# Old Tank, New Owner!



## Moose (Apr 8, 2005)

I have had this tank running for about a month now and I can't get the water to clear up. It is a hazy cloudy like fog in the tank and I cannot get rid of it. It's a 55 gallon and I have old filters on it, but I have put new filters and carbons in it. I have ordered a new filter and should have it in a couple of days. The fish seem to be healthy, the water just sucks to look at.

Can anyone give me any suggestions on how to clear up the water? Please Let me know! Thanks!

Moose


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## UgLy_eLf (Feb 26, 2005)

Frequent water changes, but let the new filters gather some bacteria first.


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## Tipsy (Apr 7, 2005)

I use a product called crystal clear does he job perfect. Believe it or not I got it from Wal,mart. Fish are fine with it in.


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## fish_doc (Jan 31, 2005)

It will take about a month after setting up a tank for it to "settle" down. Depending on what you have been doing to try and get it under control you may have been fighting the natural balance of the aquarium and keeping it in a constant cycle. Kick back to just 20% water changes every 2 to 3 days and it should clear up on its own.
Keep the current filter in there and let it build up the bacteria needed to fight the cloudiness.


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## Thunderkiss (Mar 19, 2005)

Agreed, i'd give it time before worrying to much.


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## Moose (Apr 8, 2005)

But I have already bought the new filter and it should be here in a few days! Will it hurt the fish or the tank to switch them??

Moose


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## fish_doc (Jan 31, 2005)

I would let the tank cycle through before changing anything as far as equipment goes. When the tank is clear then add the new filter leaving the old one in place for a month. Then when the new one is established you can remove the old one and not effect the tank at all. 

Fishkeeping is a slow moving hobby. Not like autoracing. Take your time when making changes and your tank and fish will be happiest.


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## Ownager2004 (Apr 4, 2005)

rinse out your mechanical filtration media... When you have a new tank it gets gunked up with a lot of gravel dust and all that other stuff... Once you get that filtered rinse your filter off and then replace it. It helped a lot in my tank


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## MyraVan (Jan 19, 2005)

Ownager2004 is right, but it's important what you rinse it in. Used tankwater is the right thing. Tap water, or water that's too hot or too cold is not, and definitely don't use any chemicals to clean in, including soap or detergents. After rinsing, put it back in the filter. The whole idea here is to build up the good bacteria, and rinsing your filter in the wrong stuff will kill the bacteria.

That's why fish_doc says don't turn off the old fitler and start using your new filter: the good bacteria will have built up in the old filter, and you want to keep that bacteria. When your water is clear, that's an indication that the good bacteria have built up. Then when you start running the new one along with the old one, you build up a good colony of bacteria in the new filter, while the bacteria in the old filter continues to take care of the fish wastes. After a month of running them both, the new one will have enough bacteria that you can turn off the old one.

To put it bluntly, it will hurt your tank and your fish *alot* to switch the filters when you get the new one.


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## Moose (Apr 8, 2005)

Thanks to everyone for all your help and advice. I will be putting the filter on the other side of the tank and leave the other one on there for about a month, like y'all said, before I take it off. The water is a little bit clearer since I did a water change the other day. I'll post back on here if I have anymore problems! I'm glad I found this forum!

Moose


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## lizardbill86 (Apr 12, 2005)

As I mentioned in another post, as long as the cloudyness is only tiny white specks, in a newly set up tank, its called a bacteria bloom, and its a good thing. In a tank as big as yours, I'd give it a little over two weeks to clear up before I started to be concerned. I know its no fun to look at, but just give it time, and ignore it and it will go away. I've never tried a water clearing product, I guess as long as it doesn't kill the bacteria theres no reason not to add it, but it won't help anything but the appearance of the tank anyway.


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