Cloudy yellowish water….

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
M

Maximus146

Plecostomus
MFK Member
Oct 22, 2020
119
128
51
48
What’s up guys? So after a while of feeding (frozen shrimp) my pH drops and I’m adding pH up but after a few days, the water starts to get a little yellowish (like tanins are being released) and will get cloudy. Any advice on what to do? Fish are acting normal and eating as usual. Tank is located near a door with small indows at the top of the door
Thanks,
Chris

0F6DC9A7-3241-4592-89D7-1E54B192CBEB.jpeg
 
  • Like
Reactions: Deadeye
Did you check your water parameters? Cloudy water is often an indication of an ammonia spike or the tank going through a cycle. Hard to tell without know your parameters. Also, I would not mess with your ph via chemicals. Test the water hardness. If you have crazy soft water that can be the cause of a ph crash or spike. I would add something in the tank like crushed coral to make the water harder instead of chemicals.
 
  • Like
Reactions: A201, deeda, tlindsey and 2 others
Water change will help to clean it up.
How long has the wood been in there? That could be the culprit.
Just curious, what is the pH at. Piranhas like it relatively low.
 
  • Like
Reactions: tlindsey and Maximus146
So for reference, it’s a 125L and a little over a month ago, I moved. So I kept roughly 30 gallons of the old water and added 95 gallons of new water. The pH usually sits around 7.0 until it starts dropping after a while of feeding. Would adding crushed coral prevent the pH from dropping? The driftwood has been in there for about 3 months or so and I soaked it in hot water for about two weeks before putting it in the tank. I changed the hot water everyday when I was letting it soak.
 
  • Like
Reactions: tlindsey and Deadeye
Crushed coral acts as a buffer which keeps ph from dropping too much.
Is there a lot of uneaten food?
 
  • Like
Reactions: tlindsey
Deadeye said:
Crushed coral acts as a buffer which keeps ph from dropping too much.
Is there a lot of uneaten food?
Click to expand...
No I only feed them enough that they eat it all. I’d anything is leftover, it’s really small stuff I can’t see. But I never see anything sitting around uneaten
 
  • Like
Reactions: Deadeye
Sounds like it might just still be due to the wood.
What’s the lowest the pH gets?

Also, how is the filtration?
 
Deadeye said:
Sounds like it might just still be due to the wood.
What’s the lowest the pH gets?

Also, how is the filtration?
Click to expand...
Filtration should be good as I just recently cleaned it out. When I moved in a little over a month ago, the water was clear up until now. Would the driftwood being in the tank this long still be affecting the water color?
 
Maximus146 said:
Filtration should be good as I just recently cleaned it out. When I moved in a little over a month ago, the water was clear up until now. Would the driftwood being in the tank this long still be affecting the water color?
Click to expand...
Bro if you moved in just little over a month ago and started the tank im certain your tank just isnt cycled yet
 
  • Like
Reactions: Maximus146
Caveden said:
Bro if you moved in just little over a month ago and started the tank im certain your tank just isnt cycled yet
Click to expand...
The setup is likely carried over and still has media from a previous tank, keeping it cycled.
Maximus146 said:
Filtration should be good as I just recently cleaned it out. When I moved in a little over a month ago, the water was clear up until now. Would the driftwood being in the tank this long still be affecting the water color?
Click to expand...
Wood pretty much continuously leeches into the water so it would have a lasting effect.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Maximus146
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom