Cloudy water

[Cillana]

My water was very green so I cut back on my liquid fertilizer. I was so happy that my plants were growing that I got a little carried away. ;D I did a 30-35% water change yesterday intead of my usual 20-25% (weekly). This morning I turned on the light and saw that it wasn't green anymore but was cloudy. I can see little particles floating around and moving with the current.

It's a 55 gallon. It's been up for a few months. I added a big chunk of driftwood and 4 gouramis a little over a week ago. I think I started adding the plant fertilizer about 2 weeks ago. Nothing else has changed.

What caused this? How can I fix it? I know lots of water changes will probably help but it's hard in this big of a tank. Water is heavy! Rather I should say, how do I prevent the problem?

 

[Matt Nace]

Algae blooms are not uncommon in planted tanks. You did the right thing by cutting back on the liquid ferts, and the light off helps too.

How much light do you have?
How long is it on?
Do you have a Co2 DIY or system?

What are your nitrAtes?
Do you dose daily with the liquid fert or weekly?
What is your liquid fert?
Do you use rote tabs, jobes ect.. in the substrate?

Is your tank fully planted or 3/4 or 1/2?

Sorry if you mentioned your tank before..I forget how it is setup.

 

[Cillana]

I have about 3 watts per gallon. I had it on 11 hours a day. I changed my timer to 10 hours yesterday.

I'm not sure if I'd call it 1/2 or 3/4 planted. I have vals that go across about half of the back of the tank (I let it grow to float on the top. It's about 1 1/2 times as high as the tank now. I think I need to trim it soon), a small clump of cabomba, a medium clump of bacopa, 12 short crypts, 12 tall crypts, and a sparse (going to let it grow in) lawn of lilieopsis covering about 1/6 of the bottom of the tank. I plan to get more plants (amazon sword, anubias, hygrophila, apongeton) when I have some money and also add a DIY CO2 system.

I only have liquid fertilizer. I have vermiculite under the substrate but it's inert. It's so the plants have a fine substance to root in. I can look under the tank and see lots of little roots, so I guess my plants like it. ;D

I use Kent ProPlant and Freshwater Plant fertilizers. The ProPlant is 1-0-0 and the Freshwater Plant is 0-0-3. I was doing 4 teaspoons of each 2 or 3 times a week. I should probably cut down to once a week until I get my new plants and CO2 system.

My nitrates are about 40 ppm. Is that bad?

 

[clothahump]

Despite popular theories on nitrate plants actually assimilate ammonia and nitrite far better than nitrate, I would try and keep your nitrates down below 25ppm.
What colour is the particulate matter floating about?
If grey to white it is bacterial bloom which will naturally dissipate into the filter. 8)

 

[Cillana]

Okay I didn't know if that much nitrates was to much. I think I read somewhere that over 80 was harmful. I think I forgot to clean it last weekend.

I guess it is a bacterial bloom... Uh duh! Stupid me changed all 3 of my filter pads at once and on the same day I siphoned! What was I thinking? I must have gone mental or something that day.

 

[Matt Nace]

A little high for Nitrates.

Cloth is right, they use the ammonia better than the nitrates.

BUT..there is your problem...4 tsp of each(8tsp) 2 to 3 times a week ...WOW!!

That is alot. Not sure exactly what they say to dose..mine is 1tsp per 10 gallons.

I dose daily, in small amounts.

like this.
Tuesday(waterchange)1 tsp
wed= 1/4 tsp
thurs= 1/4 tsp
fri=1/2 tsp
Sa= 1/4 tsp
Su= 1/2 tsp
Mon= 1/4 tsp

If I notice anything wrong..like an algae, I stop the fert, and dont add any that day or for a couple days.

With that light..you HAVE to add co2 . I would go by 1/2 of what they tell you to add for the fert. Your plants can't compete with the algae at the amount of light, without Co2.

2 - 2liter bottles of DIY...go hurry!!!

 

[Cillana]

It says 1 to 3 tsp for every 30 gallons 1 to 3 times a week. I was doing the middle amount. 2 tsp twice a week and I doubled it to 4 tsp because I have almost 60 gallons. I will definately cut back on my fertilizing. And I'll set up my CO2 system within the next couple of days.

BTW, the tank is still cloudy with white particles.