# Can not get my water clear!



## ktizzle188 (Jun 10, 2009)

I did a water change and changed the filter its Any thing else a can do. I cant get it clear


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## TIFFERS (Aug 9, 2009)

...how long have you given the tank to clear up? Sometimes tanks can take up to 24 hours to clear...

I know I've also a bad habit of feeding too much...and that'll cloud up my water like none other, too.


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

You didnt replace all the cartridges in the filter did you? You only want to change one of them at a time.


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## ktizzle188 (Jun 10, 2009)

i replaced the cartridge its was due. and its been cloudy for days i pretty sure im not over feeding although i leave algae wafers in the tank but its hasn't affected it for the 3 months ive had the tank.


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## TIFFERS (Aug 9, 2009)

bmlbytes said:


> You didnt replace all the cartridges in the filter did you?


So, if I have two filters...I should change one 'carbon filter' today, and the other in...a week? How long? I've always changed them both together.


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## Sea-Agg2009 (Aug 2, 2008)

It messes with the biology of the filtration to replace all your filter media at one time. It's better to alternate between filters or internal media. You will probably notice a small spike in ammonia or nitrates right after you replace your filter stuff. This is because the biological filtration has to re-establish itself in your filter.


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

TIFFERS said:


> So, if I have two filters...I should change one 'carbon filter' today, and the other in...a week? How long? I've always changed them both together.


That depends on your filter. Since you have 2 filters, I would alternate between changing the filters. It could make the ammonia levels go up if you dont. Do your filters have more than one cartridge or form of media?


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## TIFFERS (Aug 9, 2009)

Okay...so I must be a terrible fish mother. 

I use two of these. I either have 2 P150's or 2 P200's. I am sure it's the Penguin 150, though. 

I try to change the carbon filter pieces every two weeks. But, ...sometimes it does not get done. And, the water is rarely changed...

You should change the water weekly or biweekly, and only 10%? And the filters weekly, but separate them. One one week and the other the next week?


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## SouthernBelle23 (Mar 24, 2009)

ktizzle, when you did the water change did you vacuum the gravel as well? If so, that along with the changing of the filter media could have wiped out some beneficial bacteria causing a spike. Have you checked for ammonia? Usually cloudy water is a bacterial bloom. Give it time and it will clear up. Do some water changes (no gravel vacuuming) every day if you register some ammonia.

Tiffers, I would change out one filter cartridge every 3-4 weeks...alternate the 2. Change one, then 3-4 weeks later change another, then 3-4 weeks later change the other. You can go atleast 3 weeks between the changes. Its not something you need to do every 2 weeks.

I would change water weekly...about 20%.


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## Toshogu (Apr 24, 2009)

what exactly do you mean by water isn't clear? we talking cloudy green or cloudy white? We talking brownish tint? We talking little bits of stuff floating around?


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

Tiffers, try changing one filter every 2 weeks, so that each gets a months use. I think you should be OK though if you changed the cartridges on that filter, as long as the Biowheel is in use. Never replace the biowheels.

Also do a 15% to 25% water change every week.

Krizzle, what kind of filter are you using?


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## COM (Mar 15, 2008)

I never ever change the filter cartridges. I rinse one of the four each month. I also change media baskets with stuff like clean cotton floss and fresh AmmoChips every 8 weeks or so. But I never get new filter cartridges unless something goes wrong. The fibers on the cartridges last forever. The carbon on the inside wears down over time, but it isn't very useful anyway. Actually it is detrimental for plants, so I'm glad to let it wear away.

As for the OP, the best thing you can do is do nothing at all. You've shocked your tank by overcleaning and getting rid of too much nitrogen cycle bacteria. They will reproduce and build up over time. So, literally, do NOTHING. Don't even feed your fish. They can live for weeks without feeding, and you adding food will just prolong the cloudiness. Just leave the tank the hell alone...


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## holybrown101 (Jun 6, 2009)

I had a similar problem with my 20 gallon setup. The culprit was a shell that released ammonia and made the water hard. I trouble shooted for 2 weeks. I tore down my whole tank and removed everything but the gravel and filter. Surely enough the water cleared up within the hour and several hours later, crystal clear.


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## Toshogu (Apr 24, 2009)

Has your tank cleared up yet?


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## Guest (Aug 15, 2009)

holybrown101 said:


> IThe culprit was a shell that released ammonia and made the water hard.


Ammonia or Calcium?


