# Bubbles Causing Cloudy Water?



## Curious1 (Oct 6, 2009)

I thought I had a problem with cloudy water from dirty water but not I think it might be from something else. I have tried a HOB filter, internal filter and now a canister filter with a UV light and the water still appears cloudy. This morning I looked at it closely and there are millions of tiny bubbles from the filter which I believe are making the water appear cloudy. Is there anything I can do about this or am I stuck with it? The aquarium in the fish store with the same type of filter is crystal clear. I did just install the canister filter last night so maybe I need to give it more time but I do see millions of small bubbles which seem to catch the light and make the water seem cloudy.


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## flyin-lowe (Oct 3, 2009)

How long has the tank been setup, is it cycled, and are there any fish in it? Sometimes early on you can get a jump in bacteria growth that makes it appear cloudy. Most everyone uses some form of filtration that is similar to what you are using without cloudy water and the fact you have tried different filters and have the same results make it appear the problem is elsewhere.


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## Curious1 (Oct 6, 2009)

The tank has been set up for a couple of weeks. I think it takes a month to cycle. I purchased "bio balls" at the aquarium store from their tank which is supposed to contain the beneficial bacteria and speed up the process. I do have fish in the tank. I tested the water for numerous items and the only thing that came back high was the hardness of the water so I applied a water softener.


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## flyin-lowe (Oct 3, 2009)

Somebody with a little more experience then me can help with the cycle, but here's what came to mind for me. 
What type of test did you do and what type of test kit? If your tank has not cycled you should still be seeing amounts of ammonia and nitrites. On the slim chance that your tank has completely cycled in two weeks you could get test that show no ammonia or nitrites, but you should still get a positive test for nitrates. 
The filter media is where the beneficial bacteria will gather but since you have gone through three different filters on this tank in such a short time I would say that you have not cycled the tank. Let us know exactly what your test results show for ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates and someone can tell you what steps to take based on the test numbers.


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## James0816 (Jun 19, 2009)

Hmmmm...can't say for sure on this one but I'm going wager you have two different things going on here.

First off...the tank is not cycled and you are doing a fishy cycle. The cloudiness that you are seeing is most likely not the result of the air bubbles in the water but BB (beneficial bacterial) trying to catch up (or in your case ... establish) with the bio load. Monitoring your water parameters will be very important during this time.

As for the bubbles, especially with canister filters, they should eventually dissapear. There are many components/media in the canister that trap air. They will eventually work their way through the system.


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