Cloudy Fish Tank?

Question

My tank is cloudy, I stripped it down yesterday and washed it and put the fish back in, I heard it was a bacteria bloom or somthing, Is this harmful to my fish and will they die?

I know im not ment to strip it down, I was doing it because there was too much waste/poop on the gravel and i couldnt clean it with the gravel cleaner, I washed the tank, But kept the filter media, and i now keep the tank barebottom, I do have test kits that test ammonia.ph and to others nitrate and nititre or somthing like that, What should i do now?

Answer 1

Tiki has the right answer here I think. Most cases of cloudiness is a bacterial bloom, especially if it is whitish in coloration. The bloom itself isn't so much harmful to the fish as the toxic compounds that get oxidized are. There is some cases where a bloom can be too large and your fish would suffer from oxygen depletion. To suppliment on tiki here, those oxidizing reactions that create nitrite then ultimately nitrate are what is called aerobic reactions, meaning oxygen is used in the process. During a bloom, bacteria are at the same time they are growing, oxydizing some of those compounds and thus using up oxygen in the tank. There is a very slight risk a huge bloom could deplete oxygen levels to dangerous situations in a tank but generally it doesn't occur.

Will your fish die? Alot of that is going to depend on how much of your colony got destroyed during cleaning. When you say washed it out, if you emptied the tank entirely and washed out both the gravel and filter, then your fish are going to be at a very significant risk of death. If washing it out was a 40% change in water and scrubbing the sides out, and making sure your filter media was cleaned in the tank water being changed out, I'd say you have minimal risk of death. How old is this tank and do you have proper testing equipment for water chemistry parameters? (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, ph)? Did you condition the water you replaced in the tank also? Many of these condtions need to be met to accurately assess the risk to your fish. If you'd like to follow up with additonal info we could probably give you a better answer.

JV

FOLLOW UP:

YIKES!!! Ok to be honest, there is a pretty good risk to this population. Most of the biological filter that Tiki and I are talking about lives in the gravel substrate. There went a good portion of that biological filter. I'd reccomend even if it sand or something easier for you to vaccum, you establish a substrate in there. Test your water please. I am betting you're going to find elevated levels in your ammonia and possibly nitrite, depending on how established your tank is. The species of fish is really going to determine how susecptible they are to dying when the water chemistry shifts. Feel free to email me privately if you wish on what you have in there. But I'd say you really need to get some kind of substrate in there for your bacteria to repopulate. Not sure the size of the tank here and the population levels, if you have other tanks you can lower/evacutate out this population, I would do so asap. You could possibly assist your colony fishless, if you took everyone out and made sure there was a constant ammonia source, but I'd evacuate out all sensative fish and leave your hardy ones in place.

Answer 2

If it was white/greyish color cloudy water, then it was a bacterial bloom. You shouldn't have stripped it down and cleaned it though. That color cloudy water is common in newly set up tanks, it's the beneficial bacteria starting to colonize. It's going to end up doing it again....Here's a link for cycling a fish tank, read through it so you can understand a little better about what's going on during that process:

http://freshaquarium.about.com/od/startupcycle/Step_5_The_Cycle.htm

.
And the bacteria isn't harmful to the fish, but what goes on during the cycle process is. Basically, fish put out ammonia through their waste and respiration, or any uneaten food left in the tank. The beneficial bacteria converts ammonia into nitrites. Then, it converts the nitrites into nitrates. It's the biological process all fish tanks need to go through. The ammonia and nitrites are harmful to the fish, so read through that link it also has articles on what to do for ammonia or nitrite poisoning.

Answer 3

You will continue to experience cloudy water until the aquarium has adequately gone through the Nitrogen Cycle. The next time you clean your tank, DO NOT strip it down. All you need to do is change about 25% of the water and be sure to dechlorinize it using a dechlorinizer like Prime. If you have further questions, feel free to visit Aquatic-Terrors.com

Answer 4

no your fish will not die u just need to let the cloudiness settle it will be clear again if it doesn't work u need to go get water clearifier but it will leave a whitish res ado on the bottom of the tank it will go away the a few days later.Any time you put city water you need to use a chlorine neutralizer to take out the chlorine, but I don't think this is the problem for your fish would already be dead. the chlorine burns the gills of the fish causing them to suck for air and die. It is most likely undissolved oxygen from the new water, it will clear in a few days.

Answer 5

if your talking about the water in the tank being cloudy, yes it will kill the fish,, you have too much chlorine in the water and it needs to be filtered some more.

Answer 6

the bacteria is growing don't worry it can take up to 3 =4 weeks for it to return to its natural state the clouds will dissapate day by day

Answer 7

you're over feeding. Left over nutrition motives risky micro organism that consumes oxygen. Oder is likewise led to by employing micro organism. (to no longer be at a loss for words with constructive micro organism) as a result pass that chemical. enhance your filter out length. Feeder fish nor any fish are mandatory to initiate algae. mild is (the extra mild the extra & speedier algae growth). you in addition to mght could have presented to many fish to straight away in the event that they're gold fish feeders as they have an inclination to be "grimy" by employing nature. additionally wide-unfold rule a million" of fish according to gal. of water. I take you recommend DE-CHLORINATOR no longer chlorine chemical compounds as chlorine kills fish. If the water have been left as long as you reported chlorine remover does no longer be mandatory. Chlorine could burn up interior 40 8 hours at everyday room temperature. In new tanks because of the fact no constructive bacterial have yet superior a surprising intro of that many fish could desire to truthfully initiate clouding with little filtration. The aeration is help complete save it going. Given approximately 5days with much less nutrition the tank ought to sparkling up. you are able to desire to apply a chemical like "sparkling" that motives "airborne dirt and dirt" molecules to bond and be filtered out extra truthfully or sink to the backside, even though it may sparkling with out it. cut back decrease back to a million or 2 pinches an afternoon and make specific they consume it in decrease than 5 minutes. positioned your cash right into a extra powerful filter out and purchase chemical compounds in ordinary terms whilst nessary. do no longer sparkling the tank & filter out on an analogous time. in case you do your removing each and every of the constructive micro organism at as quickly as and you will could desire to initiate the approach over as quickly as extra. sparkling one or the different wait 5-7days and then sparkling the different. you will no longer could desire to purchase starter em-zines. Do use declorinator whilst doing water adjustments or addind fish in the previous 40 8 hrs. except you have properly water.

Answer 8

you should be fine! Mind you cleaning it with glass bleach might make the fish look cloudy instead? any Mr. Muscle fish in there?

Answer 9

might be ammonia, check your water ph levels, add drops if neccesary , could be something you put in your tank if not that , if not something inyour tank bleeding off, it could be sitting near a window getting direct sun , try adding drops you can buy for clearing the water.

Answer 10

no its ok. just buy ur fish a little umbrella in case it rains