Mini Cycle?

[chrisstylez1]

Hello everyone,

I appear to be having a problem with cloudy water and I have a few ideas, but was wondering if anyone else had a better one.
I have a 75 gallon tank with two oscars, each about 4 inches, and a pleco. I am currently babysitting my brother's two oscars, both about 3 inches, until he can repair his leaky 120 gallon tank.
I originally had a Fluval FX5 and two Aquaclear 110s that worked decently.
When I got my brother's fish, I soon purchased and hooked up another FX5 to keep up with all the oscars. I did a 50% water change a few days after hooking up the new filter.
The tank still appears cloudy, even though the water parameters are fine, and thought it might be a mini cycle due to the water change and new filter. Anyone else have an idea what is causing this, or any solutions to the problem?

Thanks
-Chris

 

[justonemoretank]

If ammonia is zero, and nitrite is zero, it is not a mini-cycle, which would mean that there is more ammonia than the bacteria present can handle, and the bacteria's trying to catch up with the ammonia production. (Well, not "trying" LOL but you know what i mean.) So, as long as ammonia and nitrite are zero, I wouldn't be worried about your biological filter.

As for what you can do, are you already running the fine white filter pads on your FX5? These would help clear particulate matter. Do you think it might be the beginning of an algae bloom?

 

[Toby_H]

Have you tested the water for ammonia and/or nitrite?

Increasing the 'bioload' of the tank can/sill cause a mini cycle until the bacterial colony has time to increase to accomodate the additional waste...

 

[iloveoscars702]

^ x2

 

[chrisstylez1]

ammonia and/or nitrite both at 0