# Cloud issue



## irishblitz (Jun 25, 2008)

Been keeping and breeding Cichlids for 8yrs. Within the last two years I went down the road of creating a brackish enviroment. 4 Green Spotted puffers, 1 Fingerfish Monodactylus argenteus, 1 Ancistrus sp. "Bristlenose Pleco" and a variety of 8 Malawi cichlids (general peaceful species) within a 95 gallon tank.

Filter(s): Marineland Emperor Power Filter 400 - Eheim 2128 Pro II Freshwater Thermal Filter
Two Hydor Koralia Pump 4
Decor is lace rock work, with eco complete sand

Tank is slightly cloudy, weekly water changes occur and still a slight cloud occurs on top portion of the tank, meaning the cloud is three inches below water surface. The remained of the tank is crytal clear. Any help any ideas? Glass is cleaned weekly and power return from filter rotates top half of the tank.

After water change of 15 percent water is cloudly as would expect than problem reoccurs, bottom half crystal clear top three inches cloudy.

*When tank species grows to large they are removed for proper growth.

thanks,

Thanks.


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## iplaywithemotions (Dec 18, 2008)

What are you feeding your fish? How much are you feeding, and how often? Certain foods contribute to clouding of the water.

Do you clean the gravel/substrate during water changes?

Also, I would recommend weekly water changes of 25-40%.


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## irishblitz (Jun 25, 2008)

Three cubes, with water drained from them. Feed them once a day and sand is finely stirred and large debris is sucked up, with care, do to it being sand.


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## irishblitz (Jun 25, 2008)

iplaywithemotions said:


> What are you feeding your fish? How much are you feeding, and how often? Certain foods contribute to clouding of the water.
> 
> Do you clean the gravel/substrate during water changes?
> 
> Also, I would recommend weekly water changes of 25-40%.


I would share your concern with the cloudy water being related to a "food issue" but this would contirbute to the enitre tank suffering not only the top three inches of the water. Also 40% is alittle extreme proper bacteria colonies would suffer and not develop if 40% of water "weekly" was taken from the tank.


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## smellsfishy1 (May 29, 2008)

Water changes do not discourage bacteria colonization. Many, including myself, have done repeated water changes that exceeded 40% only days apart.

I personally have done (3) 50% water changes in the same week for multiple weeks. The bio-filter was never compromised.
I have also done 90% water changes and my bio-filter never skipped a beat.

Things that must not be overlooked is the use of a dechlorinator, matching temperature, swings in water properties, gradual increase in size of water changes over time, and how sensitive certain species may be.


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## irishblitz (Jun 25, 2008)

smellsfishy1 said:


> Water changes do not discourage bacteria colonization. Many, including myself, have done repeated water changes that exceeded 40% only days apart.
> 
> I personally have done (3) 50% water changes in the same week for multiple weeks. The bio-filter was never compromised.
> I have also done 90% water changes and my bio-filter never skipped a beat.
> ...


I have to admit were you trying to remove a problem, with that amount of water change within one week. You would remove the basic components within the bacteria cycle with excessive amounts of water changes which than lack the ammonina. So was this type of water change your discussing necessary for your tank?


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## bones06 (Sep 26, 2007)

irishblitz said:


> smellsfishy1 said:
> 
> 
> > Water changes do not discourage bacteria colonization. Many, including myself, have done repeated water changes that exceeded 40% only days apart.
> ...


Doing 50% or more every day would not even harm the bacteria cycle in any tank. I have done this off and on especially when adding new fish. There is so little bacterial activity in the actual water column that it is not even noticeable. The only time that this process could harm the bacteria is if you forget to use a declorinator, or use a real crappy one if that.


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## smellsfishy1 (May 29, 2008)

It doesn't matter what your are doing it for, the fact remains that the bio-filter is not damaged, interupted, or slowed down from large water changes.

You are not removing anything that is needed, if anything you are helping the fish and bio-filter by removing unwanted "components" as you referred to them.

Your fish produce ammonia all the time and doing water changes won't stop that either. It can dilute the amount of ammonia but in a fully cycled tank ammonia is converted to nitrite and then nitrate very quickly.


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## Joels fish (Nov 17, 2007)

Maybe it's the type of lighting being used causing a wierd refractive effect in the top portion of the water column. And yes doing 25-50% waterchanges every week will not harm your bio filter in the slightest .


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