Cloudy Water

[Mjnorcal922]

Hello,
Yesterday i got my fish tank all cleaned and filled up with water. I am using the Aqua Clear Power 30/150 filter. My Tank is 15 Gallons and i used top fin water conditioner. Anyways, Well i went to bed last night after i put the water conditioner in and the bacteria stuff. i get up this morning and my tank is all cloudy. I bought this tank from some guy on Craigslist, everything that came with it is legit i do not think that one of the decor pieces is a knock off. There is no fish in the tank and there hasn't been since i got it. So i am just wondering should i be concerned or what should i do??

Thanks so much!
-MjNor*Cal922

 

[bassbonediva]

First off, what "bacteria stuff" did you use?

Secondly, how long did the guy you got the tank from have it set up and how long was it between it being torn down at his place and set up at yours?

Third, do you own a test kit? The one we recommend is the API Liquid Master Test kit, which is about $30 at Petsmart or Petco, but Walmart now carries the exact same kit, but under a generic name, on their website for $17.88 plus shipping (I believe it's $0.97 shipped to your door, or it qualifies for free site-to-store shipping).

It sounds like you have had a bacterial bloom. Basically, if the "bacteria stuff" you added is a bacteria-in-a-bottle product, by adding the "bacteria stuff" with no food source for it (i.e.-ammonia from fish waste and/or decaying organic matter), it will just hang out in the water column until there is a food source and it settles down.

 

[Mjnorcal922]

Im Planning on buying a kit for it as soon as i can get the 30 dollars. I really dont know how long he had it set up. but i have had it set up at my house since Tuesday morning. Im pretty sure that it is clean now. i made sure it was cleaned; i used some warm water and vinegar to clean out the inside to make the glass look pretty and i rinsed it many times with cold water. i rinsed all the gravel and decorations with warm water. Here is a picture of what the tank looks like right now Also the stuff i used its called Top fin: Bacteria Supplement

 

[bassbonediva]

Yup! That's a bacterial bloom, alright! I would forget the bacterial supplement. Most of those things are "snake oil" products (meaning the don't really do anything). The only one I know of that actually work is Tetra SafeStart.

When are you planning on adding fish, and what kind of fish do you want to add? I ask because in order for any bacterial supplement to do its job, it needs to have a food source. Read up on the nitrogen cycle (there's a couple threads on the subject on this forum) and then decide how you are going to cycle your tank.

To get rid of the bacterial bloom right now, just do a couple days of 50% water changes (every day) and you'll be good.

 

[Thyra]

Good reply, Paige! For what its worth, my daughter just sent me a book. "The Simple Guide to Freshwater Aquariums" bu David E. Boruchowitz. My first thought was, "Oh my, another book, another opinion." But this book is readable, interesting and even fun. It has some beautiful pictures, also. It is written in such a way that I read it cover to cover.

 

[Mjnorcal922]

Well i wanted to get fish today. Can i still do that?
I wanted to get an oscar, bottom feeder and a jack dempsey

 

[Dylandrewsdad]

No you can not get fish today, most likley not for about 6 weeks. Read up onthe cylce, get a test kit, do your homework. Then you can add fish.

 

[bassbonediva]

Just one more question lol...was the tank set up at the guy's house when you bought it? If so, you should be good adding fish today, just take a bit of your tank water to Petsmart, Petco or the LFS and ask them to test the water for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates for you. I would recommend the LFS because they test water with the liquid test kits generally. The test strips are notoriously inaccurate. Ask them for specific numbers on those readings, not "your water looks good" because that won't help you at all. What you are looking for is this:
Ammonia-0ppm
NitrItes-0ppm
NitrAtes-10-20ppm
That indicates that your tank is fully cycled and ready for fish.
Here's the deal on the nitrogen cycle. Fish waste and decaying organic matter (i.e.-food) create ammonia, which is toxic to fish in an amount. Once ammonia is present, it kick-starts the life cycle of a specific beneficial bacteria which converts the ammonia into nitrItes, which are only slightly less toxic to fish than ammonia is. The presense of nitrItes kick-starts the life cycle of yet another beneficial bacteria which converts the nitrItes into nitrAtes, which are only toxic to fish in very high concentrations (40ppm or higher). So basically, if you don't have those two forms of beneficial bacteria present in your tank, you fish will be living in ammonia and/or nitrites, which is more-often-than-not fatal without large (50%) daily water changes to dilute the ammonia and/or nitrites. This is why people who go out, get a new tank, set it up and toss fish in within the first 24 hours or so end up losing the majority of the fish they bought within the first few days, because the ammonia concentration is lethally high.

