Cloudy water. Can it be due to my filter?

[comebashme]

I have cloudy water in my 4 x 2 x 2 ft tank. Last week, I changed 60% of the water and washed the filter but after trimming my plants this week, it came back. I have so far changed the water twice within this week, at least 25% each time. Was slightly better but somehow it gets worse after 2 days. Is it becoz of my filter? If so, I gonna push forward my plans on getting a new one. I'm using 1 x Jebo 835. Wanna change to Eheim filter oso coz I have other plans for this filter. Any recommendations and the rough cost?

Opps! I think I have posted this on the wrong topic. Mods, pls move this accordingly. Thanks a million!

[Sleepy_lancs]

Hi,

You just changed 60% of water and washed the filter at the same time.... hmm... Did you wash the filter with the tank water or u wash it under running tap (or water from tap)? If you did that, then perhaps your tank has just gone back into cycling mode. Leave it for a week, it should clear.

For a 4 x 2 x 2 ft, you might consider a Eheim 2028 minimum the price is about 250 SGD.

[comebashme]

Thanx, bro. Well, actually is removed 60% of the water then add back the water to 100% over a period of 3 days. Washed the filter with tap water n boiling water to kill germs. It was alright until I trimmed the plants. I dunno y but after trimming them, the water becomes cloudy. Sort of like having a haze of 150-200 PSI in the tank. So tired of changing water so often... Scared change too much will stress everything in it. Is it becoz my filter is not strong enuff?

[taz_boy]

Thanx, bro. Well, actually is removed 60% of the water then add back the water to 100% over a period of 3 days. Washed the filter with tap water n boiling water to kill germs. It was alright until I trimmed the plants. I dunno y but after trimming them, the water becomes cloudy. Sort of like having a haze of 150-200 PSI in the tank. So tired of changing water so often... Scared change too much will stress everything in it. Is it becoz my filter is not strong enuff?

oh my, no wonder...nv wash ur filter medias with hot water or tap water...that's totally wrong cos u gonna kill all the good bacterial that;s suppose to help u break down those blar blar from ur tank ....
changing too much water too often will also lead to lost of good nitrifying baterial present in the tank water...
best is now let the tank settle down, does liquid bacterial if possible...

[comebashme]

Well, I know but the filter n tank water was too dirty... The filter is quite small to me, maybe about 3 litres, so tot wash with tap water n hot water will be fine. I still dose the biostarter after every water change but was ok for 1 week. No big problems in my tank. It only started after i trimmed the plants, which is 1 week later after the 60% change.

[|squee|]

Bacteria bloom imho. Wait it out... try not to disturb your filter in the process, and stop adding that biostarter thing, it's like adding more bacteria to a bacteria bloom imho.

[comebashme]

Wooo... I c... Can I still make water changes or I just have to leave everything as it is? So weird, getting bacteria bloom instead of algae bloom. :P Have lotsa algae feeders but not bacterial feeders...

[|squee|]

You messed up the filter big time, that's why you're going through the typical cycling stage now where everything is cloudy and not settled

I do not know about water changes, perhaps someone else with more experience with bacterial blooms can help you here.

[juggler]

The beneficial bacteria died so causing the cloudy water. If you have those liquid bacteria, can add in.

Trimming the plants at the same time prevented more O2 from being produced and the dying bacteria consumed a lot of O2. The fish can suffer from lack of O2. Observe and add air pump if neccessary.

[Sleepy_lancs]

Just leave the tank for a period of time..... watch your livestock and your NH4 and NO2 levels, if its high, change about 10 to 15 percent of water, else just leave it alone. A wiser method would be to remove all livestock and let the tank clears up by itself without any water change or add water conditional such as seachem's prime (it eliminates NO2 and NH4).

[PeterGwee]

Do you have friends in the aquarium hobby? If not, try the LFS that you often frequent and ask for "mulm" aka dirt that comes with a dirty filter sponge or material. They should be able to give you some if you buy something from them or know them well enough. Add that dirty sponge to your filter and stop doing the "crazy" filter cleaning method that you employ. You can do it to the mechanical materials like the filter floss but not to those that house bacteria. Pack the tank with plants and grow them well and the filter takes a secondary priority. (learn how to optimize growth...search around and read up.)

Regards
Peter Gwee

[comebashme]

Woo.... Thanx for the info... For the livestock, looks like no problems for the time being. Still swimming ard as usual and eating. Will check on NO4 n NO2 once I'm home. Still find it weird that it turns cloudy after I trimmed the plants and not soon after I did the major water change and filter wash. I did not trim all, maybe like 30% of the plants. The plants occupy at least 75% of the sand area, quite heavily planted for the background, occupying 40-45% of the sand area.