Cloudy Water in my small tank

[Noah]

I have a very small tank (25 liters).

Got 2x Tank-raised ClownFish, 1x Royal Gramma and 1x Small Hermit Crab.

The water is fairly cloudy (not too bad, but it's not crystal clear like I want it).

I usually do a partial water change once a week (about 25% ish) and change the filter sponge pad thing regularly too (once or twice a week). Also change the carbon sponge-pad once every few weeks.

Now, my initial thought was the cloudy water was due to bacterial bloom as there's green algae (I think, just a load of bright green dots) on the highest part of my biggest rock. I turned the light off for a few days but the green algae is still there (a bit of it has now gone dark brown).

So how can I get my water crystal clear? Leave the light off for longer to kill of the green algae? Like 5 days perhaps? Anything else I've not thought of?

I don't think it's overfeeding, ammonia is at safe levels and I only give half a cube of Krill/Brine shrimp plus a few flakes per day...

Oh and it was cycled with a four-stripe Damsel and the Hermit Crab. Got rid of the Damsel due to it's aggressiveness.

 

[Lorna]

I would think that you are over feeding. Try cutting back to the half cube every 3 days and flake food every second day and one day nothing. They shouldn't starve. Also maybe increase your flow as it doesn't sound like you have any power heads in your tank. You don't say what the nitrate level is or sg, ph etc. I suspect a bacteria bloom also, and another water change with running more carbon might help clear it up.

 

[Noah]

Ok cool i'l stop feeding so much. The fish shop I bought it all from said I should be feeding 1 cube per day.

I have a small pump as well as the filter which has a sander block on it. Just pumps air into the tank, I positioned it at the back behind some rocks. What's the difference between that and a powerhead?

Oh and nitrate is ok, pH is ok, salinity is ok.

 

[MatthewLaw]

is there any issue of over-crowding? 25liters is only about 6.5 gallons for 2 clowns and royal gramma (and the hermit crab....)

 

[Noah]

I don't think so, they are small baby Clowns. Plus in the fish shop they had two full grown clowns in the same tank and the water was crystal clear.

 

[MatthewLaw]

As a side note, I do not believe that the quantity of fish in a LFS tank refects how an owner should stock his/her own tank. I have seen 30 medium-sized Tiger Barbs in a 15g tank at Petsmart.....

Any clear issues with your filter system?

 

[mistercoffee]

As a side note, I do not believe that the quantity of fish in a LFS tank refects how an owner should stock his/her own tank. I have seen 30 medium-sized Tiger Barbs in a 15g tank at Petsmart.....

Any clear issues with your filter system?

lol i've seen 10 Bala sharks and 10 redtails in one petco fish tank.

Sometimes they have 5 or so plecos in 1 tank.

 

[Noah]

As a side note, I do not believe that the quantity of fish in a LFS tank refects how an owner should stock his/her own tank. I have seen 30 medium-sized Tiger Barbs in a 15g tank at Petsmart.....

Any clear issues with your filter system?

Well it was to show off the tank more than the stock as it's next to the cash register instead of downstairs with the other fish (which are like 30 clowns to a tiny tank half the size of mine).

Filter system seems ok, changed the filter and am just about to add some more filtermat.

It's looking slightly less cloudy though, hopefully should clear up soon.

 

[MatthewLaw]

hmmmmm....

i put in some buffing chemicals and it took a few hours for it to clear up.

Did you move around some of the substrate? When I do that the water is cloudy for a few hours too....

 

[Noah]

No haven't moved anything. It's been cloudy for a while though...

 

[Lorna]

What exactly did your nitrates measure at? just to say they are okay is not sufficient information to give any constructive advice.

 

[Noah]

I don't have an exact measure thing (one of those ones where you add stuff to the water and compare the colour to a chart), it gives a reading of under 0.3mg/l

pH is about 8.4

 

[Noah]

Hmmm water is still cloudy. Any other suggestions? Perhaps a 50% water change?

 

[MatthewLaw]

hmmm how are the fish doing?? still happily swimming/eating?

 

[Noah]

Yep normal behavior, Clowns are as active as ever...seem to be pretty happy...and the Royal Gramma is coming out occasionally like he normally does.

Hermit crab is climbing the rocks as usual too.

They are all eating fine aswel.

I have had the light turned off for the last few days. The green spots of algae are still on the biggest rock, but are turning brown in places. I was gonna leave the light off for a few more days to try and get rid of it all.