# The cloudy water enigma I'm stumped.



## jd_7655 (Jul 23, 2004)

I set up a 40 gallon long aquarium a week ago the water is cloudy and wont clear up. For filtration I'm running 2 rena power filters rated a 150 gph and a powerhead with a sponge prefilter.

I have aquarium sand as a substrate which was rinsed thouroughly. The tank was clear for a couple of days but clouded up and now I have a scum on the surface. Its a heavey scum oil slick apearance. There cloudy water also looks like theres a gas in it and I can see it swirling in the currnet.

I'm running the air vaulve on the powerhead open. If I turn the air down the corys start breathing hard and gasping.

I tested the water and there is 0 amonia and 0 nitrites. I used seachems bacteria culture in a bottle to kick start my bio filtration.

I've been keeping fish for 15 years and I'm realy stumped. The only thing I can think of is somehow I had a large bacteria die off and it's built up on the surface of the water blocking o2.

I'm thinking about tearing the whole tank down cleaning everything and starting over.


----------



## remarkosmoc (Oct 19, 2005)

I almost always have a period of cloudness on a new tank as it cycles. I would however be concerned by the oil slick. I would skim that off somehow.


----------



## jd_7655 (Jul 23, 2004)

Yeah I did a 50% water change yesterday and it came back within hours.


----------



## mbuna_keeper13 (Dec 10, 2007)

The same thing happened to me when I first used aquarium sand... Its particles of the sand that discolor the water. if you turn the filter off for a while it will settle back and clear up. At least thats what happened with mine. Good Luck!


----------



## jd_7655 (Jul 23, 2004)

Sounds like its worth trying but I don't think thats the problem. I rinsed the sand realy well and haven't disturbed it since I set the tank up. The water was clear for the frist couple of days. But then again the fish have been digging around. I have the powerhead agitating the surface hoping it would clear it up.


----------



## speakerguy (May 19, 2004)

Try adding a flocculant.

http://seachem.com/products/product_pages/Clarity.html

It makes very little things clump together into much bigger things (relatively speaking) which get filtered out.


----------



## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

I used a similar product, AccuClear I think, and that solved a similar problem I had with my tank. It allowed the small particles to clump together so they could be removed by the filtration system.
For the surface film you could try a paper towel to skim the scum off. It takes a light touch though.


----------



## remarkosmoc (Oct 19, 2005)

Deeda said:


> I used a similar product, AccuClear I think, and that solved a similar problem I had with my tank. It allowed the small particles to clump together so they could be removed by the filtration system.
> For the surface film you could try a paper towel to skim the scum off. It takes a light touch though.


I'll skim sometimes with a cup. Slowly submerging the cup such that only a 1/16th of an inch or is all that the rim of the cup is under water. Then the top scum flows into the cup. Once in each quadrant of the tank without the filter running at the time.


----------



## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

A flocculate isn't going to resolve the underlying problem, if there actually is one. It may temporarily relieve symptoms, but it's not a cure. The problem with additives is that by the time you get done trying this and trying that, you could actually end up with a chemical soup and water that is very far from where you want it to be.

The hazy, smoky stuff you describe sounds like it may be a bacterial bloom, not a die off. I've seen it, and it's weird, but normal and harmless, if that's actually what it is. I'd keep doing what you're doing by strongly circulating and aerating. These things almost always clear in time. Keep your filters running strong and provide strong surface agitation. Nothing wrong with skimming, but that's not a cure either.

The only other thing I can think of, and what I'd guess is much more likely, is some organic load from mopani wood or similar. I've seen it do what you describe if it's a new piece. Is there any type of driftwood in the tank?


----------



## ArcticCatRider (Jul 13, 2007)

I'm not sure if it can happen on a tank that new, but a bacteria bloom maybe? it happened to my stepbrother's tank, but the surface never really had scum....


----------



## remarkosmoc (Oct 19, 2005)

ArcticCatRider said:


> I'm not sure if it can happen on a tank that new, but a bacteria bloom maybe? it happened to my stepbrother's tank, but the surface never really had scum....


I have cloudy water on every new tank i've started. It kicks in anywhere from the 1 to 3 week mark and usually lasts around 10 days. As you say, never had scum with it.


----------



## jd_7655 (Jul 23, 2004)

Thx for trying to help everyone. I don't know what the problem is for sure but I'm just staying the course and letting the tank be. I'm running the pumps on high and keeping the surface agitated. As of today it seem to be a little bit more clear but thier is still scum on the surface but not as much it's kind of an oil slick apearance.


----------



## ksfishguy (Dec 17, 2006)

Every tank I have setup does this as well. One day in the next few weeks it will just clear up almost instantly. I have to make myself ignore it until it clears, not easy...


----------



## fiupntballr (Jul 7, 2004)

Cloudiness are two items

suspended particles from substrate and new tank ****...
That should get cleared up through mechanical filtration the Clarity.. AquaClear..etc.
type of stuff is awesome for that!!!! You will notice a difference if you have enough mechanical filtration in just a matter of hours.

The next cause is waste and that should be cleared up through biological filtration.. That is when your tank fully cycles and you hear bam over night my tank cleared up... The tank has usually caught up in the cycling process.

Cum surface will build up when there is a lack of surface agitation in new tanks...

I would add the aerator adaptor to the powerhead and see how that works...


----------



## zazz (Apr 5, 2008)

i had cloudy water on a new tank from too much calcium in the water....not likely but worth consideration.


----------



## jd_7655 (Jul 23, 2004)

Problem solved, I drained the tank and started all over. I rewashed the sand and cleaned the filter. It's been 4 days and everything seems to be going well. The water is clear and the fish have healthy appitites.

I think I found the problem I used a nylon stocking to cover my intakes so sand wouldn't get in the filter. I didn't rinse of the stocking first and I think it had perfume on it which killed off my bacteria.


----------



## superfrog (Sep 19, 2006)

u need more surface disruption IMHO. try placing your powerhead higher up (closer to the surface. the oil slick should start swirling and will dissappate soon hopefully. keep the water well oxygenated till then. after that the bacterial bloom (cloudiness) should settle once it's cycled fully.

I also had a problem with calcium as zazz mentioned. had too much crushed coral in my tank and the water never really was crystal untill i changed it...

hope it sorts out soon :thumb:


----------

