tank water

Question
QUESTION: hey, i have a 29 gallon tank with 6 guppies, 3 platys, 2 mollies, 1 angelfish and a pleco. my tank has been running for nearly two months now and the water is pretty cloudy. Also parts of the gravel is turing green and brown, same as the plants. I do a 25% weekly water change but it doesnt seem to help. is there a specific reason for this, and how could I fix it? Thanks.

ANSWER: Hi Meg,

Please send more information and I will be better able to answer.

My guess is the filter isn't enough for the size of the tank, or it's a caister filter, but let's see where the answers lead. :)

Please send more information so I can better answer your question.

I need to know the make/model of filter.  I need to know if you use tap water and dechlorinator and what kind of gravel you have and the size of it.  I also need to know your feeding rituals.

The pleco could partially be a culprit.  Plecos are poopers, but that would not explain this severe a situation.

Have you been able to test the water?  If so, please provide the readings.

Thankyou,
Renee

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: hey, the kind of filter ive been using is a Aqua- tech 20-40 power filter. in my tank i have well water, and i do use a de chlorinator- its called Top Fin water conditioner. im not sure what kind of gravel i have but ive got about 27 pounds of it. in the morning i feed them some tropical color enhancers fish flakes, and the same at night. about 5 flakes per fish. yes ive tested the water and the readings are: NO+3 is at 0, NO-2 is at 0, water hardness is at 0, chlorine is at 0, alkalinity is at 200 ish, ph is at 7.5.

thanks for replying, meg.

ANSWER: Hi,

I wanted to let you know, this has gone public.  I don't do private answers, as stated in my bio, so it is now a public question so it may help others who run searches, and who have similar issues.

So with water quality being okay, I have to say you need to change out the filter pads.  Change them monthly.  If this isn't the issue, we can look at other cloudiness causes.

I am suprised that the N03 and NO2 are at 0.  But, algae does live on it...we'll discuss this further down in the response.

With any cloudiness, they could be higher.  Are you using test strips?  Shelf life of them is approximately 6 months.  I'd have the store test it just to be certain those are good readings, and if they are, let's explore other possibilities.

When I search for cloud issues, here are things I look for and ask myself.

Is there any kind of plant that is in the tank, perhaps a decoration or a plastic item which isn't made for aquariums?  This could be clouding water.

Was the gravel washed before I put it in?  Was it a thorough job?  Has it been cleaned bi-weekly as recommended?

Am I changing out my filter pads monthly, or am I trying to save money by washing them out?

Are there any new fish who are heavy poopers?

Do I have too many fish?

Is my filter appropriate for my aquarium and/or is it functioning at 100%?

Are there some chemicals I am using causing these issues?  A good way to test this out is to boil the water in a pot (not aluminum, use only stainless pots) and let it cool, then use that to refill the tank with on fill-ups or go to a fill station and grab a 5 gallon bottle of distilled or filtered water.  If chemicals I used are causing any kind of cloudiness, or my tap water, it will be very evident because it will clear up and won't get cloudy again while using filtered or distilled, boiled or R/O water.

There should be no debris on the bottom at any time and so we want to keep it from settling by increasing the flow.  A powerhead will lift it up, and the filter will catch it and get it out.  This will help prevent more algae and cloudy water.

Is something from the ceiling making it into the tank from the top?  Perhapse a popcorn ceiling?

Am I over-feeding.  The #1 cause of cloudy water is a combined cause.  Inappropriate filtration combined with over-feeding.  Proper feeding is to feed only enough food for the fish to eat in 2 minutes.  Once a day, not twice.  Twice is too much.  Once a day only applies to fish and does not apply to eels or to frogs or loaches, which require a second feeding to survive.

Am I using an algae tablet?  They are known to cause serious issues with water quality if un-eaten.  Instead of one a day, try one every other day, til the pleco got huge, and the water stayed clear, finally, or break it in half or a quarter.  If he's not over 4" long, a quarter to half an algae tab is fine.

Is this perhaps caused by overpopulation?  1 1.5" fish per 2 gallons is the standard.  Increase incrementally for size increases.  If the fish is 2" long, then it requires another gallon, and goldfish require 5 gallons apiece.

