Cloudy waters

[Toptex]

Hi guys,
I'm a bit puzzled as to why my 70 lt tank has become cloudy over the last few days. I included a miniture terracotta pot plant bought at an aquarium and I'd be surprised if that was the cause. My water parameters are perfect even the nitrite problem I was having has corrected itself with 20% water changes every 2nd or 3rd day. Temp is around 18-22 C. I also vacuum religiously every two days so there is no build up of poop or food. He is fed an earth worm each day. I am wondering if it could be due to a build up of algae. I am wiping it off the sides of the tank every few days and Ive noticed a build up on the artificial plants. Should I wash the plants? I dont want to upset the balance.
Big Jim seems to be happy enough, no changes there.
What do you reckon?

 

[Coastal Groovin]

Is this a new tank or a well cycled tank? I have seen new tanks get cloudy from the bacteria bloom that happens when you start up a new tank. I have also seen water get cloudy when black worms or other live food items that live in the sand and stone suddenly die off. Or from feeding to heavy and the filters can't keep up.

 

[SludgeMunkey]

How long was the terracotta soaked in water before adding it to the tank?

 

[Jennewt]

I would take out the plant pot, just in case. Beyond that, increase to daily partial water changes until the problem goes away.

I had an established tank that went cloudy when I increased the number of animals and amount of feeding. It never developed any ammonia or nitrite, just the cloudiness. With daily partial changed it did eventually clear up. Hang in there.

 

[Toptex]

Whoops! I didn't soak the terracotta pot plant. Assumed that because it was a already submerged into aquarium waters that it would be ok. I will take it out and soak it in a seperate container for a while. Meanwhile I will do the 20% water changes
Tank has only been established for a couple of months now so yes, you could class it as a new tank.
Thanks for your help guys
Just one more question though, does algae play a part in water being cloudy.
Cheers.

 

[Jennewt]

If anything, algae should help keep tank water clear. The exception is, of course, the dreaded "green water" type of algae. Does your cloudiness look greenish at all? Or just white/gray haze? What is the tank's situation in terms of algae?

 

[Toptex]

Well its really difficult to say whether it's a greenish cloud. I took a photo to get a second opinion on that but of course photos can distort in colour. It could be a touch greenish. Lots of algae on plants. The tank is far away from any natural light and is lit with 2 white and 1 blue aquarium light but most of the time I turn them all off - I figure that poor Big Jim has enough to contend with having 3 kids thumping around let alone bright lights shining on him as well. Will do a 20% water change tonight and see what tomorrow brings.
Cheers
PS Photos 1 is the cloudy tank, photo 2 is 3 x tests, ph, nitrite and ammonia - all excellent

 

[SludgeMunkey]

Looks like a bacterial bloom to me. I would guess it was something that rode in on the pot, since that was the only change you made. Again, not a big deal, unless you get that "greenwater" look.

Your water chemistry is solid, so I wouldn't worry too much.

I have had this happen to me in the past too. Regular tank maintenance should clear it up in no time.

 

[Toptex]

My water is still cloudy...in fact it is so cloudy Big Jim could be having a party in there and I'm totally unaware. I removed the pot plant a week ago and have been doing 20% water changes every day until Thursday night and I did an 80% change. Got up this morning (Saturday) and just couldn't believe how thick the green fog was. There's something going on but what? My water parameters are perfect!! Is Big Jim in danger?
NB The filter sponge/liner (not sure what you call it) is a bluey colour and I have those ceramic rings which I have just now googled (copy and paste discription below) sitting on top of the liner.
The words "enhance bacteria growth" frightens me!! Do you think I should remove them? I actually did wash them because they were bluey in colour.

Ceramic Rings Biological Filter Media


Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Starting at: $19.99

Enhance bacterial growth for biological filtration with these Ceramic Rings. Designed to maximize surface area, they require no cleaning and are virtually maintenance free. Safe for both fresh and saltwater tanks.

 

[ianclick]

Hi Ma,

There is no worry with the rings the bacteria they are refering to are beneficial bacteria need to maintain a healthy tank. Basically all they do is provide more surface area for the bacteria to colonise.

As with most things, the best cure is prevention. Green water occurs when an aquarium is overstocked or has too much decaying organic matter in it. This process creates an excess of nitrates and other nutrients that feed the algae. Once all the right environmental factors are in place, the algae takes over quickly and mercilessly. The key is to keep nitrates down and the water parameters healthy.

You can start by ensuring you’re not over-feeding. In the wild an axolotl can never be certain where its next meal is coming from, so its metabolism has adapted into that of an opportunistic eater. Healthy axies will usually be hungry, so you can not simply feed them until they stop eating. If you see uneaten food remove it and any waste from the tank, and cut feeding back a little.

Many aquarists believe that direct sunlight is the main cause of green water and this is not necessarily true. While direct sunlight should be avoided because of its effects on the water temperature, algae can not bloom without quite a bit of excess nutrients in the water. It is true that algae can not grow without light as well, but the algae requires very little light for its photosynthesis; once it’s started, any tiny bit of natural light that reaches the aquarium will be sufficient to continue its growth.

Regular partial water changes are required to keep the nitrates down and remove organic material from the aquarium. occasionally stirring your substrate to get rid of potentially harmful gas pockets and to send organic materials through your mechanical filter is recommended. If the water is kept in pristine condition, you will not have a problem with green water.

Finally, once you have green water it is difficult and time-consuming to get rid of. You can begin by restricting light, even covering the outside of the aquarium with paper to keep additional light out, and do a partial water change to get rid of some of the excess nutrients. Note that the water changes in themselves will do nothing to get rid of the algae, it reproduces quickly and can only be gotten rid of through “starvation”. Cut back your food and leave any tank light off for the duration of the clearing time. It may take a couple of weeks to clear up.


