# cloudy water 2 barbs dead



## cale10 (Jan 5, 2015)

hey guys, just recently noticed, past 2 or 3 days, the water in my somewhat new 45 gallon freshwater tank has gotten somewhat cloudy. its not too bad but definitely noticeable. i dont know whats causing this though. could i be over feeding? is it the algae wafers im putting in the tank? then last night and this morning, two tiger barbs have died, just within hours of each other. the first one that died had a large, blood filled inflated eye and i figured it would die anyways, by the time i noticed it was too late. oh by the way, the barbs are about a week or so old. the second one, without warning. fed this morning all good. went back a half hour ago, dead. 

so, could whatever is causing the cloudiness be hurting the fish? do i need to change filters? do i need to buy a bottom feeder to clean up waste?


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## cale10 (Jan 5, 2015)

also, the tank has a smell that's only noticeable when i life up the hood. but i cant explain the smell other than not smelling right. assuming a healthy aquarium has no smell at all.


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

Cale,

How old is your tank? Did you properly cycle it before you put fish in?
The Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle

Also, the smell is normal. All fish tanks have what I call a "pond smell", fresh carbon in the filter and live plants in the tank can help mitigate the smell. If it smells like rotten eggs, you've got an excess of protein or something in your tank is decomposing. Fresh driftwood can be smelly right after you put it in, as it leeches tannins into the water.


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

Also, the cloudiness could either be a bacteria bloom or a green water algae bloom, but it's likely the former.


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

I'll be in chat until about 15:00 PST if you'd like to pop in and bounce some ideas off of me. Otherwise, I can respond to this thread.


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## chenowethpm (Jan 8, 2014)

How new is somewhat new? What are the water parameters? Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate?


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## cale10 (Jan 5, 2015)

just got the test kit and tested water, after a 50% water change today due to bad water conditions.

ammonia: 1.0PPM
PH: 7.6PPM
PH hi: 7.8PPM
Nitrate NO2: 0PPM
Nitrate NO3: between 0 and 5PPM


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## Arthur7 (Feb 22, 2013)

Nitrogen compounds do not stink. It is sulfur, or methane.


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

How is everybody in your tank doing now? The ammonia reading was high, hopefully the water changes helped!


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## kalyke (Nov 19, 2014)

Gizmo said:


> How is everybody in your tank doing now? The ammonia reading was high, hopefully the water changes helped!


Dosent that mean you are not cycled?


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## Arthur7 (Feb 22, 2013)

If an aquarium smells bad, does not need more measured. It has all been removed to be cleaned, replaced the gravel. The old gravel washed and drained, for the next time.
The right micro life of a good run Aquarium vaccinated.
So shall also immediately clear water.
There are very few losses. But it has some work.


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