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I have just set up a brand new 50g tank. I havent added any fish yet and the water is getting cloudier by the day. Could this still be a bacterial bloom, even without having any fish in the tank yet?

What sort of substrate are you using?

Just Gravel. It's not fine and I washed it out as thouroughly as I could. I washed the gravel with water until the water was as clear as I could get it.
The plants I have are all plastic and the two ornaments I have were all thoroughly washed with a high pressure hose.
The Filter is also brand new. It has a sponge, ceramic noodles and some little black balls with holes in them. I dont know exactly what they are as the filter media was not explained in the instructions and I dont have them in my other established tank.
The only chemicals I have added are a water conditioner and ammonia and chlorine emliminator as our local water supply is heavily chlorinated.
I also have an air stone.

If your cloudiness is whitish in color then this is very normal. A brief bacteria bloom occurs most of the time when setting up a new tank. This happens usually between day one and two and can last for about a week, with a gradual decline in intensity.

If it is more brownish then it is more likely that you didn’t clean the gravel enough and some “dirt” is in the water column. This should decline over time as well.

Don’t panic, I know it is not the prettiest sight but you have to go through you cycle first anyway (I guess you add the ammonia for this purpose, right?).

Hope this helps,

Ingo

---

Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

The cloudiness is white. I haven't actually added ammonia. I have only added a water conditoner and an ammonia/chlorine eliminator.
It is safe to add fish at this stage? The tank has been set up since Sunday (three days) and I was looking at adding some hardy fish for cycling on Saturday. Any suggestions on a hardy fish for this purpose and how many should I add to start the cycle?

I would wait a bit more before adding fish, at least till the clowdy water becomes clear.

Most say that Danios are quite hardy.


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Hi,
I think you are adding too much "stuff." All you really
would want to add to the tank is a chlorine and chloramine
remover. They are one and the same. Read the label on the
chlorine remover, it should say that it removes both. If
it does not, then purhase one that does.

You actually want ammonina in the tank (to start with).
That's why you are soon to be adding fish, so that their
waste products (ammonia) will begin the cycling process.
Eliminating it before it gets started is an error.

Bacterial blooms (white, cloudy, water) are normal in the
cycling process. SMALL water changes of say 10% of the
tank will resolve the problem. Wholesale water changes will
lengthen the cycling process from weeks to months.

Frank


Last edited by FRANK at 27-Jul-2005 09:29

-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

give it a day or two, all the tanks i had did this. somebody once told me its something called like new tank syndrome or something. but it will pass and you'll be one step closer to fishes

Fish tanks are an expensive addiction

what brand r u using to remvoe these chems in the water???

if ever u decided to have fish to cycle the tank...make sure u want that fish at the end...so that...u dont just toss it out once ur done..or better yet..trade it back to ur lfs.

the common fish they use is zebra danio. but, of course...there r other fishes out there.

The tank is already clearing up. It is much improved on yesterday and at the rate it is clearing up it should be crystal clear in another day or so.
The product that I used at setup was an ammonia/chlorine AND chloramine remover by Aqua Master.
Once again, thanks to everyone for thier help and suggestions.
This is a great site, and is always the first place I check out for any of my (newbie) fish questions.