# Can't get rid of cloudy water



## hm.newbie (Jan 6, 2011)

Hello all,

I have had my 7.7 gallon fishtank set up since January. Currently I have one adult red platy in there, and 3 juvenile red platys.

Everything was going great, until about 3-4 weeks ago I noticed some green algae coming into the tank (on rocks and plants), as well as a general clouding of the water. I figured it was time to get an algae eater. I cleaned the tank and did a 15ish% water change first. (Which I had been doing on a fairly regular basis) The green algae did not really come back, and I did not get an algae eater. 

Howeverrr...the problem is now that I cannot get rid of cloudy water. It is not green, it is whitish. I have been doing 10% water changes twice a week, and using water conditioner to try to clear it up (some sites indicated this might clear it up). The first time I used the water conditioner, the next morning the tank was clear again. But then the cloudiness crept back in. I have considered that either a) this was just part of the tank cycling process, since it was not cycled when I put the fish in, or b) I changed too much water one time (there was a time I took probably 20-30% on accident) and it was a good bacteria bloom. But it is really hanging around. I have done a lot of research on it, and made adjustments, and still cannot get this figured out. Any direction would be great. Thanks! Oh, and I have a couple fake plants and a real one...the real one was looking puny for a while but bounced back, or so I thought. Maybe I should go ahead and remove it? I know a dying plant will be putting a lot of bad stuff into the tank.


----------



## MulletMan (Aug 4, 2009)

Hi, Is your tank near direct sunlight? Also, where are you getting your replacement water from?


----------



## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

Kill the lights and stop adding food for up to a week and the water should clear up.

then continue with less lighting and feeding so the cloudiness stays away.

also add some fast growing plants like anacharis of small vals as well. to consume the nutrients that fed the cloudiness


my .02


----------



## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Have you been adding water conditioner all along or not?


----------



## 8878 (Apr 15, 2011)

Algea eating fish will have a minimal effect on algae growth.


----------



## PolymerTim (Sep 22, 2009)

It might help us to know what kind of conditioner you are using. Is this the kind that removes chlorine/chloramine, or are you talking about something that is supposed to clarify water.


----------



## 8878 (Apr 15, 2011)

I stay away from any chemicals except chlorine remover, and I suggest you do the same. Everything can be taken care of naturally. I would make an exception to certain medicines though.


----------



## hm.newbie (Jan 6, 2011)

Thanks everybody. I had used water conditioner maybe once before all this started, during a water change. I had been staying away from the chemicals as much as possible. The conditioner is one of the ones that helps with chlorine and ammonia and the like. I do not know the brand name and type off the top of my head; I am currently in my office. I get water from the tap. There is a window directly across the room from the fishtank, I had wondered if that was the cause. I have been trying to keep it closed but sometimes the cat pulls the curtain over. Research indicated that sunlight usually results in a green algae bloom instead of the whitish cloud I am dealing with. I also cut down on feeding but maybe I should cut down moreso. It is extremely cloudy in there today, and the fish are not looking happy. I did another water change. I will cut back on feeding, and yes I think some new plants will help. Before my one live plant started funking out on me, the tank seemed to be in fantastic shape and the fish were very active.


----------



## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

If you want to call water conditioner a chemical, okay. It is a necessary chemical that removes chlorine/chlorimies from your water. Unless you are on well water maybe and don't have any? Assuming you do, every time you put in water that is not treated you're killing off beneficial bacteria that keeps your tank safe, possibly causing bacteral blooms and then the cloudy water.

What are your readings for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate? How long has the tank had fish in it?


----------



## hm.newbie (Jan 6, 2011)

I still cannot get rid of the cloudiness! And it is worse than ever now. I have tried: frequent water changes, adding another live plant, trying to keep the curtain across the room closed at all times, getting a new filter, using water clarifier and conditioner, and reduced feedings. I am getting so frustrated with it, and I feel terrible for my poor fish. It gets so cloudy I can barely see into it, and the fish become sluggish. I am doing a small water change almost every day just to lighten up the water a bit and give the fish some clean water. They are always happier after a water change but by the next morning it is cloudy again. I guess I am about to take the fish out and clean the entire tank. Any other suggestions? I have no idea what could be going on.


----------



## 8878 (Apr 15, 2011)

Are you conditioning your water every change? This is important, you must treat any water that goes into your tank.