Best of Luck

 

[Toptex]

Thanks Ian for that. You cleared up the ceramic ring theory. Though frustrating that this hasn't resolved, I will be patient. Just to clarify a couple of things:

The tank is located in the centre of a room where no natural light is near. In fact it is situated in a very dark part of the room as I know axies prefer a darker environment. Do you mean that my tank lights are enabling this algae to grow? I have a blue and 2 white lights which are obviously too strong tho the blue light alone is on for approx 12 hrs a day. I will turn them all off until it is clear. Has this algae occurred due to my tank lights alone.

As for feeding, there is no residue of food as he eats a whole earth worm once a day. With every water change (seems to be often these days) I vacuum bottom of tank to take out waste.

And just another thing, does regular partial water changes mean every day?

Just seems strange that algae has had an opportunity to grow. The tank is only 2 months old and I think I am doing all the right things with regular partial water changes, substrate cleaning, no natural light within cooee but I will soldier on and do as you suggest.....and keep you posted.

 

[ianclick]

Hi Ma,

Unfortunately pretty well all artificial light contains some frequencies/colours that occur in sunlight and are necessary for photosynthesis so in the short term it would be more beneficial to turn them off. The lights will aid in photosynthesis but are not the sole cause

I would do 20% changes daily for a week, then every 2nd day for another week. By then your tank should be pretty clear and then 20-30% every week

Unfortunately some algae got into your tank possibly on the ceramic pot initially and it found the conditions to its liking.

Algae is just one of those annoying things, it doesn't really have harmful effects if you keep it under control infact it won't thrive in an unhealthy environment. Problem is once you have it , it can be a pain to eliminate.

 

[ianclick]

Hi Ma,

I forgot plan B. Which is possibly the biggest hassle to do but will yield the quickest results and that is strip the tank thoroughly clean everything and start again. This will of course mean you go back to square one with cyclying your tank

 

[Toptex]

I prefer plan A at this stage thanks Ian. But if all else fails.....I have no choice.

Cheers
MA

PS the whitish/creamish frothy stuff on water edge of tank ...is that algae?

 

[Coastal Groovin]

Just a thought. Do you have small children that might be feeding them when you are not around?
I just remembered when a friend of mine found his 3 year old son feeding his fish milk!!! Have you thought of adding another filter to the tank to help out? I beleive the whitish foam is waste from the bacteria. I see you did a 80% water change that is alot more than I would ever do. I would 25 % everyday. I also use air line tubeing to siphon in the water. I know it is slow that way but is less shocking to fish and axies. The water temp and chemistry changes slower. In theory lowering the stress on your axies and fish. This is how we did it with our newly arrived salt water fish at a store I used to work at. They would come in ice cold alot. I now do it that way with every tank I own

 

[Toptex]

Thanks Bill I think you're right in saying that whitish goo is a bacterial waste product. I did another 20% water change tonight and to my horror I have noticed a white fuzzy muck on Big Jim's gills. My water parameters are perfect!! I thought I had an algae problem, maybe I don't! My first priority is Big Jim. Where do I start? Should I fridge him? Salt baths?

Have posted some pictures. The 1st & 2nd pics are of his fuzzy gills that are full of fluffy muck and the 3rd pic is the cloudy tank as of tonight after the water change.

Your advice Bill in relation to the filters is a bit complicated for me. I'm just not experienced with equipment etc. Maybe I should do a bit more reading up on it. But you have given me a place to start.

Help!!

PS I do have young kids and am very strict as to the feeding of Big Jim. It is daily ritual where together we feed him his earth worm. The tank is in a central open family room and I think I would notice any foreign matter going into the tank though I don't have eyes in the back of my head and anything is possible.

 

[Kerry1968]

The first thing to do is fridge Big Jim. He may fight the fungus on his own while in the fridge. If there is no improvement with a day or so, or the fungus is worse you will need to salt bath him up to 3 times a day until there is no sign of fungus and a couple of days thereafter just to be sure there is no small traces you may have missed. Are you familar with fridging and salt bathing methods?
Be aware that sometimes the fungus can be a sign of another underlying problem such as stress or illness.

Good luck with Big Jim, hopefully a few salt baths and he'll be right as rain.

 

[Coastal Groovin]

While you have him in the frig and are doing salt baths you might as well dump that tank. Clean it with some bleach. Make sure you rinse it very well with cool water and start over. Get new sand and bleach and ornaments in the tank. I know its going to be a hugh pain but thats what I would do after alll you have been going through with that tank. That fungus is the final straw

 

[Toptex]

Thanks guys. I really value your help. Would you believe that I got up this morning and the white fluffy muck has gone!! Diwsappeared. No signs of it on both sides. I was so worried about it I dreamt that he had some horrible fungal disease and I was at a loss as to what to do!

My hubby had a closer look at his gills last night and looked at the cloudy water condition suggesting that all the fine particles floating have fallen and got caught in Jim's gills. That theory made sense to me but it was too sensible and after looking at some pics of diseased gills I was convinced he had a fungal condition. It looked so similar. But my water parameters and temp are truly perfect so could it be? Fungus that is. Jim also seems to be in good spirits, nothing changed there either.

Emptying the tank and starting again (not to mention expensive) just seems a little drastic to me. I might wait a week or so to get on top the the water clarity problem and review. Does that sound like a plan? Sorry that I panicked last night - when it happens to your own it's gets a bit scary.

Cheers....until the next drama.....have a nice day :happy:

 

[Coastal Groovin]

Im happy things worked themselves out for you. good luck