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## ktizzle188 (Jun 10, 2009)

tank still cloudy. its like a green cloudy did another water change. also i have some live plants and i just found some snails had babies now theres alot should i take them out?


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## Toshogu (Apr 24, 2009)

Ktizzle188 what type of filter are you using?

Snails should be managed. Either vegetable traps (sink a piece of zuchinni over night, and then remove in the morning) or snail eating fish. What happens if you don't manage the snails is thier population will expotentially explode and hit a point where the tank can't support all of them, then they all die at once and foul the tank.


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## ktizzle188 (Jun 10, 2009)

tetra 30 gallon i have a 30 gallon. i know its not the best but it kept the water clear for 2 months


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## Toshogu (Apr 24, 2009)

And what do you have in your tank, fish types, size, and quantities please


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## ktizzle188 (Jun 10, 2009)

4 tigers barbs a chocolate pleco and a rainbow shark their still small


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## Toshogu (Apr 24, 2009)

k... seems like your tanks should be good not to much fish, decent filter...

Try trapping as many snails as you can to keep the population in check, if you don't you'll eventually have a major snail die off and it will foul the tank (algea bloom + ammonia spike from hell = dead fish).

do 10%-25% waterchanges daily. (make sure to use a dechlorinator)

Green cloudy is usually an indicator of algae.
If your tank is exposed to direct sunlight figuere out a way to keep that from happening.

If your tank is not exposed to direct sunlight and your are running a plant light, you may possibly be over lighting. Cut light use down for a while.

Algae blooms also are a good indicator of excess nutrients in water. 
Double check to make sure you are not over feeding. 
Add more plants, they eat nutrients.
Daily waterchanges for a week or so should also cut the available nutrients drastically.

It's hard to figuere what exactly is out of balance with your tank. So waterchanges are a must at this point, it will get rid of alot of algea in one go and also remove alot of nutrients that the algea live off of. (do you fertalize your tank???)

See how a weeks worth of daily waterchanges works out. Then sit on the tank and see if the algae comes back.

If it does try light management for a week w/ waterchanges. If it doesn't work
Also try light management along with food management for another week. If that doesn't work
Try Light Management, Food Management, add plants
If that don't work try adding another filter.
After that you're kinda SOL on ideas from my end.

Algae need Light, & Nutrients to live. It's up to you to figuere out which. Light is easy enough to eliminate. Nutrients are alittle harder cause there are alot of sources that it could be coming from. Either to much fish food. To much poop. Something dead in your tank. Inadequate filtration. etc. etc. etc. etc. Just have to keep at it till you find out what is throwing your balance off.

Personally I think daily waterchanges for a week and reducing the lighting on the tank will fix your problem.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

get a diatom filter...great for clearing up the water..but if the water is kind of green ; then try algaefix.....and stop overfeeding.


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## TIFFERS (Aug 9, 2009)

Bml, if I wait that long to change filters I'm going to have some serious sludge clogging the filters. They start to overflow if I wait too long to change them...


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## ktizzle188 (Jun 10, 2009)

thank ill try all that i was thinking of getting a 55 gallon filter.and for the guy that said stop over feeding i dont and i scoop out any food if their is any left. but i think its my light my light probly way to strong


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## Toshogu (Apr 24, 2009)

idk, loha is usually dead on with his advice =) Either way you just have to trouble shoot the tank till you find out what(or combination of) is out of balance. GL and when you do figuere it out, please post results so other people can learn from your experience.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

diatom or other micron filtration will fix the symptom (cloudiness). But it will likely recur unless you find the underlying cause(s). If crystal clear water is important to you, owning some sort of really fine filtration you can use every few weeks might be worth it to you.


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## ktizzle188 (Jun 10, 2009)

its gotta be my light i have a reptile light over so thats gotta be it.


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## ktizzle188 (Jun 10, 2009)

So you dont replace the filter cartridge? what happen when its all nasty? and my tank has been cloudy four week and its not like a little cloudy you can even see the back ground i have. so is it bad to use jungle clear water. because it wont clear up even with water changes


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Rinse and reuse. In waste water from the tank if you can, sink water if its too filthy. Esp. during cycling, completely replacing filter media makes the cycle last longer because you've tossed your filter colony. One cause of cloudiness is a bacterial bloom as bacteria in the water eat the stuff you want eaten by bacteria in the filter.


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

TIFFERS said:


> Bml, if I wait that long to change filters I'm going to have some serious sludge clogging the filters. They start to overflow if I wait too long to change them...


You will be changing the filters just as often, just alternating the 2 so you dont loose your bacteria.


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