----------



## phil_pl (Apr 10, 2009)

I have a lot of questions that i hope can help us figure this out. Can you post a picture? Also knowing what your water is testing for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate would help a great deal. Have you been testing your water for these parameters? You say the tank was setup in January. When did you add fish? Are you on city or well water? Can you describe the process you are using for a water change?


----------



## hm.newbie (Jan 6, 2011)

I was until I ran out of conditioner over the weekend. Buying some more today; but even when I was using it with every change it would help minimally but not really. I really want to figure out what is causing it so I can fix the problem and not just treat the symptoms. The cloudiness is white, not green. There is a window directly across the room, about 20 feet away. The curtain is closed most of the time but sometimes it is open-however the window rarely has direct sunlight. Maybe I need to move the tank to a place where it gets less natural light?


----------



## phil_pl (Apr 10, 2009)

hm.newbie said:


> I was until I ran out of conditioner over the weekend. Buying some more today; but even when I was using it with every change it would help minimally but not really. I really want to figure out what is causing it so I can fix the problem and not just treat the symptoms. The cloudiness is white, not green. There is a window directly across the room, about 20 feet away. The curtain is closed most of the time but sometimes it is open-however the window rarely has direct sunlight. Maybe I need to move the tank to a place where it gets less natural light?


What water conditioner have you been using? Moving the tank may help the problem but I can't tell for sure with the information here. Is the cloudiness like the water is milky or can you see small particles in the water causing the cloudiness?


----------



## hm.newbie (Jan 6, 2011)

Ok: I have not been keeping track of the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels. I can pick up the stuff to do that at Petco tonight if that would be helpful. I know some fish hobby-ists think checking the levels are very important and some are successful without checking them often...everything was going well with my tank so I didn't worry about it but I guess it is time to start checking them. 

I can post a picture later tonight too. I added fish in January as well. I gave the tank a week or so and then added hardy red platy's, the same fish that are still in there. I have thought about the fact that this cloudiness could just be the eventual bacterial bloom of the tank cycling, but the cloudiness did not start until April. And has been constant ever since.

For water changes, I siphon out 10-15% of the water, while sucking out dirt and waste from the gravel. I just add water from the tap and treat it with water conditioner. City Water


----------



## hm.newbie (Jan 6, 2011)

My last water conditioner was the yellow bottle. Can't remember the brand off the top of my head. The water is very milky but I can often see very small particles being pushed around by the water filter flow.


----------



## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Again...what are your readings for ammonia and nitrites? Fish don't get sluggish from just cloudy water so much, it's more what is causing it. Have you stopped feeding the fish for a week to see if it changes?


----------



## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

I would do a much larger water change, but I would base how much off of test results.


----------



## 8878 (Apr 15, 2011)

You describe the water as, "milky", this sounds like your run of the day bacterial bloom to me. Need to get your bio filter back up and working.


----------



## phil_pl (Apr 10, 2009)

hm.newbie said:


> Ok: I have not been keeping track of the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels. I can pick up the stuff to do that at Petco tonight if that would be helpful. I know some fish hobby-ists think checking the levels are very important and some are successful without checking them often...everything was going well with my tank so I didn't worry about it but I guess it is time to start checking them.
> 
> For water changes, I siphon out 10-15% of the water, while sucking out dirt and waste from the gravel. I just add water from the tap and treat it with water conditioner. City Water


You may be able to take a sample of your water in and have it tested. Depending on the store, some offer this service for free, some offer at a small fee(I pay $1), but some don't offer it at all. I am one of the people who doesn't normally test my water for all chemicals now that i have a feel for how my tank reacts to certain things and i am in complete control of the tanks water but I always will have it tested at the first sign of any trouble. I recommend the tests that you have to add drops to as they are more accurate than the strip method(they can lie to you) 

For your water change: *Are you mixing the conditioner into the new water before you add it to the tank?* If not, you are pouring chlorinated water into you tank every time you do a water change. If that is what is happening it would explain the cloudiness. It also may help you get a feel for what is going if you test your tap water also. some city water will test very strange and can give you a lot of problems if you dont know about it.


----------



## hm.newbie (Jan 6, 2011)

Thanks everyone. I will get some ammonia/nitrite/nitrate readings and get back to ya'll...potentially with a picture. What exactly do you mean by getting my bio filter back up and working (sorry if this is a "duh" question)?


----------

