# New 20 gallon tank, cloudy?



## Bc (Jan 27, 2012)

Hey everyone, I recently purchased a 20 gallon high aquarium, and I'm new to this whole thing. The day after I bought it, I added 5 neon tetras (too early) and they died. I waited a few days, and added some ecosystem in a bottle stuff to speed things up. When the petstore tested my water, they said I was good to go. Since then, I've added four platys, four harlequin rasboras, and two peppered corys. I noticed today that the waters a little cloudy. Is this just a bacterial bloom and nothing to worry about? Or something more? Thanks in advance!


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## dante322 (Jan 15, 2012)

I'd say a bacterial bloom. You just put a good sized bioload into a new tank. If I were you i'd get a good test kit and keep an eye on the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels yourself. The petstore wanted to sell you fish.
I would imagine the platys will be fine but I would keep an eye on the rasboras


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## Bc (Jan 27, 2012)

Well I waited a week between the platys and the others. I just got the corys and the rasboras yeaterday. Does that make a difference?


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## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

Bacterial blooms are common in new tanks.

You should get a liquid test kit as the strip tests aren't very accurate. The pet store said your parameters were good, because the tank hadn't been through the Nitrogen cycled, so you had no ammonia, no nitrates and no nitrites, so of course it would show as "good."

You're going to need to test the ammonia, nitrites and nitrates daily, doing water changes as necessary in order to keep the fish alive during the cycle.

There are some great threads on this forum on the Nitrogen cycle, and even a thread on fishless cycling (an option for next time.)


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Cloudy water is common in a new tank and it will clear once the cycle has completely been estabished. You have way too many fish in there for the cycle period. You will have to do many water changes in order to keep them alive and if you don't have your own test kit you won't be able to respond to the changing water fast enough.


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## NeonShark666 (Dec 13, 2010)

To start a cycle with fish you need to start with very few fish, two platys would be fine and don't add any new ones for 3-4 weeks. Rasboras and Neons don't cycle well. I also like Corys too much to expose them to the tortures of cycling. A couple of Otos might do fine if you have plenty of plants as might Mystery Snails. In my opinion Plants should always part of the cycling process, they provide bugs the cycling process needs and food for your added fish.


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## Bc (Jan 27, 2012)

Ok, thanks for all the help. I don't know why, but I thought I was already past the cycle...stupid me haha. By the way, the tank looks less cloudy today. Good sign, right? I hope everyone survives!


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