# Cloudy water and high ammonia levels :/



## Chloe'n'Holly (Jan 28, 2008)

Hi. Forgive the length of the post but I'm going to give you the full story about my newest problem child....I mean fish tank. 
Needing a bit of advice. I set up a new 20 gallon fresh water tank about 3 months ago. Didn't cycle like I did before using the guidelines I got off this site. Instead I used this "nutrifin cycle" stuff that I got from Walmart (I will never do it again so no lectures needed!). I have a Quiet Flow 20 Aqueon filter, a whisper 20 aerator and a 25 gallon aquarium heater in the tank as well. There are no live plants. Currently I have 1 female beta fish, 6 panda cories (under 1 cm each) and 1 blue ram cichlid (was 2 but 1 died 3 days ago).
So the story goes like this. Set my tank up and let it run for 1 week using the nutrifin cycle. Added female beta, all parameters seemed kosher. After 1 month I added 6 panda cories and had a slight ammonia spike a day later (0.5 ppm day 1, 1.0ppm day 2, 0ppm day 3 and thereafter). About a month and a half later (10 days ago) I added the 2 blue rams (all under 2cm). Water parameters were normal except for a small ammonia spike the day after 0.5ppm which I remedied again and the next day my ammonia level was back to zero. All seemed ok! UNTIL 5 days ago I notice both rams have ick....dangit. So I treat with liquid Super Ick Cure (API product) as per the label (took out activated carbon treat with 20 mL per 20 gallons, 48 hours later repeat then 48 later do a 25% water change). Did my water change this morning at 8am and put a new cartridge into my filter but my tank is SUPER cloudy still and my parameter are all totally out of wack. Ammonia is 1.5ppm, nitrite is 0.5 ppm, pH is 7.0, nitrate is 20ppm. Temp is at 79F. 
My questions are how long before the cloudiness goes away? Should I do a bigger water change in the morning or ASAP? AND also I use well water and I don't have a water softener so should I be treating the water with anything specific to prevent bacterial blooms etc? I leave the water sit for 24 hours and I still use a tap water conditioner (TetraAqua Aqua Safe) when I do my water changes. 
I have never had to treat ick before so I'm new to this issue, and I've been keeping fish for about 9 years now so I know I'm lucky haha! HELP!!!


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

since you use well water there is no chlorine to get rid of......so there is no need to use any chemicals at all..
just leave the tank alone..do your normal weekly 30% water changes and cut feeding to 2-3 small feedings a day....it may take a couple of weeks;just be patient.


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## Chloe'n'Holly (Jan 28, 2008)

Ok, thanks so much! I guess I'm having a mini panic attack because of the cloudiness haha! 
One last query....my cories have been spending alot of time at the surface. Is this normal? They have only been hanging out there for the last 4 days so I thought it was related to the ammonia issues or the cloudy water...


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## CoryDee (Aug 26, 2014)

Corys shooting up for air a lot is a sign of low oxygen levels, also 79 degrees is too warm for pandas they prefer it cooler, no more than 74/5f.
You say you changed the filter cartridge, what exactly did you change? if you changed the whole lot you've lost all your good bacteria.
I'd do more water changes to get that ammonia & nitrite level down asap


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

cut way back on feeding, even skip a few days. Meds and pulling the carbon both mess with your cycle. You have other, healthy tanks? Take a bit of media from the filer and toss it in the cloudy ones's filter. A corner of floss cut off the cartridge, a bit of sponge, a few of the rings, whatever you have. Repeat in a week. 

Usually, I tell you to use Prime or amquel+ to "detoxify" ammonia and nitrite. The chems can save fish from nitirite in this situation, but they also lower the oxygen and you may not want to risk dropping it further. Add as much aeration as you can, you can drop the water level a bit to make a "waterfall" and that should help.


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## Chloe'n'Holly (Jan 28, 2008)

I was keeping the temperature high in order to combat the ick but I have since brought it back down to 75 (that's usually where I keep it). Cloudiness has started to really clear up and my ammonia/nitrate/nitrite levels are all at zero now. 
I've currently got about 1 1/2 inches from top of the tank to the water level. Is that sufficient for a good waterfall effect do you think? Im going to put another air stone in the tank as well. My air pump is small so I think Ill just have to break down and buy a larger one. 
I changed the floss in the filter because I was told the old floss could harbor more ick parasites? That's all I changed though. It seems to have really helped clear things up.
I am trying to find a way to change my signature lol, I only have my tiger Oscars and my 15 gallon tank which now houses guppies. Oh and this new tank!


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