Is something dissolving in the water?  Did the person use a weekend feeder?  They sell weekend feeder cakes.  They often cause major water quality issues.

Is it algae?  Yes, you have green and brown algae, so let's explore what makes algae grow a bit further.

Often, in a tank with serious algae issues, readings will be clear.  The reason?  Algae survives on nitrates, nitrites and ammonia.  Algae eats poop, waste, dirty water and light.  Those are the elements it needs to survive.

To combat the algae, we increase the quality of filtration, and cut back on fish if there are too many.  

Lowering the amount of time the lights are on helps tremendously as well.  If the tank's in a window, or near real light, it could be causing it.  If the bulb is old, it could be a cause.

Making certain that there is no over-feeding (another cause) helps.

A UV Sterilizer can also help, but if any other issues exist, and they aren't dealt with, the UV sterilizer won't clarify the water until those problems are also met.

Last, but not least, are you using a water clarifier chemical?  People think that they should buy things to clear their water up if it gets cloudy.  It's the worst move a person can make.  

Water clarifier products cause the minute floating debris that causes cloudy water to clump together into minute particles which fall to the bottom (and spread if it's algae or they rot in brown) and these particles feed nitrates and nitrites form and ammonia, harming the quality of the water, and most likely in the future more cloudy conditions will arise, because this is a temporary cure, not a complete fix.

It's like fixing the brakes on the car.  You don't just fix the noise they make, you fix the actual cause by replacing the brake pads.  A temp fix can be a dangerous thing.

So, this is a lot of information.  Please read through it and let me know if any of this could be a cause or contributing.  Sometimes, just changing a couple small routines helps, and/or getting the fish down to a better level.

To me, it does not sound as if your tank is over-crowded, but it might be too heavy a load for the filter.  

Rating systems are made for low-fish aquariums and are a round-about rating.  They aren't set in stone.  A filter made to filter a 50 gallon tank might only work on a 20 gallon if there are more than 10 fish in it.  I run a marineland on my 20, a 350.  I love it.  Works like a charm and I only change out water every couple weeks, 10%, and I use filtered water, because its PH, etc are good.  I don't use chemicals nor do I recommend them, but many people are sold by them, so that's up to you, but I recommend considering ceasing use of chemicals on the fish.  Afterall, they don't get chemicals in nature.

The filtered water would balance out alkalinity also, if you decide to go with that.  I get 5 gallon bottles full from my local Food Max, for a dollar per refill.  I fill ten, go home, put them inside and use them for changes and refills, and my fish don't have PH, mineral, or other issues.  They do filter out metals also, and mercury.  Something we never want our fish around.

What would I do, if I had your readings and fish, tank setup and the same issues with cloudiness?  

I would do the following:
1. Cut back on feedings. One per day and I'd cut down algae feedings if I was doing them.
2. I'd change filter media and would probably consider a bigger filter.  They 30/60 might be more appropriate for your setup.  I know on my 20 I use the Marineland 350, and it manages okay, but I do have a school of tetra in there, so again...ratings meant zero.  What meant the most was what my tank could feed the filter, and what it could handle in the long run.
3.  I'd stop using chemicals and I'd use the filtered water.
4.  I'd cut back on lighting times.  8 hours a day at most.  I'd also change out any old bulbs, which can increase algae growth.
5.  I'd not cut back on stock, but I'd consider swapping out my pleco for a couple corydorras or loaches.  The Plecos are neat, and get really huge, but they also are heavy duty poopers and do populate the water with more waste than most fish.
6.  Move the tank to an area where less real light spills onto it.
7.  I'd add a powerhead to get the debris off the bottom.  

Honestly, I spent some time on this, and can't really think of anything else, but when you email back, perhapse there might be other ideas. :)  Please let me know if anything sparked an answer for you.

Renee


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: thanks for answering. i was digging around in my box of fish stuff and i came across an AquaClear 50, and a AquaClear 610. would either of these be a good adition to my other filter? if so which one?
thanks for the adive, it helps alot.:)

Answer
Hi,

What I'm going to recommend might sound silly, but it works!

Add one more filter.  Instead of choosing one or the other, scoot the one you have over, and add another next to it.

If any combination of two match better than the other, then go with those.

Two will really bring your water quality up, but change the filters out monthly.

Renee