cloudy 55 gallon aquarium

Question
I have a 55 gallon aquarium with two gold fish in it. But the water is cloudy. What am i doing wrong?

Answer
Hi,

How long has your tank been set up? Have you added any new substrate recently?
It sounds like you may have a bacterial bloom.

This appears as a greyish haze in the water. It is due to the explosive growth of bacteria, usually in a newly setup tank. It occurs because the bacterial population of the tank is not in balance with the level of waste nutrients. This will usually sort itself out as the tank matures - it should disappear more quickly if partial water changes (say 20%) are performed. Also, avoid overfeeding (very important in a new tank), to help reduce the waste levels. Remove any uneaten food, decaying plant matter, etc. Note that the bacterial bloom will not cause any harm to the fish.

Hope this helps,
Chloe :)