Advertisements
Aquatic Avenue Banner Tropica Shop Banner Fishy Business Banner
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 32

Thread: Cloudy tank after change sponge

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2020
    Posts
    78
    Feedback Score
    0
    Country
    Singapore

    Cloudy tank after change sponge

    Advertisements
    Fresh n Marine aQuarium Banner

    Advertise here

    Advertise here
    Hi, need some advice..not really new to this but there's always something new to learn.

    My tank is a mature tank of a few months. Recently I decided to change sponge because it has been 4 months since the last change. I also decided to just rinse the canisters of media to get rid of slime.

    It has been 1.5 weeks since 30% water change and the sponge change. Cloudiness is still there. I loaded the water with Special Blend and have finished a small bottle.

    The fauna is doing well, that's how I know water is fine. Everything else is doing ok, just this cloudiness still remain.

    Any advise on what could be the cause?

    Thanks

    Sent from my LYA-L29 using Tapatalk

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Posts
    13
    Feedback Score
    0

    Re: Cloudy tank after change sponge

    I’m guessing it’s a bacterial bloom. Probably try a few more water changes and see how it goes.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2020
    Posts
    78
    Feedback Score
    0
    Country
    Singapore

    Re: Cloudy tank after change sponge

    Quote Originally Posted by shiraz View Post
    I’m guessing it’s a bacterial bloom. Probably try a few more water changes and see how it goes.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Did a water change 30% last Saturday and it's still the same. It cleared partially for a day and this came back the next day.

    Sent from my LYA-L29 using Tapatalk

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Posts
    13
    Feedback Score
    0

    Re: Cloudy tank after change sponge

    You mentioned that you rinsed the media in the canister filter right? What media is it and rinsed with tap water or old tank water in a bucket?

    If rinsed with tap water, likely all the beneficial bacteria is gone. If rinsed with old tank water then should be ok but if left out to dry for long then will also affect the bacteria.

    Will never know what bacteria is ‘blooming’ now but if you have fish, can just test ammonia and nitrite to see if you need to start a cycle again.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2020
    Posts
    78
    Feedback Score
    0
    Country
    Singapore

    Re: Cloudy tank after change sponge

    Quote Originally Posted by shiraz View Post
    You mentioned that you rinsed the media in the canister filter right? What media is it and rinsed with tap water or old tank water in a bucket?

    If rinsed with tap water, likely all the beneficial bacteria is gone. If rinsed with old tank water then should be ok but if left out to dry for long then will also affect the bacteria.

    Will never know what bacteria is ‘blooming’ now but if you have fish, can just test ammonia and nitrite to see if you need to start a cycle again.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    I used old tank water in a bucket to rinse. I did not remove the ceramic media from the canisters, just splashing it with water. Oh, I forgot, I did change my Lily Pipe and hoses. I have 2 sets of the same, and after 6 months I will swap. I do this because it'll be faster to complete my cleaning process rather than trying to remove the algae in the pipes which takes awhile.

    I'm sure a lot of good bacteria is gone. Normally when that happens, my fishes will go to the surface. I'll use air stone to make them come back to normal. But it did not happen this time. They're just normal, maybe immune

    Shouldn't this process takes only 1-2 weeks rather than my current 2-3 weeks?

    Sent from my LYA-L29 using Tapatalk

  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Posts
    13
    Feedback Score
    0

    Re: Cloudy tank after change sponge

    Actually if it’s only the lily pipes I think it’s ok because most of the bacteria should be in the media. Maybe there was some dormant bacteria in the sponge? We wouldn’t know .

    Hope after a few more water changes it clears up . What sponge was that by the way? Need to take note in case I need some sponge in the future haha.

    I have experience with this in tank filter with the round kind of sponge that also caused cloudy water in my old tank. That time I didn’t know why the water was cloudy too and just did some water changes but many of the fishes died though.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2020
    Posts
    78
    Feedback Score
    0
    Country
    Singapore

    Re: Cloudy tank after change sponge

    Quote Originally Posted by shiraz View Post
    Actually if it’s only the lily pipes I think it’s ok because most of the bacteria should be in the media. Maybe there was some dormant bacteria in the sponge? We wouldn’t know .

    Hope after a few more water changes it clears up . What sponge was that by the way? Need to take note in case I need some sponge in the future haha.

    I have experience with this in tank filter with the round kind of sponge that also caused cloudy water in my old tank. That time I didn’t know why the water was cloudy too and just did some water changes but many of the fishes died though.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Just the normal white sponge that is found at LFS. I have 3 layers of canister, I filled 1 with this sponge. Normally I have 2 layers in 1 canister and I would alternate change these layers every 2 months. This time I thought since I didn't change it for some time, I changed both and this happened.

