Cloudy Water..

[kestrick]

Hello. I have a 10 gallon tank that I've never had problems with until lately...after adding a heater. This tank has been set up for almost a year now and during the winter, the water was getting down in the 60s, which I think is too cold for guppies. So, I bought a heater for a 10 gallon tank, and now, my water stays cloudy. I've been doing water changes every week and all the levels (nitrate, nitrite, Ph, and alkalinity) are all good. I do have hard water, but I've read that shouldn't be that big of a deal. Is my water cloudy because of the heater? I'm not sure what else to do!?! Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!
Thanks,
Karen

 

[Newman]

keep doing what you are doing. guppies live fine in harder water so dont mess with that.
eventually the cloudines will subside it is probably a bacterial bloom indicating a mini cycle.
Remember to never wash anything in your filter or tank with tap water out of the sink.
did you do anything else recently other than add the heater? like change out the filter media?

make sure you have a thermometer in there also and youre keeping the temp steady at around 75F-80F

 

[kestrick]

Yes, I changed the filter a little over a month ago. Why can't I wash anything from the tank with my tap water? I've been doing this since I set up the tank. Could that be some of the problem? The water temp usually stays at 76F.

 

[Doomhed]

Yes, I changed the filter a little over a month ago. Why can't I wash anything from the tank with my tap water? I've been doing this since I set up the tank. Could that be some of the problem? The water temp usually stays at 76F.

because the chlorine from the tap water will kill the good bacteria in the tank's filter, throwing the delicate aquarium balance off.

 

[littletankbigworld]

Washing with tap water is a huge no no! Every time, you kill good bacterial that helps keep your tank cycled and your fish from getting sick. Your water is cloudy because of bacterial bloom. There is not enough bacteria in your tank because you are killing it. Never rinse your Biofiber either.

 

[Newman]

right so now you see your mistake. use old aquarium water from now on. there is no need to change the filter media, just give it a qick rinse in old tank water and reuse it.

the whole point of keeping a stable aquarium is to establish and maintain that beneficial bacteria population.

 

[BristlenosePleco]

What if the city you live in has no chlorine in the tap water. Is it ok to wash stuff off with it?

 

[Newman]

it would still be safer to use dechlor becuase there could be copper and other metals ;P
which brings up another point that the dechlor to use should say that it detoxifies heavy metals or something of that sort.

 

[Doomhed]

What if the city you live in has no chlorine in the tap water. Is it ok to wash stuff off with it?

they most likely use chloramine, which is even more toxic because not only does it burn a fishes gills, but it has chemicals that "mind" it to beneficial bacteria that live in a fish's slime coat.

 

[kestrick]

Hi again! The water is still a little cloudy, but getting better. Still doing water changes every week. How long will this last? I have well water. Still shouldn't rinse things off with tap water?