# Cloudy Water: Calcium and Other Mineral Deposits?



## namathtomaynard (Jan 30, 2011)

I've researched this issue since starting my fresh water aquarium two months ago. An ostensibly knowledgable man at the local pet store insisted the cloudiness was the result of the high temp (76-78 F) giving way to the males' breeding activities, i.e., proteins essentially causing the cloudiness. As such, I lowered the temp to 68 F and still have the problem. Assuming I have a mineral deposit problem, might there be a remedy for me?


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## NeonShark666 (Dec 13, 2010)

Cloudiness is often the result of bacteria feeding on leftover food or a dead fish. Cloudiness is also very common when a tank is initially set up. It usually disappears in a few week. Is your water very hard? In hard water there is sometimes a chemical reaction that produces a cloud of chalk dust (CaCO3) in your tank. Good filtration and aeriation should eventually clear up your bacteria or chalk dust problem. To help clear up the cloudiness, don't over feed; and if your ph is high, try to lower it below 7 (low ph water dissolves the chalk dust).


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## namathtomaynard (Jan 30, 2011)

Thanks for the guidance, Neon. I had my water tested and the ph was good to go. Nonetheless, I think it's hard to some degree. I like the idea on aeration. I suspect I need to keep the food lid open. When it's closed, there's just a little one-inch wide slit in the cover glass running the length of the tank. Perhaps this is insufficient. Thanks for the help.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

namathtomaynard said:


> I suspect I need to keep the food lid open. When it's closed, there's just a little one-inch wide slit in the cover glass running the length of the tank. Perhaps this is insufficient. Thanks for the help.


I am absolutely lost in what you are saying here. And really lost about the mention of male breeding habits. I just don't know what it has to do with cloudy water. Temp of the water is a mystery also...unless you have goldfish you need to bring that temp back up. Most tropicals won't do well in that temp.

Can you give some specifics on your tank (size, filtration, inhabitants, how long have fish been in it, etc)? Do you have a liquid test kit where you see what the ammonia level is in your tank? If not, you need it.

And NEVER try to adjust your ph just to try and get through what is probably a bateria bloom...just a bad idea. Most ph adjusters will adjust your ph only temporarily. Usually the natural buffers in your water will drive your ph back to where it started originally and all your left with is the same ph you started with and a tank full of chemicals.


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## WhiteGloveAquatics (Sep 3, 2009)

I gotta agree with Jrman and Neon.
Cloudiness of white in color is from either overfeeding and/or massive bacterial bloom, unless of course something got spilled in it.

What fish do you have in this tank?


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## namathtomaynard (Jan 30, 2011)

I appreciate the responses, surely enough. To bring greater clarity, please know that a manager in a pet store who appeared proficient indicated that the upper-70s temp approximated breeding temps for my males. Hence, the white, cloudy water resulting from an influx of sperm in a confined area. Naturally, this sounds odd, but I'm profoundly ignorant with this aquarium business and took it as plausible.

I have shubunkin, comets, black moors, and four little "starter" goldfish. All are thriving really well in my 29 gal, fresh water tank. I have two filters, one configured for a 30-gal tank, the other for a 10-gal tank. Why two filters? Again, acting on some advice from another.

All that said, let me thank you for the guidance, if not your patience.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Sounds like he is just as ignorant to me....never heard of that but I don't breed.

The reason you have the white stuff in the water is it is a bacteria bloom. 2 goldfish is about all that tank can handle. How many total are there in the tank? 7? More?

Two filters is good, you'll need it. How long have they been in there?


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

The white cloudy stuff the lfs is talking about only happens with a very select few cichlids, and several salt water fish. That happens with mass spawning of several types of salt water species and very few cichlids.


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## chris oe (Feb 27, 2009)

Given the overpopulation by goldfish and the newness of the tank, I back the bacteria hypothesis (although sometimes algae blooms start as cloudiness and graduate to green water). I'd hold back on the feeding and up the filtration, possibly see if you can find homes for a few of your goldies. If you see things starting to trend towards the green, remove the tank from any direct sunlight and turn off the light when you're not looking at your tank.


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

I have to third and fourth all the advice.Especially the rehoming of some of the goldfish.The starters are pond fish and if not given the proper housing will stunt the outer growth,while the organs will continue to grow,compressing upon each other.


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

IME cloudiness will always clear up by killing the lights and stopping food additions.

my .02


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