 

[Mjnorcal922]

the tank wasnt set up but the gravel was still wet like he just dumped out the water b4 i got there. Is there any way i can get fish soon?? i mean ill completly re clean the tank i mean complete water change? and then ill just add the water conditioner to it with out the bacteria stuff. Why do u say 6 weeks?? all of my friends bought tanks that were used and cleaned them out really good put the conditioner into it let it sit over night with the filter running and they put there fish into it and they were all perfectly fine

 

[bassbonediva]

The only way you could get fish right now would be if you were willing to do a fish-in cycle, or if you bought Tetra SafeStart (TSS). With the fish-in cycle, you'd be doing 50% daily water changes (preferably with a water conditioner like Prime, which detoxifies ammonia) until your water parameters held steady at 0 ammonia, 0 nitrItes and 10-20 nitrAtes. With the TSS, you would add the TSS, then add you fish and wait a week. Test your water, and you should be good to go. OR you could see if your LFS will give you a piece of their cycled filter media, which would pretty much instantly cycle your tank.

 

[Dylandrewsdad]

How long was the filter dry? Did you clean any part of the filter with tap water/Vinegar? If so you would have killed all the bacteria (not your fault, you just didn't know, we all have done the same thing!) Have the water tested like Bass suggested and let us know the results. Good Luck and you are doing the right thing by asking questions!

 

[Mjnorcal922]

I know it's long, Mjnorcal, but read what I put up. If the guy had the tank running when you picked it up (with fish in it already), you should actually be good to go...just make sure to get your water tested first. Petco, Petsmart and most LFSs will do it for free.

Ok im going to have it tested today at petsmart. but with it being cloudy will that already tell you that one of the levels is going to be off? Should i just do a complete changeover with water today and re-do the conditioner? let it sit over night and then take the water to be tested in pets mart??

 

[Mjnorcal922]

How long was the filter dry? Did you clean any part of the filter with tap water/Vinegar? If so you would have killed all the bacteria (not your fault, you just didn't know, we all have done the same thing!) Have the water tested like Bass suggested and let us know the results. Good Luck and you are doing the right thing by asking questions!

I dont know how long the filter was dry but yes i used vinegar inside the filter and cleaned it but then i went and bought all new filter media its the aquaclear 30/150 i got the ammonia one, activated carbon,foam and bio max

 

[bassbonediva]

Ah-ha! There's the culprit. Yeah, you tank isn't going to be cycled at all if you just got all new filter media. You filter media is where the majority of your beneficial bacteria live. They basically live on any solid surface, so your gravel, decorations and filter media are their biggest strongholds.

I just fixed that reply I left you before (the one you quoted), giving you three options that would allow you to get fish today (or tomorrow).

What kind of fish (and how many) are you looking at getting?

 

[Mjnorcal922]

Just 3
*Jack Dempsey Cichlid
*Red Oscar Cichlid
*Hifin Spotted Pleco

I did some research i think these 3 will go together

 

[Dylandrewsdad]

No on the fish. Your tanks is WAY too small for those as they will grow to be too big. The Pleco will be 18 inches in a year!

 

[Mjnorcal922]

No on the fish. Your tanks is WAY too small for those as they will grow to be too big. The Pleco will be 18 inches in a year!

Well i was planning on getting a bigger tank my dad is building a 55 gallon.
Could you Give me some ideas on what types of fish i could put into my 15 gallon that will look pretty?

 

[Mjnorcal922]

Ah-ha! There's the culprit. Yeah, you tank isn't going to be cycled at all if you just got all new filter media. You filter media is where the majority of your beneficial bacteria live. They basically live on any solid surface, so your gravel, decorations and filter media are their biggest strongholds.

I just fixed that reply I left you before (the one you quoted), giving you three options that would allow you to get fish today (or tomorrow).

What kind of fish (and how many) are you looking at getting?

Ok Lemme see if i get what you are saying to do.
Purchase and use the TSS
Get the fish put them in
for the next few days do a 50% water change with a water conditioner
I already have two to choose from *API Stress Coat or the one i already used Topfin Water Conditioner?
Then take a sample of the water into pets mart and have them test it??

 

[Dylandrewsdad]

A school of 10 neons or some other small tetra. You could also add a small school (6) cory's for the bottom6 6 or so guppies or molly's but they will have babies like it was the 60's!

 

[Mjnorcal922]

A school of 10 neons or some other small tetra. You could also add a small school (6) cory's for the bottom6 6 or so guppies or molly's but they will have babies like it was the 60's!

but i still wanted to get an alage eater?