cloudy after over 1 month

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aegall03

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 5, 2009
20
0
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Illinois
HI, my name's Ashley and I am new to this forum. About a mnth ago I upgraded my tank from a 30 to a 75 which was necessary with a growing pleco and tiger oscar.
After reading many reviews, I decided to use sand as the substrate. It was very cloudy from the beginning so I waited about a day or 2 to see if it was the sand but it didn't clear up, after about 4 days I transferred the fish. I was using 2 HOB filters, both which were ruined by the sand within 2 days. I then got a cascade canister filter. I decided the cloudiness was due to the tank cycling, well, the tanks levels show it is no longer cycling, So i am lost on why it is still cloudy! Today I decided to just get rid of the sand altogether and switch to rocks. I also got another HOB filter for extra filtration. I guess all i can do is wait and see what happens.... has anyone else experienced something like this? if so what did you do?

Thanks,
Ashley
 
Did you wash the sand?
Also you might want more coarse sand given that the pleco will dig alot
 
pre washed doesnt mean its clean
 
:) i know, which is why i still rinsed it very well...
but, what if it were the sand causing the cloudiness, wouldn't the filter remove the debris?..
 
get some jbl symec micro and but it in your filter... it filters down to diatom level.

you just use if for a few days and then sling it out when your water clears
 
diatom filter would help. iono my pfs never clouded the water when i put it in... wierd.
 
when I put my pool filter sand in it was a little cloudy for a day or two but cleared right up...and it never damaged my HOB filter...how close was the intake to your sand?
 
it really wasn't that close at all, i would say about 4-5 inches, which is why i thought it would be fine.. the only answer i could come up with is the oscar and/or pleco kicking it up into the water... I did remove the sand though, and now it's gravel so the cloudiness shouldn't be caused by the sand... Ill wait and see how things went with the change tomorrow!
 
since you changed out your substrate you may just want to test your water for the next few days. i have changed substrate from gravel to sand (i found that i love pool filter sand but you need to have your intakes about half way up the tank lol) you may trigger a bit of a cycle (since your gravel/substrate holds alot of your BB).

i would do what jamie H said and get a diatom filter-it will help polish the water and remove fine particulate.

i wonder if switching the filters (when you had to replace them) triggered a cycle-the cloudiness is weird. also (im sure you know) when you clean the canisters/filters rinse your pads in tank water-not tap- some ppl just dont know and wipe out the BB-or they constantly change the filters and that doesnt allow the BB to build up.

just keep an eye on the parameters for a few days since the sand was changed-not sure what your waterchanging schedule is but i would change 30-50 bi weekly and keep your nitrates low (in my oscar tank its about 5 ppm with biweekly 50 percent wc's)

best of luck to your o! hes a cute one..

forgot to say, in a canister filter i go to walmart and buy polyfill that you use to stuff quilts (its in the fabric section) and use that in the middle trays-it works really well it trapping poop and stuff and its dirt cheap!
 
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