merky water

Question
i have 3 fish tanks. the water in one of them is always merky for no reason. i test the water all the time and the conditions seem perfect. i have tried changing the water many times and ive tried water clarifier by the brand tetra. nothing seems to make the water any clearer. all the fish seem fine and none of them have ever gotten ick or any other illness. why is my water so merky? and how can i fix it?

Answer
Hello,

Cloudy or murky water is usually caused by an abundance of bacteria, and usually this is something that test kits can't detect. I recommend the following steps:

1) First off, clean the tank as your normally would for regular maintanance, including filters, gravel, glass and decorations.

2) Change a little bit of water every day, but never change more then 15% in one day. If you do, then it could actually cause the opposite effect of what you had hoped for.

3) Reduce the amount you are feeding your fish. Uneaten food or excess fish waste could easily cause a bacterial bloom.

4) Add aquarium salt, your regular tap water conditioner and a product called Cycle (which helps with the nitrogen cycle in your aquarium).

5) If you have another established tank, or a friend has one, that does not have cloudy water then you can take a handful of gravel from that tank and sprinkle it over top the gravel in your cloudy tank. The beneficial bacteria in the gravel from the established tank will help your water.

I hope these suggestions help.

Regards,
Stephanie