FishProfiles.com Message Forums

3 days ago i did a gravel vac and the water became cloudy, i have been doing 20% water changes and it seems to be getting cloudier not clearer. the last time this happened i did 2 water changes and it was cleared up. what should i do about this? should i keep changing only 20% daily or should i do more?

*click *flash *click "whered he go???"

Usually cloudy water is a bacterial bloom,
if its whitish cloudy, thats probably the case.
The water will probably clear up on its own in a
couple days.


Come Play Yahtzee With Me!
http://games.atari.com
Http://www.myleague.com/yahtgames

ya thats what i figured but usually the water changes fix the problem but this time its worse

*click *flash *click "whered he go???"

If you do a deep gravel vac and remove all the water as you do it it should not become cloudy.

Water changes 30% weekly would be better. When you are adding the water are you disturbing the gravel at all?

I also would be looking at your feeding program is it to much?
Filtration/airation is it working correctly and do you have enough.
When and how often do you fully clean/change the filter and its medium?

Have a look in [link=My Profile] http://www.fishprofiles.com/forums/member.aspx?id=1935[/link] for my tank info

Look here for my
Betta 11Gal Desktop & Placidity 5ft Community Tank Photos

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
VOTE NOW VOTE NOW

well i backed down the feeding a while back and i havent had a problem for months now, but i must have sturred something up a bit more than usual

*click *flash *click "whered he go???"

Hi,
It is a good idea, with an aquarium, to do a little
cleaning every week, rather than a major cleaning once
a (insert some interval).

Usually, when folks to a major cleaning and water change
they disrupt the Nitrogen Cycle, and the tank mini cycles.
That, along with a normal fish load, and normal feeding
will produce the bacterial bloom and their cloudy water.

The best idea is to clean the tank weekly or biweekly,
depending upon the fish load in the tank. You should
mentally divide the non planted tank into four sections
and while changing out 10-20% of the tank water, vacuum
the gravel in one section. Next week change the same
amount of water and vacuum a different section. That way,
over a month, you will have kept up with the water changes
and cleaned the entire tank. At the same time by cleaning
different sections, you have allowed the cleaned section
a month to recover before it is cleaned again.

The bulk of the bacteria that supports the Nitrogen Cycle
is in the substrate, the rest is in the filter and on the
sides of the tank and on the surfaces of any ornaments.

As was mentioned, water changes of 10-20% and cutting back
on the food at least temporarly will resolve the cloudy
water.

Frank

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

well its a few days later now and the bacterial bloom is dying down looking much clearer now.

*click *flash *click "whered he go???"

Hi,
While the advice I gave is valid, I just realized that
I forgot to ask what kind of substrate you have.
If you have Fluorite, Eco Complete, or one of the other
"plant friendly" substrates what you experienced is
perfectly normal. With them, as you vacuum you stir
particles of clay up into suspension, and it will take
days, if not weeks, for a tank to clear up. With those
substrates the use of a diatom filter is THE only way
to have clarity of the water within a hour or so.

If you have regular gravel, the prior post is pertinent.

Frank

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

its time for another water change and glass cleaning so ill try the dividing into 4 section method


*click *flash *click "whered he go???"

alright well last night a did a water change with only vacing on 1/4 of the tank and i noticed it didnt kick up as much debris as usual and water is clear again... thanks every one

*click *flash *click "whered he go???"