    I hope this cloudiness is because of the combination of sponge, Lily Pipe + hoses, and media rinse. Normally I wouldn't do all 3 at the same time.

    Sent from my LYA-L29 using Tapatalk

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Apr 2020
    Posts
    78
    Feedback Score
    0
    Country
    Singapore

    Re: Cloudy tank after change sponge

    Quote Originally Posted by shiraz View Post
    Actually if it’s only the lily pipes I think it’s ok because most of the bacteria should be in the media. Maybe there was some dormant bacteria in the sponge? We wouldn’t know .

    Hope after a few more water changes it clears up . What sponge was that by the way? Need to take note in case I need some sponge in the future haha.

    I have experience with this in tank filter with the round kind of sponge that also caused cloudy water in my old tank. That time I didn’t know why the water was cloudy too and just did some water changes but many of the fishes died though.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    How much water change would I need to do? I did 20-30% and the water cleared for a day. Should I just give it one time and make 75% water change? Just afraid of nitrite

    Sent from my LYA-L29 using Tapatalk

  9. #9
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Posts
    13
    Feedback Score
    0

    Re: Cloudy tank after change sponge

    The cloudiness came back after 1 day right? Same as my case..

    I would not recommend 75% because it’s like almost no opportunity for the fish to acclimatise to the water.. doing 5-10% daily would be better but need to dose some trace elements each time too. Maybe also take out the sponge you put in.. will never know if that’s the main cause.

    Nitrite unlikely to peak because the bacteria will be in the media and on your rocks and substrate, not in the water column.. this is assuming your bacteria did not die in the media during the last maintenance.

    Now there are all kinds of chemicals you can dose to ‘cure’ things but I don’t use them, not even to cycle my tank haha. Hopefully someone with experience can suggest what chemical can be added to counter this bacterial bloom.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Apr 2020
    Posts
    78
    Feedback Score
    0
    Country
    Singapore

    Re: Cloudy tank after change sponge

    Quote Originally Posted by shiraz View Post
    The cloudiness came back after 1 day right? Same as my case..

    I would not recommend 75% because it’s like almost no opportunity for the fish to acclimatise to the water.. doing 5-10% daily would be better but need to dose some trace elements each time too. Maybe also take out the sponge you put in.. will never know if that’s the main cause.

    Nitrite unlikely to peak because the bacteria will be in the media and on your rocks and substrate, not in the water column.. this is assuming your bacteria did not die in the media during the last maintenance.

    Now there are all kinds of chemicals you can dose to ‘cure’ things but I don’t use them, not even to cycle my tank haha. Hopefully someone with experience can suggest what chemical can be added to counter this bacterial bloom.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Could this be green water caused by algae? It's hard to tell if it's cloudy or green because of the plant reflection

    Sent from my LYA-L29 using Tapatalk

  11. #11
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Posts
    13
    Feedback Score
    0

    Re: Cloudy tank after change sponge

    To check if it’s green you can take some water out into a clear glass and put a white paper under it. Take another glass of rodi or tap water with a similar style cup and put it beside and compare both. Usually the tank water would have a yellow tint... unlikely to be green unless you got sunlight shining for long into the tank everyday.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Apr 2020
    Posts
    78
    Feedback Score
    0
    Country
    Singapore

    Re: Cloudy tank after change sponge

    Quote Originally Posted by shiraz View Post
    To check if it’s green you can take some water out into a clear glass and put a white paper under it. Take another glass of rodi or tap water with a similar style cup and put it beside and compare both. Usually the tank water would have a yellow tint... unlikely to be green unless you got sunlight shining for long into the tank everyday.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    No direct sunlight, and only my front panel is exposed to sunlight. All other 3 panels of this tank are covered with Oyama black paper.

    I did 20-30% change just 2 hours ago and now the tank is back to cloudy. It's getting more persistent.

    The bucket containing my tank water, although it's blue, it seems very light greenish. But maybe that's because I trimmed my plants as well today.

    Took different angles of the tank to get some opinions here if it's cloudy or green algae.

    Sent from my LYA-L29 using Tapatalk

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Central
    Posts
    2,772
    Feedback Score
    1 (100%)
    Country
    Singapore

    Re: Cloudy tank after change sponge

    Did you leave your ceramic rings dry or wet while changing your lily pipe?

