My fish tank wont clear up!!?

Question

Hi,
I have had my fishtank for about 5 weeks now and its still slightly hazy, yes I know all about new tank cycling. Basically I havent had an algae bloom yet and its been quite some time. Im not sure what to do. I do partial water changes and I do not clean the filter so the bacteria can grow. I even removed 4 out of the 9 fish to make it easier. Still no algae yet. What should I do?

thanks,
bob

Answer 1

Hi Bob,

Firstly algae bloom is not part of the new tank cycling process, and having an algae bloom isn't something you want. It's problematic and takes some effort to resolve.

Your hazy water could be due to two reason, the first is due to suspended fine particles in the water due to have too much current which are lifting these stuff off your tank gravel, or you could be having an episode of bacterial bloom which is quite common in a new tank cycling process :) Use a ammonia test kit to measure the water and if ammonia is high, it's a bacterial bloom.

If the reason is the first, then you could do a few things. You could ensure that the current doesn't blow off your gravel or you could reduce the flow of the filter or buy a mechanical media for your filter that can trap fine particles.

If the reason is the latter which most probably is the case, it means that the quantity of bacterial in your filter isn't able to fully to convert your ammonia or that they can't do it fast enough. So the solution for that problem is to have more bacterial in your filter, the way to do this is to purchase better bio-media, not all media are made equal :) Talk to your aquarium sale person if you don't know whats best. I recommend Ehiem Substrate Pro, base on it's effectiveness ratio over cost. There are other more effect product but they cost much more per quantity of the bio-media. The other option is to get a bigger filter which can support more of the bio-media you currently have. BTW make sure your filter can turn your total volume of your tank 4 to 8 times an hour too.

If I have confuse you :) and you want to clarify anything, send me an e-mail through yahoo answer. Good Luck.

P.S. If it's an ammonia issue do continue with your water change routine, it's helping to keep your fishes alive.

Answer 2

I had this problem myself with a new tank last week.

Sometimes the stuff that's suspended in the water is just so fine that the filter isn't quite getting it done. In my case there was so much that the filter was grabbing some stuff only to let other stuff go. So I took part of the filter media (not all of it, so as not to wipe out all the bacteria) and cleaned that every day. A 3/4 water change also helped. It took about 3 days to get totally clear, so like the poster above noted, a little patience goes a long way too.

I wouldn't worry too much about not having algae unless you've got a starving pleco in there.

Answer 3

Too many fish will give off give off too much ammonia from the fishes waste. You did remove some though How big are the fish? I have a pond that I had an algae problem with. I put Barley straw in it( that is sold in small bails at feed store or on the Internet for this purpose). Barley straw has an ensign in it that eats the bacteria that causes algae. It worked in clearing up my pond, maybe some how you could use some in your filter. Look up barley straw on the Internet, It will tell you more about it than I know. All I know is it worked in my pond.

Answer 4

Patience is the best answer for you to be totally honest. Given a little more time the tank will clear. Be glad you haven't had a classic algae bloom yet, green water is a pain to clear up. The reason your not seeing any algae is a lack of nitrate in the tank just yet. Eventually it will get high enough to feed a bit of algae.

MM

Answer 5

Your tank if it is new or just cleaned out is depleted of the good bacteria it needs. In other words it needed to cycle. With the fish in it, it has compounded the problem. Time will fix this on its own. It simply needs to re-establish the bacteria. But watch your fish, as you could loose them. There is a very good product I have found called Crystal Clear. It is sold at Wal-Mart. I have used it a few times and it is fast acting and very inexpensive. This product makes the contaminants in the water stick together so the filter more easly filters them out. Works great.

Answer 6

Im not sure the algea growth will help have you conditioned the tank and tried some of the clear water treatment to clear it up they sell stuff at walmart to clear uyp the cloudy water

Answer 7

Change the water less and add bacteria supplements often. It'll clear up with time. Try not to use any chemicals to clear the water, usually those make it worse.

Answer 8

Just give your tank some more time. It is not uncommon for new tank to take this long to cycle.