# Small Tank is cloudy



## sparrow (Mar 8, 2006)

I have a 20 gallon tank with
2 Pink Gouramis
2 Angel Fish
2 Miniature catfish
a school of 11 tetras probably
and probably 5 or 4 ghost shrimp

The thing began getting very cloudy a while back, we have bleached, cleansed, rinsed, and thoroughly cleaned the gravel as best as we could, it was used previously, and was not taken care of at all and we couldn't do anything about it.

We have done major water changes, keep good filters in it, and it won't clear up at all.

Any help?


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## dwool36 (Jan 31, 2006)

It sounds to me like you keep killing your bacteria that you need.


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

yep, that and restarting your tank, and going too soon too fast.


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## craftyflalady (Jan 25, 2006)

Dwool won the prize here. Each time you bleach and clean everything your killing the good bacteria that you need in your tank. Is the cloud white? almost like clouds in the water? if it is your having a bacteria bloom. Just maintain your tank and do no excess cleaning! Just weekly water changes and leave it at that. Don't even add a new filter for awhile. You can rinse it in tank water if it gets dirty. Give it time and it will clear up on it's own. 

But....saying that...those Angel fish need a bigger home! At least a 29 with no other fish except perhaps some cory's.... 

If your cloud isn't white...you have other issues...so let us know.


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## sparrow (Mar 8, 2006)

The whole tank becomes cloudy and slowly gets worse, the fish are in perfect health, and we weren't doing any excessive cleaning before the cloudiness became a problem.


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

how long has the tank been setup, and when did the cloudiness start...


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## sparrow (Mar 8, 2006)

it has probably been set up for a month or two
the cloudiness didn't start untill about 5 weeks ago, maybe, I'm not completely sure, but it progressively gets worse and the only way to do anything about it is to change the water, that I know of.

I'll go to a fish supply store and get some test kits as soon as I can.


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## dwool36 (Jan 31, 2006)

Your tank is trying to cycle and eac time you clean your are restarting the cycle. Check out the sticky on cycling HERE. Once the cycle is complete the cloudiness goes away.


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## Georgia Peach (Sep 23, 2005)

yep, what dwool said..


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

Also, your fish usually don't make it through the cycle... I'd take them back to your fish store and read up on fishless cycling... after that you can also choose more appropriate tankmates for your tank too... being you have two pacus in with africans and south americans.


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## sparrow (Mar 8, 2006)

The pacu's are in the 60 gallon tank, they haven't grown large enough yet, we were keeping them in the top 20 before we moved them, and rearranged the tanks

i also have another 20 in which i keep the south american's, so they are only in there.

The way my tanks are set up is not going to be permanent, but any imput is greatly appreciated, I know what I am doing to an extent, but i'm not a pro.
I research everything endlessly before I buy it (I wouldn't have gotten the pacu yet, it was someone else).


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