When i started my first 10 gallon aquarium seven years ago, I didn’t have a clue about how to perform proper maintenance. I’ve lost a lot of fish and has been due to cloudy water and green algae problems. After seven years, I’ve learned many things that i will share with you. I hope you discover new things in properly caring for your fish aquarium.
Cloudy fish tank water
Their are several reasons why your fish tank water is cloudy. Let’s start with the basics.
If your starting a new aquarium, this is normal. Fish require certain bacteria in the water to live. Add the proper chemicals according to your tank size and fish.I recommend not doing any water changes for at least a month. After about two or three weeks the water will have developed and start clearing up. Change only 25% to 30% of your water at a time. Changing the water weekly is not required unless you have a high ammonia content.
Overfeed Fish
One of the easiest ways to get cloudy water in an established tank is to overfeed your fish. The feed dissolves and mixes with the water; this mixture creates a diluted effect. Your fish should have consumed 90% of the food in 1-2 minutes, anything extra, is waste. Do not feed so much that the food has a chance to fall to the bottom of the tank.
Too Much Lighting
Too much lighting is another cause of cloudy water. If your tank is by a window or exposed to a lot of light, this will accelerate algae growth and cloud your tank. Try blocking the sun in certain areas of the tank to shade it. To test for you much lighting, drape a thick cover over the tank for 24-48 hours leaving the aquarium light on for maybe 10 hours a day. If lighting is the problem, this should give you dramatic results in water clarity.
Not Properly Cleaned
Failing to properly clean the tank can be another cloudy issue. It’s recommended you clean your tank once a month and no longer than once every 2 months. You should use a syphon to remove waste and excess food from the bottom of the tank. Remember to remove no more and 25% to 30% of your water at a time. I recommend you stir up the bottom gravel when your about to finish, and let your filtration system clear up the water. It will take about 24 hours for it to clear up, but you get much better results. Change your filter once it’s clear.
Plant Care
Real plants can cause a mess in your tank. Bits and pieces fall off and decompose, clouding up your tank. This is similar to extra food that the fish don’t eat. Clip off any leaves that look dead or dying. Remove any plants that are not fresh or healthy. I do not prefer real plants myself because they require a lot of sunlight which leads to algae. If you get real plants, try finding some that require little sunlight.
Amazing, that’s extremely helpful information, cheers.
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Thanks!! That info was very helpful! I have always had bad luck with fish tanks, but couldnt resist when my 7 yr old wanted some for his birthday. He bought them with his own money!! Now I know where to turn if I have a question, needing a quick answer. Thanks again!!!