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What causes cloudy (brown) water and how do you get rid of it ? It is driving me :%)

It is in my 30 gal which gets weekly water changes of 30% - 40%. The inhabitants eat everything put in the tank and the carbon is fairly new (3 weeks give or take).

driftwood? rust in your water pipes (would cause all water from a particular tap to be brown? gravel gunk?

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I like to think that whoever designed marine life was thinking of it as basically an entertainment medium. That would explain some of the things down there, some of the unearthly biological contraptions

nope, no driftwood and the water fills the 3 other tanks (yes, I admit, I have MTS )

do you have an undergravel filter? Sometimes they can get stirred up and the yukky stuff gets loose?

ohhhh noooo UGF. I believe it is a Penguin.

Hi,
Your question calls to mind muddy water.
The first thought was fresh "driftwood" leaking
tannins into the tank. But, you said you had
no driftwood in it.

I don't know of any rock or ornament that is
"safe" for aquarium use that might do it.

I have heard of brown "algae," and taken to the
extreme, that could be the brown algae equivalent
of a "green water" bloom.
Generally, brown "algae" (actually a diatom) is
predominent in tanks with high GH and with a
substrate like crushed coral, limestone, or
dolomite.
Increased light, water changes, and filter cleaning,
should take care of it.
Also, cut back on the amount you are feeding.
(Could the children be feeding behind your back?)

Frank


[span class="edited"][Edited by FRANK 2004-07-27 15:33][/span]

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I actually have the opposite problem in that tank, Frank. I have low GH/KH and have had problems with my pH bottoming out. I've been working on the buffering and it has become more stable now.

But this brownish hue has been around for a while. It isn't an algae problem, I've cleaned the filter, I do water changes every week as I said. I gave it a really good gravel vac again last night (actually moved the plants around). The only thing I really can't do is increase the light anymore. It is in my living room and gets light (but not direct sun) all day. The tank light is usually on from the time I get home from work (around 6PM) until 1AM or 2AM when I go to bed. My daughter does love to help feed the fish but ever since the feeding of rice krispies to the platy fry incident, she doesn't put anything in the tank without asking (she won't because she feels bad about killing one of the babies).

:%):%)

don't tell me I've stumped you guys ??

Hi,
You may have.
I'm still inclined to think that you either had some
"help" or that you have an outbreak of diatoms. In
either case, water changes should be the answer. Your
tank light should be flourscent, and the bulb should
say either Daylight, or Sunlight on it. The so called
plant bulbs are pricy and not really necessary. The
light should be on for about 10 hours each 24 hour
period.

As long as the fish are "happy" I would continue on
with weekly water changes of 10%, and a "photo period"
of 10 hours, and things should be fine.
Keep us posted!

Frank


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