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Hi all,

#Newbie Post#

I've just got a new 2ft tank, with attached lighting and filter (which both seem to be working). I washed my gravel, then poured it into the tank and added water. Now the whole tank is a murky white/grey colour. Will this clear up in a few days, or should I do a water change?

Any help is appreciated...

Thanks,
Keith.

Few questions...
How many times did you wash your gravel? Often it takes more than one or two or three rinses to get all the particles off.

Two, what type of murkyness is it? If you look close can you see any particles? If so then it's likely sediment from the gravel and will settle in a few hours to a day. If there are no fish in the tank I'd leave the filter off as these particles can and do end up sucked through the filter and will damage the impeller. If there are fish in the tank try placing a piece of foam, or clean nylon, or even fish net over the intake. This helps trap some of the particles. You can also turn the filter on and off every hour or so.

Have you added any fish, fish food, plants, ammonia, or bacterial starter to the tank? Do you have an ammonia reading at all?

During the cycling process the tank will turn a milky cloudy white (you wont see any particles) at the same time you get an ammonia reading with your test kit. This is perfectly normal and part of the process. However there would have to be an ammonia source added to the tank.

^_^

I agree with babel, What process did you go through to wash the gravel? Also what else is in the tank with the gravel? Any form of decorations? Do you see alot of what looks to be oxygen bubbles? that is also normal too.

Thanks for your input as always, Shane
http://thetanklog.blogspot.com/ - [ Thanks to ScottF ]
http://www.natureaquariumclubofutah.com/main.html

Thanks for the quick reply!

When I washed the gravel I poured about 1/4 bag into a bucket and filled with a bit of water, sloshed it around and tipped it out, then repeated.

I can't see any particles, just a milky colour to the water (however it does seem to be clearing up a little, I guess that's a good sign). I haven't added anything to the tank, except for two large rocks (which I also washed before hand). I can't imagine they would cause ammonia, but maybe they've affected the water colour?

I plan on buying some plants this weekend to start off the cycle. The girl at the fish store said I should leave the filter running for a few days before planting, so I guess I'll just wait it out. If the water hasn't cleared by then, I'll take the rocks out and do a partial water change before planting.

Thanks,
Keith.

Hi Keith,
Welcome to Fish Profiles!

While it is a little late, the "correct" way to wash
the gravel, is to put it into a bucket, I prefer a
CLEAN 5 gallon bucket, and then stick a hose into the
bottom the bucket. While running the water so that it
overflows the sides, swirl the gravel around with your
hand continuously until the over flow is clear. Then
add the newly washed gravel to the tank, and do another
batch, continuing on till all the gravel has been washed.

Then the filling. You don't just dump the gravel into the
tank and then use a hose or bucket to dump the water into
the tank on top of the gravel. If you do, then anything
you missed will come floating into the water column where
it will cloud the water until it either settles out or the
filter ingests it. The "preferred" way is to place a
dinner plate on top of the gravel and SLOWLY pour the water
onto the plate or if using a hose, turn the volume down
and play the hose onto the plate. That way the gravel is
not too badly disturbed.

As far as plants are concerned, assuming you have a light
for the tank, you could have put the plants into the tank
right after you filled it with water. There is no need to
wait a week. (Generally waiting a week, is a rule of
thumb from the old days, as this would have given the tank
a week to settle and for you to see if the tank is going
to leak.)

Your comment about starting the cycle with the plants is
an error. The Nitrogen Cycle starts with the addition of
fish. The fish waste consists of ammonia, among other
organic chemicals, and ammonia is the food for the bacteria
that make up the nitrogen cycle. Check out the FAQ section
of Fish Profiles and read about the Nitrogen Cycle.

Meanwhile, small 10% water changes every couple of days
will quickly make the water crystal clear. Once you add
the fish and start to create the bacteria that supports the
Nitrogen Cycle, you do not change the water that often as
that would prolong the time it takes to cycle the tank.
So, once the fish are added, I'd stick with changing out
only 10% once a week, or once every other week until the
cycle has completed.

Hope this helps...
Frank


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

Get your tap water tested the same as you'd test your tank. Get results for ammonia, nitrIte and nitrAte. If you don't have these three kits yet get them, and make sure it's the liquid kind. The paper tests are not very accurate, and often really hard to read (to say nothing of more expensive in the long run.)

Adding plants will do little if anything to start the cycling process. The only way they'd work to cycle the tank is if they died and we dont want that.

Read this article it'll explain the cycling process. Basically it takes a few weeks from the time an ammonia source is introduced. The safest and cheapest way is to use ammonia you buy at your grocery store or pharmacy. Once your ammonia (which is deadly to fish) builds nitrItes show up and eat it. NitrItes are also deadly to fish...but that's alright because once they've eaten enough of the ammonia (you'll see the ammonia levels drop) they reproduce enough that nitrAtes show up. NitrAtes are what keeps a tank healthy. They consome the NitrItes (again you'll see the levels start to drop) and keep the ammonia and nitrIte both in check. However nitrAtes can also be deadly to fish in high levels which is why you'll be doing regular water changes. Some fish are more tolerant of nitrAtes than others but a good range is 20-30ppm.

Daily testing during the cycle will be important, some even do it twice a day ( okay so maybe I liked playing with the test kit! )...which is why it's important for you to get kits for those three. Others are important as well. Aquarium pharmaceuticals puts out (IMO) the best master kit for the price. It's around $20 USD and has just about everything you'll ever need to test your tank.

^_^

As a rule of thumb after the cycling process has completed you will want to do a 20% WC per week depending on the readings. You will want to Vacumn about 1/4 of your tank each week so that you dont remove all the beneficial bacteria in the tank and it gives the tank time to regenerate the bacteria before the next cleaning. Also if you are using a HOB filter like myself you will only need to clean the filter once or twice a month at most and make sure you clean it in tank water so that again you dont loose any of the bacteria and cause your tank to cycle once again.

Thanks for your input as always, Shane
http://thetanklog.blogspot.com/ - [ Thanks to ScottF ]
http://www.natureaquariumclubofutah.com/main.html

There is a very good chance it is caused by not washing the gravel until the water runs clean. Even then the tank will go through a cycling process and the tank will possibly be milky looking for a few days this can vary a lot depending on your filtration and how you are going about the cycling process. To hurry up my betta tank I also added a seperate internal filter.

I would clean the filter as soon as the water clears up using some of the water from the tank. Then add some Sera Nitrivic or similar product to boost the bacteria.
I would also give the filter impella a very good cleaning as this is where any fine bits of the gravel could be and do some damage before you even get the tank up and running.

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.
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Thanks for all the info folks, very much appreciated. Looks like I still have some work ahead of me, but that's what makes it fun...

I am curious about what Sera Nitrivic is, is it absolutely necessary?

Keith.

Sera Nitrivic, or something like Cycle or Biospira is the bacteria that your tank needs to be safe for the fish. Some like Biospira will almost instantly cycle the tank. However because of this, and because it must be kept refrigerated, it carries a fairly steep pricetag, and is a bit difficult to find. Cycle and I assume Nitrivic (although I've never used it myself) help speed up the cycling process, and to maintain the proper bacteria in a cycled tank.

No, not absolutly necessary, but I like to have some on hand for follow up when treatment or emergency water changes or extend power outages have occured. I know people have used Cycle while cycling their tank and had it actually last longer rather than take less time.

^_^