Cloudy water + bubbles

Question
Hey Jaymie,

I have a 5 gallon aquarium that I set up on December 27th. I have two betta fish (separated by a screen), a sarasa, and two small zebrafish living in there. It's freshwater, and there's no heater. (I picked out the fish because I'd been advised they did not need a heater).

Everything was going fine up until about a week and a half ago, when the water very suddenly got very cloudy. At that time, I did a partial water change with a gravel pump (as the manual that came with the Marine Tank said I should). I also replaced one of the cartridges in the filter. The next day, the water had become even cloudier. So, I went to the pet store to seek asnwers, and was told that I should NOT have done the partial water change or the filter change.

The advisor at the pet store told me to just wait it out.

BUT, it seems to be getting worse. Now, there are bubbles around the top of the water.

Please tell me if there's anything I can do to help out the situation. I can't STAND looking into a dirty fish tank.

Answer
Sarah,
Unfortunately, you have been given wrong information. The first is the heater. Your Betta's are tropical and need a heater in their tank. The water temperature has to be 80 degrees at all times. The second is about the water change. Did you cycle the tank before you put the fish in? Are you testing the water weekly for ammonia and nitrite levels? The one thing you were advised about that was correct is the changing of the filter media. If your tank was not cycled, then that is probably what it is trying to do now. When you replaced the media, you set the cycle process right back to the beginning. When the water gets cloudy, the first thing you should do is test it for ammonia and nitrites. If the levels are above zero at anytime, there is too much. Do a water change to help bring it down. Test your water with your liquid testing kit and let me know what the levels are. Once I get the levels, I will be able to advise you better to get the water back to clear.