Milky, fishless water

[emmanuelchavez]

I'm doing a fishless cycle in my 5 gallon aquarium, and the water has been a milky white for almost a few days now. Is that normal? It's the first time I've ever done a fishless cycle.

I'm not sure if it's because there was just too much ammonia.

Originally, there was waaaay over 8ppm ammonia in there. I did a water change to drop that, and now it's at 8 ppm. I rubbed off some of that milky stuff from the inside walls too. Should I just keep changing the water out until it drops down to 5 ppm ammonia? I think I read on Missfisshy's thingermabob that that's how much ammonia you should put in there when doing the fishless.

 

[iapetus]

Originally, there was waaaay over 8ppm ammonia in there. I did a water change to drop that, and now it's at 8 ppm. I rubbed off some of that milky stuff from the inside walls too. Should I just keep changing the water out until it drops down to 5 ppm ammonia? I think I read on Missfisshy's thingermabob that that's how much ammonia you should put in there when doing the fishless.

Personally, I would let the ammonia drop on its own and not change out the water during the cycling process.

I'm not sure about the milky white stuff. You're cycling; I'd give it a few days to see if it dissipates on its own. You've got time.

One more thing: welcome to the Tank, emmanuelchavez! Houston, Texas, eh? Once upon a time I called it home, too.

 

[TabMorte]

The white water is really commoni when you first start building up ammonia in your tank.

I would get it down to 5ppm and keep it there and follow Miss Fishy's very good guide from now on and you'll be fine.

 

[emmanuelchavez]

ah. ok. I didn't see the white water in my 10 gallon when I was first started cycling it, it has been crystal clear the whole time, but it's being cycled with some guppies, and i've been doing up to 2 water changes a day to keep ammonia/nitrites/nitrates as low as possible.

iapetus - I bet you don't miss the traffic, do ya? Thanks to the profession I chose to go into, it looks like I'll be staying here in Houston for many years to come, unless I decide to go environmental

 

[TabMorte]

Cycling with fish takes MUCH longer then with out and the biological processes happen at differant rates. You'll see plenty of algae and the like later on to make up for the lack of murkey water now. I promise.

 

[FroggyFox]

the milky white is usually a bacterial bloom....since there's no fish I wouldn't worry. The biggest reason that 5ppm gets picked as the "magic" number is because then you'll know that the ammonia is at a 'measureable' level. Meaning its not so low that it'll be gone before you notice it dropping, but its on the scale. If you get over the top of the scale on the chart it just stays that top color so you dont know if its really 8 or 50.

Anyway...once its below the top of the chart, I'd just be patient and let it sit

 

[iapetus]

iapetus - I bet you don't miss the traffic, do ya? Thanks to the profession I chose to go into, it looks like I'll be staying here in Houston for many years to come, unless I decide to go environmental

Well, I moved out to southern California after living in Houston, Texas (and Boulder, Colorado). Houston and Los Angeles, California, are pretty much neck and neck in the traffic arena. But, I always walk or take buses to work. I don't drive through that; that's for sucks! I really enjoyed living in Houston! (Of course, by Houston, I mean that part of town inside 610 and principally the west side of that. )

 

[emmanuelchavez]

Well, I moved out to southern California after living in Houston, Texas (and Boulder, Colorado). Houston and Los Angeles, California, are pretty much neck and neck in the traffic arena. But, I always walk or take buses to work. I don't drive through that; that's for sucks! I really enjoyed living in Houston! (Of course, by Houston, I mean that part of town inside 610 and principally the west side of that. )

I live just outside the loop and 1-10 west. Traffic on the 10 just sucks because of the expansion! I wish I didn't have to drive, but school is about 13 miles away and work 5 miles from home and about 15 from school... and I usually have to go to school then work, or work and then school, so a car is a must for me. From my understanding the LA traffic is worse than Houston's. My dad used to live in Cali, and was stationed there a while when he was in the Marines.. I forgot the name of the place Ft... something...




The milky white stuff has gone down significantly... but ammonia levels are still at around 4, while nitrites are up to about .5, and nitrates are at 5.... I'm going to go look for some BioSpira tomorrow, my fish seem to be getting anxious for their rehoming into bigger tanks.