good answers. the one about tetras being hardy is not . they are a pretty delicate fish and don't respond well to change or new anything. mollies on the other hand are very hardy fish. they can even live in salt water for some time the molly dieing is a huge red flag, they are usually pretty indestructible.details are needed did the fish die before or after you changed the water. you should get an ammonia test kit ph kit to wouldn't hurt. theses two kits are the most important.if the cloudiness doesn't go away in a day you have problems two problems one worse then the other. ammonia levels are two high this will surely kill your fish, but this is funny because the babies would have definitely died first the water change should take care of the ammonia levels.your filter change should be done in steps not all at once. like some one else said there's important bacterias in the filter that keep everything in check.never clean a tank all throughout do it in steps half the filter half the water half the gravel and so on.one easy thing some people over look is where you have the tank located . given that daylight hours are getting longer. your tank is getting more natural sunlight which isn't good. This will cloud the water and produce excess algae.try and shade the tank if this is happening

Answer 3

Jen, What your other answers given are not telling you is most likely, you are killing off your good bacteria when you are gravel filtering. You really only need to clean that gravel out maybe every 2 weeks to once a month. And the others are correct in saying you are over feeding them. 2 times a day should be quite fine. I used to think I was not feeding my Gourami enough as they would wait by the top when they saw me come home, but I ended up cleaning out more often feeding them three times vs. 2. Most places in person or on web I am sure will tell you, you only need to feed your fish enough food they will consume COMPLETELY in 2 to 3 minutes. If there is excess on the gravel, then it's too much. If you have some cat's and plecos cleaning up, that helps somewhat, but your better off watching how much they eat and how long it takes. The cloudiness is basically a bacteria bloom, and the more you clean it out, unless it's been cycled, then it's going to keep doing that as you are wiping out your bacteria colony. Emergency case if needed, try a dose of Bio Spheria, and add some Cycle once a week. Get an ammonia, nitirite, and nitrate test kit also.

Answer 4

it sounds like you are cleaning to often, the cloudiness isnt a problem. try feeding no more than 2 times a day and limiting your cleaning to every couple of months. also limit the chemicals u use, remember that the places that tell you to add all the chemicals and to feed 3-4 times a day are the ones you are paying for all of that stuff. the cloudiness usually happens with new water so the more u are changing it the longer it is going to be cloudy. for the most part if u buy a nice even hanging filter and let you water sit for a day before adding to your tank ur fish should live long lives.

Answer 5

first of all only feed twice a day in small amounts they will eat in a few minits.second you do not need to add ANY salt even for mollies.Try to put the water conditioner in a bucket of water not straight inti the tank.Place a small plate (dinner) on the bottom of the tank when you pour water in and aim for the plate,this way you wont disturb the gravel and cause a mess.Have you got a filter if no get one if yes add some cotton wool for a fish shop this helps collect muck and should make your water cleaner.

Answer 6

Hi !
...Bet you have a brand new filter! ;>) Oh, and all those water changes will actually kill your fish faster than the "cloudiness" will. New filters lack valuable beneficial bacteria that aid in the Ph balance in your tank, and you'll see cloudiness until your new filter is "seasoned". What I do is a 65% water change and vaccum the gravel every two weeks for the first two months, and then drop down to once a month for the next four months, then I change the filter. I'll also soak my replacement filter in a container of the change out water about two weeks before the old filter will need to be changed. This allows the beneficial bacteria to set in beforehand, reducing the cloudiness a sterile filter creates.
The size of your tank, as well as the number and type of occupants, will dictate how often you'll need to undertake these chores. Turtles, frogs, and goldfish, as well as live feed eaters, make a tank filthy very fast, so will over-crowding and over-feeding. You can't go wrong with two teaspoons of Epsom salt per gallon in the tank, as this speeds healing in even fresh water fish, acts as an air bladder regulator, and aquarium plants love it! Less chance of fish dying from plugged bowels too.
Finally, stock your aquarium with plenty of live plants, invest in a good quality full-spectrum lamp rated for your tank size, never add rocks, gravel, plants, or wood, from non-aquarium sources, (To avoid introducing dirt, parasites, or harmful substances.) and check your water's Ph on a regular basis. My Mollies, Sword tails, Dragon fish, catfish, goldfish, and loach community thrive on rather hard water, a factor I've argued fiercely over with a number of pet shop owners. I've won over $500.00 in bets and free fish proving the point that, sometimes "pure" and "neutral" are not as good for fishes as they might be lauded. My happy, giant, and fat 8 yr old specimens swim in a mix of straight well water with Epsom salt. (Golden rule, keep it in the 7s for both temp and Ph for the fish I mention. Never use straight tap water though, that's some mean and often killer water.) Oh, and FYI, make sure your aquarium is tightly lidded if you keep male Mollies and Sword tails... Both have a habit of leaping clean out of even pond tanks when the barometer rises, and, during mating. Also, fish from the Goby family, and loaches, will climb or jump out of tanks too. Mine like to travel on the electric cables leading out of the tank from the heater, aerator, and filters. Good Luck!

Answer 7

Its Important to get the balance right ,,, Plants aerate the tank and fish supply the goods to feed the plants,
Tanks usually settle down after a week or so,
try adding a quality filter, and dont let the sun cast rays on the tank,
its also probable that you are feeding too much

Answer 8

you got to leave so dirty water or filter never change but 1/2 a tank of water at one time and change it only when you are not the filters let it set with one or the other if you keep changing some thing it will only make this worse amoa chips in a stocking will help and let it be it will clear up to many changes to a tank in a short time causes troubles like this and more

Answer 9

you need to clean the gravel as well and despite what the people in the shop say mine all died when i put in the chemicals to "balance" the nutrient levels. this may be different in your tank though. you need to test the water your using in the tank. it seems to be something serious though because tetras are pretty hardy fish.

Answer 10

o.k u are all going to think im sad but i was so worried about my fishes dying one stage because the water wasnt good so that i stared to but 5 liters of bottle water , but they did get well in the end and the bottle water really help, so try it bit expensive but well worth it and when they get better u can use normal water again. good luck