subject: How Do You Deal With A Freshwater Aquarium That Is Cloudy? [print this page] How Do You Deal With A Freshwater Aquarium That Is Cloudy?
It is only natural for a beginner to be scared to see a cloudy freshwater tank. In the first place, what is expected to be seen is clear water with beautiful aquatic displays and colorful fish swimming back and forth not some kind of dirt that obscures the supposed attractive serenity inside. There is nothing to be worried about for the most part but of course, it is certainly something that must not be ignored. Clean water is important in an aquarium. Although generally speaking, cloudy aquarium water does not create a harmful environment for your fish, but it certainly destroys the appeal. We naturally want the water clear so we can enjoy watching the view inside. Cloudy aquarium water can arise from a number of reasons such as annoying algae, some residues from the decorations like the gravel, or excess foodthere can be several reasons that a tanks water can become cloudy and an expert will have many possible answers for the tank owner, as there are many different causes. the waters color and conditions in the tank determine the possible cause.What causes white or grayish water?Gravel ResidueWhen you fill your freshwater aquarium with water the first time and after a couple of hours your tanks water turns cloudy, the gravel that you put in your fish tank may not have been washed thoroughly. when the water runs clean into the drain from rinsing the gravel, then you can use it in the tank. It is not surprising for new rocks and decorations to cause cloudy water even if they were rinsed prior to placing them in the tank. When they get soaked in the tank, tight dirt that was not washed away by rinsing, loosens up. You can get all of the dirt loose by soaking the gravel for 2 to 3 days in a separate container, and then give them another rinsing before you place them in the tankDissolved ElementsWhat happens if washing the gravel doesn't solve the problem? As mentioned above, there are several answers as there are several causes. So if thorough gravel cleaning does not solve the problem, the second most likely cause is dissolved elements such as heavy metals, silicates or phosphates. Test the water to determine the pH level and if it is found to be high, water conditioners can generally solve the problem.Reverse Osmosis (RO) may be chosen because not only does it help in resolving cloudy water issues, but if the water contains toxic elements. Using an reverse osmosis unit purifies and softens the water.Bacteria BloomThere are instances when after the aquarium is set up, water remains clear for days, sometimes for several weeks. everything is going great, then out of nowwhere the tank water becomed cloudy. When this happens, the gravel is not the cause anymore but bacterial bloom. While doing your research prior to your purchase of the tank and the rest of the equipment, you surely have read something about 'cycling' the tank. cloudy water is the typical, expected result of a new fish tank that is being cycled for the first time. This is because after several days or weeks or even months, bacterial colonies begin to start that will clear waste from the water. Once the cycle takes place, the cloudiness clears itself.New fish tank keepers sometimes tend to panic upon seeing the water in the tank turn cloudy. Our advice is whatever the cause, never panic. Instead find what's causing it because that can always be resolved. Keeping the aquarium free from debris such as decaying plants and excess food, regular gravel vacuuming and doing partial water changes are all steps to maintain cleanliness of the tank and will resolve most bacterial bloom cases. Flocculates, sold at fish shops, are also used as water clearers as they make debris bunch together which then are cleared by filters. So be sure to regularly clean your filters too which will help maintain their efficiency.What causes green water?Needless of an explanation, green water is caused by algae growth. The difficult part comes in its removal especially if you do not know what's causing the growth.Excess light is the most probable cause and the cure is easy. When a freshwater aquarium is placed in a spot where it gets direct sunlight like in front of a window or when tank lights are on for too long, or the tank lights are far too strong, it promotes algae growth. Simply move the tank out of direct sunlight or lessen the time the lights are on and that will do it. If it is not possible to move the tank, try a UV sterilizer to control the algae.Too much nutrients such as phosphates and nitrates also makes a good reason for algae growth. a water change will provide the owner with a quick fix but the problem will come back. But the source of the excess nutrients has to be removed or the problem will persist.The presence of high phosphates can come from a couple of sources which are the old water in your tank, and decaying substances. Also, you may need to reduce the amount of food you give to your fish.Fish wastes' byproduct makes nitrates naturally rise in the aquarium after some time and that is why a water change is a required maintenance as part of upkeep of an aquarium. High levels of nitrates in the aquarium are often the result of having too many fish in the tank per-gallon of water.In general, a partial water change removes about 10-15 % of the water and can clean the gravel and help remove any excess uneaten food in the tank. If the problem persists yet you are certain the water is not really bad, check your fish. If they are alright, you just might need to give it some time, because if it's bacteria that is causing the problem, it will resolve itself. This may not be applicable in all cases. There are times when you will really need to make sure that the problem is under control.It is advisable to keep a smaller 'quarantine tank' in such cases so that you can transfer your fish to the other tank and deal with the problem in a more direct fashion. If you need to relocate your fish to an guarantine tank, then be sure beforehand that the quarantine tanks temperature and water PH are the same as the main tank or your fish may get very sick quickly and die.
