so, Now my water is cloudy.. WHY? pls help

Jayfish7

Jack Dempsey
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Apr 12, 2014
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Hi,

So about a little more then 2 weeks ago i noticed my water in my 180g tank, had high nitrates (50ppm). so i did about 50% water changes every other day to lower it.. I added a 2nd fx5 to my set up and now the past week days my water is cloudy. why could this be?

I lowered the amount of food i feed my fish (large SA) - i do a thorough vacuuming every time i do a WC.

could it be because all the large water changes i have done the past 2 weeks have tossed my bacteria to go out of wack and reset? , could i be over stocked? ( Oscar/baby jag/GT/Severum/chocolate/ pleco/5x SD)

is the food i'm feeding them too messy??? (sinking gold hikari pellets)


i dont know what else it could be? maybe if i lay off the water changes it'll clear back up (my water is usually very clear, and now the nitrates seem to be about 10ppm)

any ideas/suggestions would be of great help!.. thanks!
 

Jayfish7

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Apr 12, 2014
259
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New York
Is the mechanical filtration (sponge) in the FX5 full of crud?

Matt
i just set up the 2nd one.. and havent cleaned the original one in about 4 months... think itll be all cruddy in that time span?.. i was thinking, wait 2 weeks for the 2nd fx5 to run before cleaning the 1st one (makes sense?)

thx!
 

duanes

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I agree with Matt, 4 months full of crud is probably why the nitrates were up, and would also account for cloudy water. Beneficial bacteria are sessile (they live on surfaces), and water changes don't remove them, or upset the cycle unless you kill them without treating tap water for chlorine.
I never let mechanical media build up any more than a day or 2 without rinsing.
 

Jayfish7

Jack Dempsey
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Apr 12, 2014
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New York
I agree with Matt, 4 months full of crud is probably why the nitrates were up, and would also account for cloudy water. Beneficial bacteria are sessile (they live on surfaces), and water changes don't remove them, or upset the cycle unless you kill them without treating tap water for chlorine.
I never let mechanical media build up any more than a day or 2 without rinsing.
Rise out my fx5 filter every 2 days?? That's kind of excessive you think? Maybe on a HOB, ... But I was of the thinking you can take a couple months isn't etween rinsing/cleaning the canister filter media... Or am I wrong?
 

jstehman

Candiru
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Feb 23, 2012
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Rise out my fx5 filter every 2 days?? That's kind of excessive you think? Maybe on a HOB, ... But I was of the thinking you can take a couple months isn't etween rinsing/cleaning the canister filter media... Or am I wrong?
Depends on how you setup your can and tank stocking.

If your canister is biomedia like ceramic noodles or balls or stars you could go a month or 2 without at least giving a quick rinse.

Now if youve got reticulated foam or grates or poret foam I would go a week or 2 before pulling the junk out.

Will also depend on tank stocking/plant material/uneaten foods.

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jstehman

Candiru
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Feb 23, 2012
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Thats why HOBs and sumps are popular.

Convenience



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ragin_cajun

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Fx5 is like an Eheim, right? A Canister filter? I have Eheim's and I don't think 4 months without cleaning them out is excessive at all. I've got a pretty heavily stocked 125 Gallon. I've done 75% WC two days in a row several times and not had a problem. I HAVE had the cloudy water outta nowhere, though. I followed the advice in the link below (gravel vac and then wait a few days), and I haven't had it anymore. Happened to me a couple months after I cycled the tank, tank was real new, I was probably overfeeding.

http://www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/246850-bacterial-blooms-explained/
 

Jayfish7

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Apr 12, 2014
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New York
i have biohome - some pads and bioballs...

now 2 hours later and a completely clean fx5 canister as well as a 65% water change and a mess that shot back into my tank from the hoses, after starting up the filter.. and we'll see if the water gets clear!.... it better!!!


p.s. thanks for all the advise.. any more? is welcomed!

:)
 

jstehman

Candiru
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Feb 23, 2012
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Hope by 'clean" you don't mean "sterilized"

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