# My water is still cloudy!!



## Isrolina (Sep 16, 2012)

My water has been cloudy for the past week or so, I put algae control inside and water a clearing formula. Somebody recommended I wait a couple days, BUT ITS BEEN A WEEK!! please! Suggestions!!


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## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

Remove the water to get rid of the algae cleaning and the clarifying chemicals - you should never use either in a closed system like a tank.
What kind of cloudiness is it and how old is the tank? Is it new gravel poorly rinsed, or an overfeeding bloom?


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## Isrolina (Sep 16, 2012)

navigator black said:


> Remove the water to get rid of the algae cleaning and the clarifying chemicals - you should never use either in a closed system like a tank.
> What kind of cloudiness is it and how old is the tank? Is it new gravel poorly rinsed, or an overfeeding bloom?


It's a 35 g, I rinsed the gravel. It might be the omega one Im feeding my guppies, but it says 'new clarifying' formula....*old dude


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

feed less!


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## Auban (Aug 8, 2010)

personally, i prefer to wait out cloudy water. i just moved my tank from north carolina to california, and right now, the water is cloudy. i suspect it may be that way for another week or so. if you dont have the patience to wait it out though, there are a few things you can try.

1) feed less, but that only works if the cloudy water is from bacteria. if you have clay particles that are making your tank cloudy, feeding less wont really make a difference. 

2) turn the lights off. blackout period for a few days to see if it improves. this would work if the cloudiness is caused by algae/diatoms/green water. if it is caused by clay or fine silt, again, it wont make a difference.

3) water changes. this would be the simplest way to clear it up, but it may take many many water changes to get it crystal clear. if you change 60-70% of the water and it improves, and does NOT get worse in the next couple days, then it is likely caused by fine silt or clay particles. if it gets better but then springs right back to being cloudy, you are probably dealing with something biological, unless you know of something stirring your substrate up.

4) buy a UV sterilizer. if it is caused by something biological, such as algae or bacteria, then a UV sterilizer would likely clear it up. keep in mind however that microbe problems usually resolve themselves on their own. if they dont, they indicate a problem in the tank, such as overfeeding. it is possible for a UV sterilizer to hide such a problem.

5) get a filter that has a micron filter accessory and run it till its clear. may not work if you are dealing with bacteria or algae.

6) turn all sources of circulation off and watch for stratification. at this point, you would have tried absolutely everything and are now rendering the tank completely stagnant. remove all fish and watch to see if the tank seems to separate itself into visible layers.
i had a tank that was mysteriously cloudy for weeks before i realized that i had accidentally added a mineral that was dissolving slowly in my tanks. i only noticed it after i let the tank sit for a while (i was planning on tearing it down) and i saw the cloudiness separate into layers. the tank was most cloudy in the middle, right above a small crystalline rock i added as a decoration. i could see flow lines rising from it like smoke, which then formed a layer across the whole tank.

anyway, the simplest course of action is to wait. i have sometimes waited up to a month before. when you feel like you have waited long enough, start going through your options one by one, but remember, most of them can take a week to see results, and the tank can spontaneously clear up at any time.


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## marcusblackcat (Sep 27, 2012)

Hi - I'm new to the forum but have been fishkeeping for 5 years or so - I have a 90gal tank which also suffered from cloudiness.

At first it looked like a "bacterial bloom" and was lovely and white but then it turned green and was simply algae.

I know it doesn't look very nice but often the best thing is to wait - if your water tests with no ammonia, or nitrite (phosphates are also a big cause of Algae as algae feed s on this so get it tested for that too)then, as long as you can put up with it, it's best to wait out (only use the lights very occasionally as this will make the algae worse) - if it's a bacterial bloom then I can't help as mine turned into algae which then cleared to crystal clear as it is now


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## Brian757 (Sep 24, 2012)

Yeah, I was going to ask what color the cloudiness is...


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## Isrolina (Sep 16, 2012)

It's white.


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## Brian757 (Sep 24, 2012)

Either dead algae that hasnt been filtered yet or its fungus. Plenty of critters available thatll eat that for ya. Ramshorn snails just might be your best friend


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