# Is cloudy water during cycle normal?



## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

Wondering if cloudy water during a fishless cycle is normal?

I've only ever cycled with fish before and the water was usually clear after about 3 days of having the tank up.

This is nearing the end of the 2nd week of a fishless cycle, (just ammonia in the water and a temp' of 85 degrees.) Would the warmer water and ammonia cause this?

It's not as cloudy as when I first set it up, but over the last few days it hasn't gotten any clearer.... thoughts?

No algae blooms, (ammonia would burn them up,) hoping it's not a bad bacteria bloom!


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## phys (Feb 4, 2011)

they're normal.. it actually iiisss a bacteria bloom but its a good bloom. just give it time and it will clear itself up.


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## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

Sweet! As long as it's the good stuff, it's welcome! 

Thanks!


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## NeonShark666 (Dec 13, 2010)

Cloudy water is very normal in a new tank. This is the result of a bacteria bloom. It usually disappears fairly quickly. Inspect your tank to make sure it doesn't have decomposing organic material (escess food, dead fish).


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## sondre (Jun 1, 2011)

my tank is cloudy aswell ... i only filled it with water yesterday,and it shows NO3 at 20 ! ? ! How is that possible ?


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## phys (Feb 4, 2011)

Possible because there may have been stuff in your tank that died off. Possibly it is in your tap water. Check for both.


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

Some substrates like peat moss have nitrates in them.

With planted tanks you can get an initial nitrate spike with no ammonia/nitrIte spikes. Because the plants prefer to consume the ammonia over the nitrates.

FWIW you can get some cloudiness initially from stirring up the substrate and the like. That should settle down in a couple of days or at least is does in my unfiltered uncirculated tanks.

white cloudiness in not expected and should be counter acted by killing the lights until the water clears. At least IMHO. (ditto green also)

my .02


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## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

There's nothing dead in the tank. It's a fishless cycle with all new gravel and decorations.

The gravel is plain gravel, no peat moss.

I'll chalk it up to an algae bloom or dust that hasn't settled.

Thanks everyone.


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