# Something in the water?



## MacFish (Jun 15, 2006)

Anyone else notice anything weird when doing water changes the last couple days? I did changes on a tank on Tuesday, no problems. Last night I did a change and the water was super cloudy after. I did a small change on a different tank tonight and got the same cloudiness. 

I'm in south Etobicoke.


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

all i am getting is tonnes of micro bubbles that cloud up the tank...

super annoying...

fish still okay?


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## MacFish (Jun 15, 2006)

Yes the fish are okay. Overnight the tank clears. Just kinda wierd that it's doing this all of a sudden.


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

Any pipe work in the area?... I know they had some water main breaks up somewhere. That always worries me...


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## Burtess (Jan 17, 2007)

Same for most of the winter months in Dundas as well.

Are you using a Python? If so I have found that shoving a piece of an AC110 foam block into the siphon end when refilling will reduce alot of the microbubbles. They tend to adhere to the sponge and then combine together into larger bubbles that don't cloud the water as much.

Burt


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

Burt! thanks for the tips! Hopefully it helps a few others


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## ksimdjembe (Nov 11, 2006)

*water changes and water recovery*

i am also seeing this slight change when doing a water change.
i am in whitby, and have been for a few years now, and havent seen this before
i have been seeing all my tanks seemingly trying to 'recover' - my gravel goes a bit grey and water seems a bit cloudy. much easier to see in dark coloured gravel. black especially.

i have been reading up on this a bit on a few other forums, and it seems like others are seeing it too. anyone here?

i dont put this down to poor care - water changes are not heavy, maybe up to 20 percent a week - maybe less, and all my plants are doing well.

this hasnt happened for the two years that i am out this way. could it be that there are more chemicals/heavy metals/ chlorines/chloramines in the water due to spring and spring use??

anyone else seeing this? is this a slight (re)cycling of the bacteria?
thanks - k


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## MacFish (Jun 15, 2006)

Thats what others are saying. More chlorine to kill addional bacteria in the spring run off. I've slowed my water changes and adding 3x the amount of dechlorinator. 

I've got fry now so I hope this does the trick.


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

Generally, tap water this time of the year is really bad for reasons that MacFish mentioned. 

ksimdjembe: I have a client out in Oshawa and the chlorine smell out of the tap is pretty bad since last November. In the 110 gal, I can't change more than 10gal, even w/10x the dose of Prime. The gouramis start to sit at the bottom motionless like someone just turned them off. It takes them about 12 hours to get back to normal.


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

Here's a pearl gourami not liking the 10gal water change on the 110gal w/triple does of Prime. The set-up is in Oshawa and you can smell the funk coming out of the tap.

In a few hours they "wake up".


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## Burtess (Jan 17, 2007)

Over here in the Hamilton area (Dundas) I am still doing my usual 50% water change once per week in my CA/SA cichlid tanks using the recommended dose of Prime and nobody could be happier. 
We are all drawing from Lake O, maybe the treatment methods are different?

Burt


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## Pablo (Mar 27, 2006)

wtac said:


> Here's a pearl gourami not liking the 10gal water change on the 110gal w/triple does of Prime. The set-up is in Oshawa and you can smell the funk coming out of the tap.
> 
> In a few hours they "wake up".


Hence, always always gas out your water completely and adjust it to tank parameters as closely as you can before performing a water change.


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

In bucket w/Mag12, thumb over the end degassing for 5mins still doesn't take the funk out . Oddly enough it stinks up the 20'x20' room that it's in


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## MacFish (Jun 15, 2006)

Still having issues. When I do a change, be it 10% or 60%, my water goes cloudy/milky for somewhere between 6 hours to 2 days.

I have been added triple the amount of dechlorinator. I haven't lost any fish so I don't know if it is doing any harm. It doesn't smell either. 

I do sometimes get a white film on my glass and decorations which needs to be wiped off.


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## nightowl1350 (Mar 19, 2006)

We all may get water from Lake Ontario, but some areas have more polution in it than others. Each area also treats differently. Hamilton area uses chloramines or did for some places like Waterdown.


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## Zebrapl3co (Mar 29, 2006)

wtac, MacFish that is really wierd. I've had my bad water changes before, but nothing like what you guys are getting. Have you guys test your water? It would be interesting to see the amount of chlorine/chloramines in it. Also, was your tab water purely cold water or hot+cold tab water? It might be the pipes from the hot water that is causing this problem. Have you tried running the hot water for a 30 sec first?

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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

I was going to test the water but I always forget to bring Cl test/take a sample home w/me. It's definitely chlorine based as you can really smell it and it gets really funky when I have a plactic bag over the Python drain/fill at the tap to minimize splash around the sink. If I don't dry the bag...it REALLLY stinks when I unravel it.

LOL...I can hear you all groaning...Python for ~10ga of water?!? Well, my back isn't too happy w/me these days .


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## Pablo (Mar 27, 2006)

A 20 gallon HDPE garbage can can be had for like $12. I have one with a pump and heater and my water usually sits there for 2 to 3 days before I do a W/C. Im thinking of getting a python so I can just pump water from the tap to the can, leave it there for 2 days, then powerhead pump through the python out of the can into the tank..

I'm kinda getting tired of moving 400lbs of water around every 3 days too


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## MacFish (Jun 15, 2006)

So I think I figured out what the problem is. Big Als water conditioner. I know it isn't the best brand out there but I have been using it since I started keeping fish without any problems. 

A few months ago, I notice the bottle I bought had been changed slightly. The label still looked the same but the bottle was a different shape and volume. 

It took me a while to put 2 and 2 together but it seems this is what is causing the issue. I setup a new tank at the office around the same time I was having trouble at home and bought another bottle. Same issue. 

When I realized what the issue may have been, I went to Big Als to ask about it. The guy I talked to said he hasn't heard any other people complain about it but he said he did know that the company that bottles it for them recently changed ownership. Right around the same time I started having trouble. I am wondering if they changed the formula or something. 

I bought a bottle of prime to try and so far in all 5 of my tanks, not a cloud in the water! Hopefully I'm not jumping the gun but for the last 6 months or so, I almost always get clouding in my tanks. 

Anyone else use Big Als??


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## KnaveTO (May 13, 2007)

I buy all my equipment and stuff like that from there as the prices are very good. But when it comes to anything going in the water I use a name brand every time.


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## Pablo (Mar 27, 2006)

I've had this exact same thing happen with cheap water conditioner. Glad you figured it out.


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

The cloudiness is due to the gelling agent. Just more organics for bacteria to feed on, thus the clouding.

The only off the shelf water conditioners I use is SeaChem Prime. Never a problem.

JM2C/HTH


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## Pablo (Mar 27, 2006)

JM2C/HTH

This is the chemical makeup of said water conditioner, incase anyone was wondering

*jks*


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## ksimdjembe (Nov 11, 2006)

*a little cloudy water... again*

so according to wilson, it is most likely only the gelling agent? i was thinking that there was something the big als water conditioner was not taking care of ie- chloramines...
Seachem prime sounds like the better route. thanks


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## Pablo (Mar 27, 2006)

Even if it wasnt the conditioner causing problems- Prime works out cheaper so it is better for your budget to use it- and its a really good water conditioner all round IME


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## Fishfinder (Feb 17, 2008)

The big Als variety does get rid of chloramines, and also 'protects the fishs scales by adding a coating of something'. I use it, and dont have any problems with bubbling/film. although i do have small bubbles of air that clear up in about 20min, but thats due to my piping( its bubbly b4 i add the dechlorinator)


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## Pablo (Mar 27, 2006)

Fishfinder said:


> The big Als variety does get rid of chloramines, and also 'protects the fishs scales by adding a coating of something'. I use it, and dont have any problems with bubbling/film. although i do have small bubbles of air that clear up in about 20min, but thats due to my piping( its bubbly b4 i add the dechlorinator)


Every single water conditioner I know of will do both of those things. I've used the BA's variety... its way too goopy- like stress coat. AFAIK both are ancient formulas from the days of lead paint and DDT and metal lunchboxes.


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