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My aquarium has become very cloudy. Its only been set up for a day and already having problems. It has gravel, drift wood, filter and a heater in it. Any suggestions?

Im new to the chemicals so my reading my not be completly correct (I followed instructions)im also not sure what they really are telling me either.
PH - 7.5
NO2 - 1.6
NH3 , NH4 - 1.5
GH - 3
KH - 2

55gal Tank:130 watt coral lights,Eheim Wet/Dry 2227 Canister Filter,Powerhead, Co2 Injection and a heater.

Do you have any fish in the tank!?

-Josh

Well the gravel usually takes a few weeks to settle and if you didnt wash it properly it will take even longer. I am not an expert on driftwood...but it could be not boiled properly.

Have no fear it will take about a month before it all gets settled properly. I am still waiting for my 10 gal to clear and it has been 2 weeks.

The water cloudiness is not unusal for a new set up and should begin to clear in a few days as the tank begins to cycle and establish a bacteria colony.

Jim

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Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody. -- Mark Twain

The readings say your tank is cycling and depending on how many/what type of fish you have versus how many plants you probably want to do at least a small water change in the next day or 2. If the ammonia jumped that high in just a few days it could get high enough to start killing fish off before the nitrites take over. Cycling tanks get cloudy frequently due to the bacteria multiplying very quickly in order to use up the ammonia and nitrites. Once the bacteria reach the correct population level to handle what fish you have the water will clear and all the bacteria will be living on the various surfaces in your tank. Adding gravel also tends to cloud a tank for a few days to a week depending how well you rinsed it before adding.

I also will ask do you have any starter fish in the tank such as Zebra Danio as these are very tough and will help the tank settle down?

If the tank is new it could take several weeks before it is safe to add any other fish and then very slowly a few at a time.

At the moment it is going through the cycling period this is perfectly natural.

Keep taking water samples to your LFS and get them to test your water also take your testing kit with you and get them to show and explain how to use it also why and how it works.

This is the worst part of new to fish keeping please dont rush or next posting will be "My new fish are all dying WHY????

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

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Betta 11Gal Desktop & Placidity 5ft Community Tank Photos

Keith

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There are no fish in the tank. I will add fish but im mainly trying to learn about plants with this tank so im not real worried about fish. Do i need to buy one for cycling? I just added a DIY CO2 kit to it. I even have a few plants: small Java Moss and about 5 plants that look like blades of grass (forgtot what there called).

55gal Tank:130 watt coral lights,Eheim Wet/Dry 2227 Canister Filter,Powerhead, Co2 Injection and a heater.

I would suggest you buy several Zebra Danios for the cycling, they are cheap and very tough.

Are you adding a product called "Cycle" or a similar product to help Cycle the new tank set up?

If not I suggest you buy some, your LFS should be able to advise you how to use it correctly.

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

I put stuff in it called chlor out, Im not really trying to set it up for fish just plants. I my add fish later on down the road. Do i still need it to cycle? If not will it be ok to add fish later on if the PH and everything is alright?

55gal Tank:130 watt coral lights,Eheim Wet/Dry 2227 Canister Filter,Powerhead, Co2 Injection and a heater.

Hi,
Perhaps I missed it... What is your substrate?
If it is regular aquarium gravel, that "stuff" is inert
and will do nothing for the plants other than serve as
a medium in which they can grow roots and anchor
themselves.

Plants need to "eat" too. The nutrients that they use
come from the tap water, and from the bacteria colonies
that live in the gravel and in the filter and spend their
lives breaking down fish waste and fish food products and
the remains of dead plants. How are you providing those
nutrients?

Since you stress that the fish will come later, you need
to be adding pure ammonia (not the scented type) to the
tank a little at a time, constantly (until you decide to
add the fish). Essentially, this is called "fish less
cycling" and is designed to get the bacterial colonies
up and running before adding the fish. Once you have
watched the tests (that you do daily) for ammonia, nitrite,
and nitrate, each peak and drop off except the nitrate
which should not be allowed to climb above 10 or 20
max.
As you add liquid ammonia, the ammonia reading peaks,
then eventually, the nitrite levels appear and they
begin to peak. As the nitrite readings peak, the
ammonia readings drop off.
Then as the nitrite readings peak the nitrate
readings appear and start to elevate. All the while
the ammonia readings fall to zero and stay at zero.
The nitrite readings will then start to fall off and the
nitrate readings will start to appear and increase.
When the ammonia and nitrite readings both are at
zero despite constantly adding more ammonia, then
the tank is cycled.

With the drift wood, it is settling into the tank and
will leech tannins into the water that will turn it
a yellow brown, tea like, color. The use of carbon in the
filter will absorb the tannic acid and keep the water
from turning the tea like color. Some folks love that,
while others want crystal clear tank water. That decision
is up to you, but while cycling the tank it may become
one more distraction.

In a new tank, the filter is the same as the new gravel,
it does nothing except mechanically filter out any large
particles. The bacteria colonies have not yet established
themselves in it either.

Regular water changes are necessary as is something to
start the Nitrogen Cycle going.

Frank


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

Thanks frank, You explained alot.

55gal Tank:130 watt coral lights,Eheim Wet/Dry 2227 Canister Filter,Powerhead, Co2 Injection and a heater.