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Apr 2020
    Posts
    78
    Feedback Score
    0
    Country
    Singapore

    Re: Cloudy tank after change sponge

    Quote Originally Posted by torque6 View Post
    Did you leave your ceramic rings dry or wet while changing your lily pipe?
    I didn't use ceramic rings, but only ceramic balls. It was wet in old aquarium water, which I did some rinsing in. I didn't remove the media from the container of my filter, just rinsing gently.

    Sent from my LYA-L29 using Tapatalk

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Apr 2020
    Posts
    78
    Feedback Score
    0
    Country
    Singapore

    Re: Cloudy tank after change sponge

    Quote Originally Posted by carcraze View Post
    I didn't use ceramic rings, but only ceramic balls. It was wet in old aquarium water, which I did some rinsing in. I didn't remove the media from the container of my filter, just rinsing gently.

    Sent from my LYA-L29 using Tapatalk
    Oh... There may be some dry, like when transition or when I lift it out of water. But it's probably just a few seconds only

    Sent from my LYA-L29 using Tapatalk

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Central
    Posts
    2,772
    Feedback Score
    1 (100%)
    Country
    Singapore

    Re: Cloudy tank after change sponge

    Quote Originally Posted by carcraze View Post
    Oh... There may be some dry, like when transition or when I lift it out of water. But it's probably just a few seconds only

    Sent from my LYA-L29 using Tapatalk
    sorry, I mean, did you submerge the biomedia in water when you did your sponge change, and install the lily pipe (how long did you take to install your lily pipes and new tubings).

    Because if you install new tubings, and left the biomedia in the container could mean the container is dry for an example if you are using Eheim classics.

    I also noticed your carpet is very thick. You don't trim regularly?

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Apr 2020
    Posts
    78
    Feedback Score
    0
    Country
    Singapore

    Re: Cloudy tank after change sponge

    Quote Originally Posted by torque6 View Post
    sorry, I mean, did you submerge the biomedia in water when you did your sponge change, and install the lily pipe (how long did you take to install your lily pipes and new tubings).
    If I recall, I did submerge it. Changing lily pipe was 10-15 mins? I have 2 sets of lily pipe and hoses which I swap every 6-8 months.

    Lily pipe + sponge change + media rinse + front glass panel wipe + 30-40% water change

    All done within 45 mins

    Sent from my LYA-L29 using Tapatalk

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Central
    Posts
    2,772
    Feedback Score
    1 (100%)
    Country
    Singapore

    Re: Cloudy tank after change sponge

    Then it shouldn't be bacteria bloom, because I change out my white fine wool sponge every water change. I do every little water change. Maybe 3-4 months once. I change then.

    Is this the first time you are using this new sponge? What brand?

    1) did you disturb the substrate with trimming?
    2) is this the first time you are dosing the "blend"
    3) did you try any new fish food?

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Apr 2020
    Posts
    78
    Feedback Score
    0
    Country
    Singapore

    Re: Cloudy tank after change sponge

    Quote Originally Posted by torque6 View Post
    Then it shouldn't be bacteria bloom, because I change out my white fine wool sponge every water change. I do every little water change. Maybe 3-4 months once. I change then.

    Is this the first time you are using this new sponge? What brand?

    1) did you disturb the substrate with trimming?
    2) is this the first time you are dosing the "blend"
    3) did you try any new fish food?
    This is not new sponge. Bought a lot, used more than half already. I only use 1/3 of my canister containers for sponge. Rest is media. LFS recommendation for sponge.

    I did trim my plants quite a lot before this cloudiness happened. But I've done this type of trimming before and that time didn't happen. That's why I'm curious.

    Yes I used Special Blend. Stinks, but works. Honestly I just started using it 2 months back for 4 water change. Previously I used No. 7.

    Need help

    Sent from my LYA-L29 using Tapatalk

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Central
    Posts
    2,772
    Feedback Score
    1 (100%)
    Country
    Singapore

    Re: Cloudy tank after change sponge

    Quote Originally Posted by carcraze View Post
    This is not new sponge. Bought a lot, used more than half already. I only use 1/3 of my canister containers for sponge. Rest is media. LFS recommendation for sponge.

    I did trim my plants quite a lot before this cloudiness happened. But I've done this type of trimming before and that time didn't happen. That's why I'm curious.

    Yes I used Special Blend. Stinks, but works. Honestly I just started using it 2 months back for 4 water change. Previously I used No. 7.

    Need help

    Sent from my LYA-L29 using Tapatalk
    You using this


Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •