# Help with White Cloudy Water



## zfarsh (Apr 7, 2011)

Hi,

I have an overstocked 10G tank with 2 fancy goldfish and 2 guppies, planted with hornworth and anubias and java moss. I will be getting a 75g soon, but it will be a few weeks until i can trasnfer the fish. Filters are Aquaclear 20 with Sponge, Biological filter, and fine filter (removed the carbon). Everything was well untill last night i did a water change (i do 50% every 2 days, but recently doing every day).

After a few hours, water was white. I panicked and changed 90% of the water, tried to clean the plants and the Malaysian Wood, but some white would persist. Did not clean the substrate which is black very fine gravel (or sand) ecocomplete. Added 50% water, and as water was cloudy, did another change and cleaned the windows, and added water completely, then re-added the fish. Changed out the fine filter media, cleaned the sponge and bio with the old tank water, and cleaned the Aquaclear 20

It was better, but still milky today. I already fed my fish today, but planing to not feed them for 2 days, and doing 20 - 50% water change everyday. Should i be buying anti amonia products or filter media today (will test the water tonight). I normally have some traces (the lowest level after 0) of Amonia and nitrate. Pls give suggestions, as i am in the panik mode. Thanks in advance.


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## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

How long has your tank been set up? If it's new, then cloudy water is normal as the tank is undergoing cycling.

Keep up with the water changes, not so much for the cloudy water, but for keeping your ammonia and nitrite levels low.

White cloudy water is usually the result of bacteria explosion and will clear up on its own after a few days or weeks.

More importantly: whatever you do, DON'T PANIC! You're more liable to kill your fish by making panicked decisions.

You are lucky that you didn't kill your fish with a 90% water change, and by "cleaning" your plants, you most likely killed the bacteria growing on them and thus delaying your cycle. My rule of thumb is to never change more than 50% of water in one day. Also, stop feeding your fish for a few days.


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## zfarsh (Apr 7, 2011)

Hi Solarz,

Thanks for the response. I have the aquarium for 1 month now, and have not done a cycle on it as i didnt even know about it when i first got the aquarium. For cleaning the plants i just rinced them with tap water. I did remove alot of junk with the 90%, but yea, i was lucky nothing hapened "yet", i thoughed i was that or they may all die at the time.


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## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

zfarsh said:


> Hi Solarz,
> 
> Thanks for the response. I have the aquarium for 1 month now, and have not done a cycle on it as i didnt even know about it when i first got the aquarium. For cleaning the plants i just rinced them with tap water. I did remove alot of junk with the 90%, but yea, i was lucky nothing hapened "yet", i thoughed i was that or they may all die at the time.


Yes, 1 month is very new. It usually takes a tank 3 months to cycle from scratch.

The best thing to do right now is keep up with the water changes. 50% daily should be fine. The idea here is to keep ammonia and nitrite levels low enough that your fish will survive.

You can also add more plants and get a used filter media from someone with an established tank. If you still plan to pick up my plants, I can give you my media as well.

Oh, and what kind of lights do you have?


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## zfarsh (Apr 7, 2011)

hi solarz,

my lighting is just a 24W (=100W) spiral bulb 6500K. I am not sure if we are coming to toronto this weekend, but if we are, i will call you. Not sure if i have your home number, or is it your cell number, but pls pm me your cell number (in case i have your home#). Do you think my media selection is ok though? Should i use product to remove amonia like prime or a filter media, whilst still doing 50% daily changes?


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## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

zfarsh said:


> hi solarz,
> 
> my lighting is just a 24W (=100W) spiral bulb 6500K. I am not sure if we are coming to toronto this weekend, but if we are, i will call you. Not sure if i have your home number, or is it your cell number, but pls pm me your cell number (in case i have your home#). Do you think my media selection is ok though? Should i use product to remove amonia like prime or a filter media, whilst still doing 50% daily changes?


Hmm... I know that those 10 gal kits come with 2 standard light bulb fixtures, right? Do you have only 1 bulb in there? That might not be enough to cover the whole tank, as CFLs don't send out lights as evenly as a tube.

Your media selection doesn't really matter at this stage. The purpose of a media is to provide surface area for nitrifying bacteria to grow. You can use Prime if you have it (I haven't used it). I hear it detoxifies ammonia, but I don't think it will do anything for the equally toxic nitrite. So, water changes are still your best bet.

The number you have is my cell number.


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## carmenh (Dec 20, 2009)

If you get to Burlington at all, I could give you some used filter material, too...


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## zfarsh (Apr 7, 2011)

Thanks, I live in Oakville, much closer to you.


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## zfarsh (Apr 7, 2011)

thank you for the responses. I have to make this work untill i get the 75 Gallon tank and have it ready (in a few weeks hopefully). That said, my parameters were usually, pH ~7.4-7.6, Amonia ~ .25ppm, nitrite ~ .25ppm, nitrate ~ 5ppm

However, i just checked it now, and it is:
Amonia ~ .25ppm
Nitrite ~ 0ppm
Nitrate ~ 0ppm

I will check again tomorow night, i dont understand why nitrite and nitrate are 0ppm, though i have seen Nitrite at 0ppm last week. Anyone knows what this could mean. I am currently doing water change 50% every day or two.



I just bought Prime, guess i wont need it yet??? or should i use it?


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## Zebrapl3co (Mar 29, 2006)

Hard to say what is the state of your tank, while it's cycling and you changing water everyday.
Amonia ~ .25ppm, nitrite ~ .25ppm, nitrate ~ 5ppm => would mean that it's cycling.
Amonia ~ .25ppm, Nitrite ~ 0ppm, Nitrate ~ 0ppm => would mean it's not cycling.
what you should be looking for is something that looks like this:
Amonia ~ 0 ppm, nitrite ~ 0 ppm, nitrate ~ 5ppm

But because you've been doing frequent water changes, it's almost like you're punching the reset button every time. There's no way of telling where you're at in the cycle.
Try, not changing the water daily, but instead test the water daily. If ammonia or nitrite becomes too high (higher than 0.25ppm), then you have no choice but to make water chages to save your fish. But if it's not too high, leave it till the next day.

2 gold fish and 2 guppies is not overstock ...yet. I hope your gold fish is not 6" long. So you're safe for at least 6 months before your gold fish needs a bigger tank. Don't wash anything anymore. Just leave the tank alone and gravel vac during your water change. Fish out any uneaten food. Until your tank is established, good up keeping is better than sanitising.

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## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

zfarsh said:


> thank you for the responses. I have to make this work untill i get the 75 Gallon tank and have it ready (in a few weeks hopefully). That said, my parameters were usually, pH ~7.4-7.6, Amonia ~ .25ppm, nitrite ~ .25ppm, nitrate ~ 5ppm
> 
> However, i just checked it now, and it is:
> Amonia ~ .25ppm
> ...


Yeah, changing 90% water will do that. You might as well use Prime to lock the ammonia.


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## zfarsh (Apr 7, 2011)

Update:

I added SuperBac last night after a 50% water change. Not sure if it was the cause or not, but when i came home tonight, no more white clouds, and results are still:

Amonia ~ .25ppm
Nitrite ~ 0ppm
Nitrate ~ 0ppm

I think i wont change water untill amonia reaches next level, which may be tomorow night . Will keep this thread updated.


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## zfarsh (Apr 7, 2011)

Here are todays update:

Amonia = .25ppm
Nitrite = .25ppm
Nitrate = 5ppm

Waiting to get to .5ppm Amonia till water change / prime.


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## Nick T. (Nov 7, 2008)

I had the same issue with one of my 20G tanks. I overstocked it 2 weeks into the process like a total amateur. I should have known better. It fixed itself within a month. The fish went through hell and back.

I did 30-40% water changes every single day. While siphoning the water out, I cleaned the gravel's top layer. I did that thoroughly working my way left to right incrementally since I did it every day. Also, do no disturb the gravel's mid-layer, since a lot of beneficial bacteria settle there as well. Make sure that your gravel layer isn't too thick. If it gets too thick, you will start having other bugs because no oxygen will get to the very bottom (You will smell it)

Just keep up with the water changes and good luck.


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## adrenaline (Jan 17, 2011)

why did you remove the carbon? it usually helps a lot with water clarity. It removes foul smells/colouration. personally i never have any of my freshwater tanks running without it. any my waters always crystal clear. and i have heavily stocked cichlid tanks. If you were using meds remove carbon for sure, but for a new set up i would definately keep it in.

just my 2 cents


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## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

adrenaline said:


> why did you remove the carbon? it usually helps a lot with water clarity. It removes foul smells/colouration. personally i never have any of my freshwater tanks running without it. any my waters always crystal clear. and i have heavily stocked cichlid tanks. If you were using meds remove carbon for sure, but for a new set up i would definately keep it in.
> 
> just my 2 cents


I think carbon also removes needed minerals for planted tanks.


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## zfarsh (Apr 7, 2011)

yep, removed carbon as soon as i saw that it may be bad for plants, and replaced it with fine filter. So from bottom to top i have: Sponge, Biological, Fine Filter. Been getting clearer water ever since i started doing this. Read this way of putting a filter in a website or forum, cant remember.


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