TomO Posted January 1, 2021 Share Posted January 1, 2021 About a month ago I set up a 75, with eco complete, then planted about 20 plants. About a week later, I added 5 harlequin rasboras, 5 brilliant rasboras and 2 medium angels. I’ve stayed on top of testing water every few days and changing water accordingly. I feed every other day. My water is very cloudy. I’ve been doing 50% water changes daily over the last three days. I put a hob filter last week but the tank just clouds up regardless. The picture is right after a water change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickS77 Posted January 1, 2021 Share Posted January 1, 2021 It's most likely a bacterial bloom. Not harmful just unsightly, assuming your parameters are good. I'd stop changing water and let it clear up in time, maybe a week or so. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FishyJames Posted January 1, 2021 Share Posted January 1, 2021 I had the same thing happen with eco complete in a new tank. It will go away with time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted January 1, 2021 Share Posted January 1, 2021 I have had the exact same thing happen recently with Eco-Complete (and other substrates). Everything clears up if given enough time. In the aquarium below there were no water changes during the period from November 1 until now. The clarity of your water is mostly not related to filtration or water changes. It mostly has to do with light, nutrients and how mature and stable the aquarium is. November 1, 2020 November 14, 2020 December 1, 2020 January 1, 2021 (today) My advice is to be patient. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomO Posted January 2, 2021 Author Share Posted January 2, 2021 Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomO Posted January 4, 2021 Author Share Posted January 4, 2021 Third day after a 50% water change. It’s a lot cloudier than the picture shows. I’ve noticed brown stuff on my plants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted January 4, 2021 Share Posted January 4, 2021 Often water changes contribute to cloudy water because the nutrient consuming part of the aquarium ecosystem doesn't have a chance to clear out all the nutrients before the next water change. Not always, but that is probably what @MickS77 had in mind when he recommended waiting longer between water changes. I have had aquariums that took between 1 - 3 months from the time they were established until the time the water clarity finally stabilized at clear. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted January 4, 2021 Share Posted January 4, 2021 There has been only one time I couldn not get that to clear--I had inadvertantly introduced a yeast strain to the tank. Long story, largely irrelevant. Most of the time it will clear on it's own, and your tank is new. If it doesn't in about a month, and you are getting crazy over it, I found a uv sterilizer will ALSO solve this issue. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomO Posted January 5, 2021 Author Share Posted January 5, 2021 I just ordered a UV sterilizer, it gets here Monday. It kills me that a dirted tank I started a week earlier is crystal clear. And it has just as many fish and plants and is half the size. I'm never using eco complete again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer V Posted January 6, 2021 Share Posted January 6, 2021 What about the Eco-Complete makes it cloud the water? Staring at a new, cloudy tank over here that I started with Eco-Complete and several plants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomO Posted January 6, 2021 Author Share Posted January 6, 2021 I don’t know what caused it. Mine is a 75 with 15 fish under an inch long and 2 medium angels. Also 20-25 plants. My 55 is 5 years old, with pea gravel, assorted cichlids and plants. It never has been cloudy. And my 29 is a dirted, with a sand cap and is well planted, it had a slight algae problem in the beginning but was never cloudy. Today I looked down into my cloudy rain and couldn’t make out the bottom. It’s getting worse!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomO Posted January 6, 2021 Author Share Posted January 6, 2021 *cloudy tank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colu Posted January 6, 2021 Share Posted January 6, 2021 It could be free floating algae bloom I have problems for month just put fluval UV cleariser hopefully work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcus Joline Posted January 6, 2021 Share Posted January 6, 2021 I added lots of filter fiber in my filter when my 55 gallon was cloudy and it cleared overnight. Its very cheap.. I add a little now to all my tanks and change it every 2 weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomO Posted January 6, 2021 Author Share Posted January 6, 2021 I have three filters on and in this tank, and my sterilizer arrives Monday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alesha Posted January 6, 2021 Share Posted January 6, 2021 Whew, @TomO, you've been through it with this tank. I've got one that is green. It clears a bit with total darkness, but as soon as I run the lights for an hour or so, it starts getting muddy again. I totally understand your frustration. I'm hoping the sterilizer helps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomO Posted January 7, 2021 Author Share Posted January 7, 2021 On 1/6/2021 at 1:49 PM, Colu said: It could be free floating algae bloom I have problems for month just put fluval UV cleariser hopefully work I have one coming Monday. This is a pic from a couple minutes ago, 6 days from the last water change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colu Posted January 7, 2021 Share Posted January 7, 2021 Definitely looks like algae bloom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomO Posted January 9, 2021 Author Share Posted January 9, 2021 Well then the UV sterilizer should take care of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomO Posted January 9, 2021 Author Share Posted January 9, 2021 But at least one of my bulb plants has two flowers on it, lol 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffCarp Posted February 3, 2021 Share Posted February 3, 2021 All great information. I set up a 20 gal tank in December 2020. It was clear and then turned cloudy. My HOB filter has a sponge, filter floss and filter medial rings. Would it help to add a sponge filter in the tank as an extra filtration? I am sure as mentioned in this forum that when I cleaned the tank and substrate it did not help. I will just have to wait for it to clear up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomO Posted February 7, 2021 Author Share Posted February 7, 2021 After I got the UV sterilizer everything was crystal clear. Just fights with diatom/brown algae now. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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