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My axolotls have cloudy water

stinky davis

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Hello! I am brand new to this site but am really hoping that I can get input from you all in regards to the very cloudy conditions of my aquarium water. I have two axolotls that are about five inches each in a 29 gallon filtered aquarium. All the parameters of my tank (nitrate, ph, etc) are in good shape but the water is all white and cloudy.
The first time this happened about a month ago I transferred my axolotls to a different tank and emptied everything from the tank and within a few days the water was completely cloudy again. I have no live plants and am always quick to remove excess food and poop. I have no substrate or decorations in the tank (in attempt to narrow down the issue)

if this is a case of a bacterial bloom, what sort of action should I be taking to get rid of it? Is it safe for my axolotls to remain in the tank while this issue runs it's course? How can I keep this from happening again?
I am so grateful to anyone who can give me a hand in dealing with this. Thanks big bunches!!
 

Bdyoung

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I know you stated you check nitrates, but what about ammonia and nitrite? To me it sounds like an ammonia spike. I would start doing daily 20-50% water changes to see if the conditions get better and keep a close eye on your axolotls. You could also get some plastic bins and put them in there for the time being until you figure out whats going on in your tank. If you went the plastic bin route you'd need to do daily 100% water changes.
 

PatchworkClocks

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Sounds to me like you haven't cycled your tank. Keep your axolotls in a separate container for the time being, and get to cycling that tank. Once it's cycled, you won't have any cloudy problems. Here's a few tutorials and tips on how to do a fishless cycle: How to Do a Fishless Cycle: 9 Steps - wikiHow
A Quick Guide to Fishless Cycling | DrTim's Aquatics
The (almost) Complete Guide and FAQ to Fishless Cycling - Aquarium Advice - Aquarium Forum Community

While your tank is cycling, you'll need to do 100% daily water changes in your axolotl's container(s), and keep them in a cool, dark area, preferably with whatever hides you have also in the container. Cycling can take up to a month, so just be patient.
 

IsaacNewtonsMum

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Hi, I have the same problem and have found expert advice from several reliable sources; if you have fully cycled your tank before you introduced your axolotls then you most probably are experiencing the same issue as me. Shortly after homing Isaac I was overwhelmed with a bacteria bloom; this created milky/ cloudy water and white web like stuff floating in the tank. A couple weeks of regular water changes (50% per week and 100% per month) and a complete change of substrate ( sand) fixed this issue perfectly. However, recently - 4 months on - I again have very cloudy water. It is so cloudy that Isaac's white body can only be seen through the milkiness when he fancies coming to the front for a nose around. If this sounds familiar don't worry; as long as your ammonia and nitrate readings are clear your axolotls will be perfectly fine in the water. I have been advised to change the carbon sponge in my filter (black sponge if you have one) or add carbon to your filter as this has most likely became full and needs changing every 8 weeks approx. Whilst waiting for the water to clear only perform normal water changes (1/4 per week and 100% per month) as too frequent water changes will only make it worse! After the next 100% water change and substrate clean/ change all should be well, but carbon sponges must be changed every 8 weeks to prevent this again.
Hopefully this is the same issue as yours and if so it should do the trick.
 

layna

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If your cycling your tank or it is already cycled i would never do a 100% water change, the beneficial bacterial live on the surfaces of your tank and when you remove your water you are risking drying them out and killing them off.
Whilst its not guaranteed to kill off your cycle, why risk it?

It could either be your tank has just cycled so just check ALL your parameters again with the liquid test kit to make sure there is 0 ammonia and nitrITE then maybe do 10% daily water changes to try and clear it a bit, but it will disappear in a week or so.
Or your tank hasnt cycled yet (which i suspect because you moved them) so it might be an ammonia spike and you need to be doing 20-30% daily water changes and testing until it has cycled.
Make sure you keep all filters and air stones running 24/7 and a that your filter is big enough for your tank volume.

Also you can search all the threads on this forum under 'cloudy tank' and see what other people did to resolve it
 
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