OK, so this is my plywood 200gal that's been running for a few months now. Recently the water started clouding up, and no matter what I do to improve it, it either gets worse or stays the same. Day before yesterday, my oscar killed my algae eater (no surprise, really, the algae eater was newish to the tank, and the oscar doesn't cope well with new tankmates.) Then he decided he wouldn't eat nightcrawlers, and displayed a sharply reduced appetite towards bloodworms, along with everyone else in the tank.
Now, changes like this are related to changes in the tank routine, right, so let's try to figure out wtf I did wrong.
The first thing I suspect was I put a slightly cooked potato in there for the pleco to munch on. It stayed there for a few days before I removed it. That's around when I noticed the cloudiness begin.
The second contributing change may have been that I tried to feed them organic uncooked prawns. I did not realize they would take the meat, then spit it out where I wasn't seeing it, so there was a little pile of decomposing prawn meat in there.
The third thing is that I put insulating plastic on the windows in that room on friday night, and since then, the tank temperature rose from 81 to 84F. I've turned both heaters down (although I don't see how the heaters could be at fault - in the summer it never got that warm). Room ambient is about 72. I think the majority of the tank heating is coming from my FX5, Q1 9000, and shop lights. Tank is now down to 83, still high, but shouldn't be affecting the fish this way.
Now, what I've done to try to remedy it: Obviously remove all the decomposing crap in the tank. Tested NH3, N02, N03, all were normal (0 for the first two, below 20ppm for nitrates). I did a 50% water change anyway. No help there.
I put polishing pads in my FX5 on saturday and a large wad of filter floss on top of my bio-balls to hopefully catch the pollutants. They have not plugged up yet, and the water is still cloudy, so I can only assume it has to be bacterial bloom... but then why no nitrate or ammo? I also swapped the 200 micron mesh bags in my sump out for 50 micron felt bags... so whatever is in the water is under 50 microns (again, almost has to be bacteria, no?)
What gives here? I'm going to do more large water changes to see if I can help the problem, because like I said, the fish are losing appetite and acting funny. Noone is acting sick yet (other than loss of appetite), but the oscar's agression towards my aro has increased a lot, my loaches and plecos are all in hiding. The only one acting normal is my ACF and my goldfish.
Now, changes like this are related to changes in the tank routine, right, so let's try to figure out wtf I did wrong.
The first thing I suspect was I put a slightly cooked potato in there for the pleco to munch on. It stayed there for a few days before I removed it. That's around when I noticed the cloudiness begin.
The second contributing change may have been that I tried to feed them organic uncooked prawns. I did not realize they would take the meat, then spit it out where I wasn't seeing it, so there was a little pile of decomposing prawn meat in there.
The third thing is that I put insulating plastic on the windows in that room on friday night, and since then, the tank temperature rose from 81 to 84F. I've turned both heaters down (although I don't see how the heaters could be at fault - in the summer it never got that warm). Room ambient is about 72. I think the majority of the tank heating is coming from my FX5, Q1 9000, and shop lights. Tank is now down to 83, still high, but shouldn't be affecting the fish this way.
Now, what I've done to try to remedy it: Obviously remove all the decomposing crap in the tank. Tested NH3, N02, N03, all were normal (0 for the first two, below 20ppm for nitrates). I did a 50% water change anyway. No help there.
I put polishing pads in my FX5 on saturday and a large wad of filter floss on top of my bio-balls to hopefully catch the pollutants. They have not plugged up yet, and the water is still cloudy, so I can only assume it has to be bacterial bloom... but then why no nitrate or ammo? I also swapped the 200 micron mesh bags in my sump out for 50 micron felt bags... so whatever is in the water is under 50 microns (again, almost has to be bacteria, no?)
What gives here? I'm going to do more large water changes to see if I can help the problem, because like I said, the fish are losing appetite and acting funny. Noone is acting sick yet (other than loss of appetite), but the oscar's agression towards my aro has increased a lot, my loaches and plecos are all in hiding. The only one acting normal is my ACF and my goldfish.
