We maintain our 55 gallon fish tank on a regular basis, but can't seem to keep our water clear,WHY?

Answer 1

It could be the result of over cleaning actually. I assume you mean a white haze that forms in the water soon after cleaning. This haze is the result of a bacteria bloom in the water and is actually beneficial bacteria you want in the tank, but you want it to grow in the filter and on surfaces in the tank. When plenty of food for the bacteria exists (ammonia) and little of the bacteria exists (due to cleanign for example) the bacteria will grow very quickly and even grow in the water.

Give a week or two of gentle basic cleaning, this should clear up with no other problems.

Try this: Using a gravel siphon to clean the gravel as you go, change 25% of the water in the tank once a week. Rinse the pad in your filter in a bucket of the old tank water before you toss it out. Gently wash off the pad, just enough to clear the gunk from it, but not enough to get it really clean. Replace the carbon in the pad is possible and return the pad to the filter. Then refill the tank with dechlorinated water of a very similar temperature to the tank. Use only a dechlorinating product, nothing that adds slime coat, promotes bacteria growth ot is sold to aid the health of the fish. Also be sure to avoid anything that could damage the bacteria in the tank such as antibiotics. Following this routine for a few weeks should allow more than enough bacteria to grow on the surfaces of the tank to prevent a bloom each time you clean.

Hope that helps

MM

Answer 2

The schedule for cleaning your fish tank will depend primarily on:

Tank Placement - The reason the setup is important when it comes to maintenance and cleaning is that if you place the tank in a location hard to get to, chances are it will not be cleaned on a regular schedule. Therefore, make sure the placement of the tank is such to give you adequate room.

Tank Size - Interestingly, a larger tank actually requires less maintenance than a smaller tank. The reason is that the larger tank has more water volume, meaning the waste excreted by the fish along with chemicals and other particles are dispersed over a much larger area. Therefore, if you buy a 10-gallon tank opposed to a 50-gallon tank, you can expect to clean the smaller one more often.

Filtration System - A filtration system is crucial to keeping the tank clean and the environment healthy. Many people will use biological filtration, which allows the right amount of "good" bacteria to grow while maintaining the proper level of Nitrite coupled with a mechanical filter or chemical filter. The mechanical consists of a box that fits within the tank in which some type of media is used to filter out waste and other particles. The chemical filter uses chemical media such as carbon or chemical resins to absorb the waste.

Feeding Habits - One of the most common mistakes made by fish owners is that they feed the fish too much and too often. When there is excess food in the water, it causes pollution. Therefore, purchase the appropriate food for the fish you have and read the instructions to feed them only as much as they will eat in one setting and to know how often they should be fed.

Number of Fish - The general rule for fish is that for every gallon of water, you should have no more than one-inch of slim-bodied fish. When a tank is filled with too many fish, there is excessive waste, food particles, and chemicals floating around, making maintenance difficult as well as the tank unhealthy


The key is that you do not want overfeed the fish, maintain a quality filtration system, and keep the number of
fish down to a manageable number. The easiest way to stay on track is to follow the simply guideline below:

Daily

Fish, just like any other pet, need to be cared for on a daily basis. Although fish do not have the same level of requirements for daily care, they do need to be looked after on a consistent basis.

Feeding - Feed the fish, again taking care to feed only as much as what will be eaten immediately

Water Temperature - Check the water temperature, keeping in mind temperatures will fluctuate throughout the day. Therefore, test the water each morning and then again in the evening. To maintain a healthy tank, you should keep a chart of your findings so you can identify any problems before they turn out of control.


Equipment Check - Make sure the filter, heater, and lights are working properly

Behavior Check - Take a few minutes to watch the fish to see if they are swimming normally. Additionally, look at their skin, looking for any sign of disease.

Water Check - Look at the water to ensure it is not cloudy, does not have a foul odor, and
that nothing out of the norm is floating around


Weekly

In addition to the daily responsibilities of owning fish, there are certain things that will need to be done on a weekly basis as well.

Plants - If you keep live plants in your fish tank, be sure any dead leaves are removed and excess plant growth trimmed

Algae - Using an algae magnet or scraper, clean off algae from the front glass as well as decorations

Water Change - Using a siphon hose, remove large debris from the surface and then with a bucket nearby, siphon about 15% of the tank's water into the bucket. When finished, replace the water with clean tap water that has been treated for chlorine or chloramines. While doing this, you might place a stiff plastic divider between the area you are cleaning and the fish so that you do not accidentally suck any up in the tubing. Additionally, with the siphon running, you can tap the tip down into the gravel to help remove any fallen debris.

Glass - Take a clean cloth and spray it with window cleaner, away from the tank so that none gets in the water and then, simply clean off the front and side glass areas.

Answer 3

Green is good. When a tank is fully cycled the water will turn green between water changes. Mine clears when I change half or a little more of the water and clean and refurbish the filter. It takes only two weeks for the water to green again. Its normal. If it bothers you real bad, get a ultra-violet light filter, that will get rid of the green water.
Clear water is not neccessarily clean water. Green water is not dirty water. When you first set up the tank the water was sharply clear. When the tank cycled the water has a blueish glow that eventually turns green. The Chinese who raise goldfish do not check the water perameters they judge what they need to do by the color of the water. They keep it at a certain green color. It makes the colors pop and the fish grow best. So change your water when the green is too hard to see through. I will remind you that the lake is also green, not crystal clear. It really is ok.

Answer 4

Could be a number of things. It could be particles or debris- try kent pro clear. Make sure you're not overfeeding. If it's a bacteria bloom, do a water change. This is NOT good bacteria. Beneficial bacteria take a very long time to grow.

Answer 5

what kind of filter do you have, maybe you need 2 and also what kind of fish do you keep.

dont' feed your fish for a day if it's really bad, do water changes and try some carbon or extra carbon in a second filter to help keep the water clear.

Answer 6

well to properly answer this question we would need info like what fish type, fish size , filter type and size. planted or not planted. temperatures, and most importantly you readings in your tank

ammonia
nitrite
nitrate
ph

with these reading we can almost tell if your tank is cycled or is doing a mini-cycle

also you might just be having a algae bloom or bacteria bloom

to further chat about your fish problems come to my website
www.pa-cichlids.com and go to the message board and we can chat there. im working on a chat room intergrated with phpbb. the forum is empty so help me build it up. dont worry yahoo it was bought and hosted through you :-)

Dave
www.Pa-Cichlids.com
New website for cichlids please post on forum
to help it start up. any little bit helps

Answer 7

Make sure you have a filter. If you have lots of sand, gravel or mud at the bottom of the tank, you may need one of those special filters that goes underneath it. Also, make sure you have some algae in the tank, as it can sometimes clear up the floating particles that make the tank look foggy.

Answer 8

It may be the filter system you have. I switched filter systems once and it was such a great system that I never had a problem with the water not looking clear.

Answer 9

Get yourself some carbon filter, its not to expensive and it will have your water crystal clear!!

Answer 10

the KEY to have clear water is to make sure WHEN you rinse the sponge....rinse with the tank water....NEVER rinse it with fresh tap water......also change only one sponge at a time

i hope this helps.