Cloudy aquarium water

[Magnus Jones]

My 55 gallon planted community tank suddenly got cloudy a few weeks ago. We've tried almost everything. Turning off lights for about a week, more water flow, lower temperature, cleaning debris from filter, and large water changes. Nothing has seemed to work and I'm about to lose hope in this. Around the time that it got cloudy, I had added some large rocks in the tank. That doesn't seem to make sense though. Does anyone know what could be causing this?

 

[tlindsey]

My 55 gallon planted community tank suddenly got cloudy a few weeks ago. We've tried almost everything. Turning off lights for about a week, more water flow, lower temperature, cleaning debris from filter, and large water changes. Nothing has seemed to work and I'm about to lose hope in this. Around the time that it got cloudy, I had added some large rocks in the tank. That doesn't seem to make sense though. Does anyone know what could be causing this?

View attachment 1289267

Welcome aboard


Looking at the pic water looks green but could be caused by various factors. How long as aquarium been up and running?
What are your water parameters Ammonia,Nitrite,Nitrate,and Ph.
What is your water change routine?
Do you use dechlorinator for water changes?

 

[Magnus Jones]

I live in a high ph area so my ph is about 8.3, I don't often use dechlorinator because I'm on a well. Fish seem to be fine. I change the water more than once a week, and about 40% of the water. I've had the tank up and running for at least a year. Ammonia- 0 Nitrite- 0 Nitrate-5

 

[tlindsey]

Your aquarium parameters are stable just wondering if you disturbed something when you added the rocks. Give a couple of weeks or so and see if things improve. Also other members will chime in with there analysis.

 

[skjl47]

Hello; A couple of thoughts. First why not remove the rocks, do a few large WC and see if the water clears up?

Next; How did you prepare the rocks?

Cloudy water can be a bacteria bloom or it can be an algae bloom. The green tint of the water might be a clue toward algae.

I read in a thread a while back about wells being affected seasonally. I do not know the details.

 

[Magnus Jones]

Hello; A couple of thoughts. First why not remove the rocks, do a few large WC and see if the water clears up?

Next; How did you prepare the rocks?

Cloudy water can be a bacteria bloom or it can be an algae bloom. The green tint of the water might be a clue toward algae.

I read in a thread a while back about wells being affected seasonally. I do not know the details.

For the rocks, I boiled them and scrubbed them.

 

[skjl47]

For the rocks, I boiled them and scrubbed them.

Hello; maybe soaking the rock in a tub of water for a few months with changing out the water every week or so and then back in the tank?

 

[Magnus Jones]

Hello; maybe soaking the rock in a tub of water for a few months with changing out the water every week or so and then back in the tank?

What do you think that the rocks might be doing to make the water cloudy?

 

[Finnatic]

Def looking like an algae bloom. Had this happen once, it was a combo of an odd temp nitrate increase in the fresh water source in the area and having the lights on for more than 12 hours.
I did small partial water changes with decreased lighting time and over the course of a month it cleared up. Frustrating until it does though.

 

[skjl47]

What do you think that the rocks might be doing to make the water cloudy?

Hello; Rocks are made of minerals. Soil is essentially made from rock that has been weathered for a long time with some organic material thrown in.
My WAG is the boiling could have "softened" ( not exactly made physically soft, more like allowed the minerals to be released into the water.) or physically affected minerals of the rock allowing them to release more minerals.

I can come up with other guesses. For instance if the substrate has not been vacuumed on a regular schedule then when adding the rock stuff buried deep in the substrate might get stirred up and cause a bacterial bloom.

There can be something else going on but as you have timed the cloudy water to the addition of the rocks, that is where my thoughts went.

Again I suggest to remove the rock, do a few large WC and see if the cloudy water clears up.