CLOUDY WATER PROBLEM

[mikenjo]

need help with my 72 bow the water clouds up 2 days after a 50% water change water perameters are as follows
0 ammonia
0 nitrite
5 nitrate
7.4 ph
78 temp
stocked with 1 6in jd, 5 2in silver dollars,1 4in feather fin cat
filtration rena xp3 filled with filter sponges in bottom tray middle has bio rings and pot scrubbers top tray more pot scrubbers and fine filter sponge also an ac 110 hob with filter sponge and bio rings
at 5 days will will get slight green tint this is very aggrivating any ideas what to do next
also tank has been set up for 4 months

 

[ethnics]

dang, if thats ur jd in your avatar pic, awesome jd. for your tank tho, maybe its not fully cycled? i've noticed with my tanks, when there under filtered they get cloudy quick. usually less then a week after the water change. maybe if you had 2 ac110s and a sump or something. i think all tanks should use a sump, it just works so well

 

[Bderick67]

Are the water params posted, from after the water change? Do some water test when the water starts to get cloudy and one before your next w/c. see if this gives some info.

 

[Dr Joe]

Param's look good, must not be anything wrong...:j/k:

Sounds like an algae bloom.

How long are the lights on?

Are the W/c's with aged or treated water?

You could treat it like an algae outbreak... W/C, then cover / no light or food for 3-4 days, light salt if fish can handle it. and see if you break the cycle.

Then set your lighting for 2hrs on 2hrs off for an 8hr schedule.

Can you afford a UV sterilyzer - $25-$35. It won't hurt and if it is algae it will keep it down once under control.

Keep us posted.

Dr Joe

.

 

[mikenjo]

Param's look good, must not be anything wrong...:j/k:

Sounds like an algae bloom.

How long are the lights on?

Are the W/c's with aged or treated water?

You could treat it like an algae outbreak... W/C, then cover / no light or food for 3-4 days, light salt if fish can handle it. and see if you break the cycle.

Then set your lighting for 2hrs on 2hrs off for an 8hr schedule.

Can you afford a UV sterilyzer - $25-$35. It won't hurt and if it is algae it will keep it down once under control.

Keep us posted.

Dr Joe

.

lights are on about about 8 hours a day 1 hour in morning then turned on a three pm till 11 pm would a uv sterilizer work better than a diatom filter where can you get a uv sterilizer for $25 to $35 thanks

 

[RadleyMiller]

lights are on about about 8 hours a day 1 hour in morning then turned on a three pm till 11 pm would a uv sterilizer work better than a diatom filter where can you get a uv sterilizer for $25 to $35 thanks

UV and diatom do about the same thing but different ways. I would go with the UV sterilizer if it is a bacteria or algae bloom, if it is anything else, go with the diatom filter, even though they are very expensive. I have dealt with both diatoms and UVs and had success with both, and hopefully I will get some more powder to get the diatom running again.

 

[mikenjo]

will a magnum 350 or hob filter with a polishing cartridge filter out algae or is it not fine enough

 

[craig]

Get a uv sterilizer . That should take care of the green water. Is the tank near a window? Just a little sunshine from a window can cause an algae bloom. The tap water where I live has phosphates comeing right out of the faucet. That will cause algae. I use Ro water .

 

[RadleyMiller]

will a magnum 350 or hob filter with a polishing cartridge filter out algae or is it not fine enough

It's not fine enough.

 

[rhinod56]

if 50% is what you normally do on a weekly baisis..its too much...
try a 10-15% water change 1x a week, if not everyother week...
your not giving the good bacteria enough time to establish, and esentially almost starting over everytime. 4months espeically if you've been doing 50% changes has not been enough time to properly cycle/establish the tank...
when doing a change you can add some "prime" or "stablility" made by seachem...should help keep all your levels in check...
when doing water changes, if you do weekly, pick 1 half of the tank to work on. week 1, compeltely overhaul and thouroughly clean the right half. then week 2, don't touch the right half, but do everything to the left half, and keep working back and forth...its worked wonders for both all of my tanks, and most everyone else I know who uses this method