# Aquarium Gravel causing cloudiness?



## Rjupa (Oct 20, 2011)

Ok, So I have had this tank set up since October and I am still new to this whole tank thing.
I used to have some really nice white gravel in my tank but when my female platy started having babies I ended up getting another tank for the ladies to live in and sacrificed the beautiful white gravel to go into their tank (looked more feminine with the pink deco and the high heels hehe).
Well anyway...I bought the males some grey gravel and blue glass decos for their tank and had no problems for awhile.
Recently I noticed my water would cloud no matter the water change and decided to buy some new gravel two days ago for them.
Today my gravel arrived via Icelandic post from the pet shop an hour from here and I went right to work.
Took apart the tank, washed everything, hosed the new gravel and all. I quickly noticed I didn't have enough new gravel for the tank and mixed some of the old grey gravel into it and started filling my tank. Once I got it filled I noticed it was the same old nasty grey cloudy water as any other time I do any type of change (I've took my tank apart a few times due to this reason thinking I had something else wrong).
Is there a way I can get my water to stop grey clouding like this? Do you think I need to buy new gravel once again WITHOUT the grey gravel being added? It is so bad that I can barely see into the tank. I'll upload a photo in hopes someone can direct me. Please help! :-(


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

There are a couple ways substrate causes clouding. 

The usual one is small particles and dust that were stuck to it and is clouds the water anytime you disturb it. The fix is wash the gravel in a bucket outside with a hose (rinse until overflow water is clear) or to rinse in small batches in the sink in a colander like rice.
Alternatively (and slower), use a "micron" filter to remove small particles from the water. 

Less common is chemical. If you have something like limestone that want to raise the pH and hardness by dissolving and putting ions in the water, but also have something that is causing those ions to precipitate out as a white powder (Proper pH is known cause) you can get "snow" when you change water.

The third possibility is even less likely, their is dead algae or uneaten food on the old gravel and putting it in the tank is feeding a bacteria bloom. Suspect this if the old gravel stinks or if the cloudiness is green, opaque or doesn't leave any residue when it goes away..


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## Rjupa (Oct 20, 2011)

Thanks for the tip! 
I decided to take the tank apart again after I saw your post (luckily the fish were not in their tank yet) and I put the gravel into a bucket followed by bringing it out back with a hose (note: in very windy Icelandic weather- neighbors probably thought I was crazy). 
It must of really done the trick because the tank seems so much more clear! I can see their little fish faces smiling now.


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