Cloudy water overnight

[Pepere]

And not just your run of the mill cloudy.  When I walked into the room it looked like. The glass was frosted…

20 gallon quarantine tank was crystal clear yesterday morning. I did a water change and pulled out activated carbon the day before yesterday to prep for a delivery. I also dosed replacement water with Equilibrium and alkalinity buffer.  Water was ph 7, 0 ammonia and nitrites, 10 ppm nitrate , gh and kh 6 degrees yesterday morning.

Tank has water lettuce, salvinia, and hornwort.

I  received a shipment of 8 Harlequin Rasbora and 10 Lambchop Rasbora yesterday from Aqua Huna at 1:00 pm and acclimated and transferred them.

This morning It is like someone poured milk in the tank. I can only see shadows in the tank.  Milkier than after just dosing equilibrium….

water testing reveals no change in parameters at all…. Pulled sponge filter and cleaned it tank water.  Minimal dirt came out of sponge..l. I added another cycled sponge from another tank just to be on the safe side.

I have never seen cloudiness develop so quickly…

tank water in white bowl shows no hint of green.,.

water is so cloudy I cant count inhabitants for a head count…

[Guppysnail]

I used equilibrium and had a bit of cloudy for several days after on occasion. But not like what you are describing. 
Even though small 18 fish is a good amount of bioload at one time. 
I have seen a boisterous bacterial bloom develop in hours after a water change before where to much shifted to quickly. 
Another possibility if you cannot count heads is a loss that released a lot of ammonia and the bloom is from that. 
Maybe grab a small bottle of Tetra Safe Start plus to see if it will speed clearing your bloom. 
I hope it’s an innocent bloom and you have not lost any of your new friends. 

[Pepere]

0 ammonia or nitrite this morning.  No spikes..

I dosed Equilibrium day before and water was crystal clear yesterday morning.

 

Aqua Huna ships tiny specimens…they are under 3/4 of an inch long.  I have done similar numbers several times with no issues.

bag water was 1 ppm ammonia after 38 hours shipping transit time, so obviously they were fasted prior to shipping, and have not been fed since transferring via plop and drop after temp acclimating.  My ph, gh and kh are very close to Aqua Hunas water.  And no, I dont transfer any bag water to tank other than what is on fish and net…

 

I also treated tank with med trio prior to transferring as usual…

Edited Thursday at 09:49 AM by Pepere

[Lennie]

I feel like it is just a bacterial bloom as 18 fish at once in a 20g is kinda a lot. But whole tank looking super milky in a level you can't count heads, I'm not sure.

As long as you monitor water parameters closely, which you do, I wouldn't worry much I guess

How is it doing now? @Pepere

Edited Thursday at 03:36 PM by Lennie

[Mmiller2001]

I wouldn't clean anything. The bacteria responding in such a manner is a sign of high bacteria activity. Just monitor and water change if needed.

[Pepere]

I am caring for myGrandson as I do until 6:00 to ight.  I will recheck water test tonight when I get back.

[Galabar]

https://www.aquariumcarebasics.com/aquarium-water-quality/cloudy-aquarium-water/#:~:text=Heterotrophic Bacterial Blooms,causing white cloudy aquarium water.

[Pepere]

It is a barebottom tank.  I thoroughly scrubbed and vacuumed out all the sediment after last  quarantine batch a few weeks ago, no dead vegetation.  It has been fishless for 3 weeks just with snails, hornwort, water lettuce, and Salvinia.    
 

I did a 50% water change  a day before fish arrived.  
 

I have run 4 quarantines like this before with similar fish load without a hint of cloudiness.  I was very surprised by it this morning…

 

I will test water as I get home in a few hours.

[Pepere]

Walked in to my kitchen and glanced at the Quarantine tank.

not perfect, but ani credibly remarkable improvement.  I can see through the tank to the stuff on the other side of the tank.  I can count all of the tank inhabitants swimming around from 7 feet away from the tank.

Everyone is swimming around happily, appears healthy, and are starting to color up nicely.

this is also the first time I have Harlequins and Lambchops in the same tank.  They seem quite comfortable schooling all together.

Last batch was 10 Lambchops and 10 Green Neon Tetras that most certainly did nor school together…

[Pepere]

Just about all cleared up this morning.  Just a hint remaining that I probavly wouldnt notice if I wasnt looking for it…

 

I was amazed at how quickly it popped up so thick, and anazed at how quickly it resolved.  
never any discernible ammonia or nitrite any time I tested.

[Lennie]

On 5/26/2023 at 2:04 PM, Pepere said:

Just about all cleared up this morning.  Just a hint remaining that I probavly wouldnt notice if I wasnt looking for it…

 

I was amazed at how quickly it popped up so thick, and anazed at how quickly it resolved.  
never any discernible ammonia or nitrite any time I tested.

good news 🙂

[Pepere]

By Thursday night I had doubts as to whether any cloudiness remained or not.  By Friday morning I became convinced it was truly gone.

The only thing I can truly point to as an action that could have reversed it is the addition of a fully cycled sponge from another tank.

and for the cause of it appearing?  I guess it is possible that removing the box filter and associated beneficial bacteria..  I guess itbis possible that the sponge filter I had in the tank was not put together optimally and bypass was occurring allowing waterflow to enter the body through a gap vs through the sponge….   But who knows.

I remain surprised it could become so profound so quickly, and likewise, resolve so quickly…