Water parameter hope to resolve cloudy water problem

[PEPSI]

My tank water turn cloudy for the past few weeks even though i change near 50% water change per week for the past few weeks.

Tank size: 4ft x 1.5 x 2
Temp= 28 degree
arcadia FL at total of 132watt(8-10hrs)
4 cooling fans
eheim 2026
Co2 injection at 2+ bubbles per sec(8-10hrs)
With base ferterlize and add liquid ferterlize per water change

Water parameter:
kH= 1
pH= 6.2
N03= 0
NH3= 0
C02 level= 19ppm (from chart)
I can say is quite heavy planted with 10 types of plants but all quite short. I will try to increase my kH for the moment. Is there anything wrong that cause my water to be cloudy ??? Really need help ! Thankz

[David]

hi pepsi

from the information you have given, it should do fine. Did you add and or change any additive into your tank or did you sevice your filter and washed with with tap water? if you have serviced your filter, never wash it with tap water as the chlorine will knock off your biological bacteria.

Your KH is really low and you should raise it to at least 3 to 4...at this level, your PH should be around 6.5 to 6.6. If you have any fish in your tank....raise the KH by only 1 point in 24hrs

[loupgarou]

what kind of cloudy? white or green?

what's in your filter? besides the eheim fine filter pad, are you using any other fien filter floss? I find the eheim pad quite inadequate. i have an entire basket filled with fine filter floss for this purpose..

what's your substrate?

[vinz]

Yeah, you need to determine what the cloudiness is due to, bacteria bloom or greenwater. Did anything different to the tank just before that? Has the tank completed cycling?

[AnA]

My brother also face the same problem for months. To date, he still unable to find the root cause of the problem.

[PEPSI]

Ok i try to answer all the above qns:

The water colour is white with a bit greenish.
Nothing different happen before it turn cloudy.
The tank had completed cycling.
Not yet service or clean filter as juz brought around 2.5 mths.
Not yet change any filter material, all is the default one.
My base fertelize i dunno what is the brand, it is a oval white pail with all chinese character brought from petmart.
Substrate i forgot what brand liao cos plastic all throw away long ago
Tank with 20 tetras, 5 otos and 20 yamato

There are a few qns i would like to ask:

For my eheim 2026 filter is it only when the white ball reach the red area then is time to clean the filter ?

How much bicarbonate of soda must i add to my 4ft around 280 litres to make sure that i only increase 1 kH per 24hr ?

Does facial cotton wool and solder wire cause anything to the water ? Becos i use this to tie my plant(at the bottom) before planting. I sometime use solder wire when i run out of those metal sinking material(dunno call what)

Sorry abt the long story. Thankz

[sherchoo]

Pepsi,

I would strongly advise you to remove the solder wire ASAP as they are made of lead (correct me if I'm wrong). This would be quite harmful to your fishes. Cotton wool will rot over time and also should be remove before fouling up your water. May I know why are you using this method to do planting? Juz plant them in normally and soon the plants will take root.

You were asked what gravel you are using as to big grains of gravel will not be good as fert will leech into your water column causing all sorts of problems.

If the cloudy water is green, it should be greenwater. Do a search to see if you can find a solution to that. If not, ask again.

[vinz]

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On 12/30/2002 9:35:15 PM

Does facial cotton wool and solder wire cause anything to the water ? Becos i use this to tie my plant(at the bottom) before planting. I sometime use solder wire when i run out of those metal sinking material(dunno call what)
----------------

Pepsi, remove the metal sinking material too. If its the flat metal strip that comes with some plants, it's lead too if I'm not wrong.

[Nick]

just curious about the metal. If let's say you want to weigh down a piece of wood (eg. corkbark or mangrove root), wouldn't it make sense if you were to weigh it down temporily using things such as fishing weights?

[wks]

Hi pepsi, did you use zeolite in your Eheim filter? They are small white gravels in a plastic bag that comes with the filter. If you do, remove them as they will neutralize any chemical which you put into your tanks. Chemicals like anti chlorine/choramine water conditioner and liquid fertilizers(if you use them).

[vinz]

Nick, fishing wts are made of lead. Don't use them in your aquarium. Use rocks to weigh down driftwood.

[vinz]

wks,

You really sure about that? That white gravelly stuff should be Eheim Ehfisubstrate and that is sintered glass. Perfectly fine to use for planted tank. Go to the Eheim website and check it out yourself.

[FC]

"Sorry abt the long story. Thankz"
-that should be the way, nothing to apologise.

"For my eheim 2026 filter is it only when the white ball reach the red area then is time to clean the filter?quot;
-It is not a good guide by eheim for planted tank. The flow rate would suffer too much by then.
-depend on your fish load, wash it between 2 months to 6 months.
-try washing it at 3rd month and see for yourself how loaded the filter is.
-wash it only with tank water.

Cloudy water is caused typically by base fertilizer leak or too much feeding. Base on your tank parameters, it looks like you already have green water. For long run benefits, I suggest that you:
1) add more fresh gravel (lonestar) till you get at least 3" above the base fert that you layed.
2) reduce feed load if necessary.
3) get a 11 watt or higher UV light (for good deal, get from Nature Aquarium or Pet Mart) and fix it on 2026's outlet. Ask the shop, they will show you how. It is the most effective equipment for cloudy water or to improve water quality. When you use it, slow down the filter flow rate by about 20% (see the flow ball, reduce flow by 1 mark).

Have fun.

[wks]

You are right, Vincent! Looks like I kenna conned by the fish shop owner. He told me that bag contained zeolites.[]

[loupgarou]

frankly, I had a look at ehfi substrate and I'm not 100% sure its zeolite or sintered glass. the only way to be sure is to take one and pound it. if it breaks cleanly, then its sitnered glass, if it powders, its zeolite.

ehfisubstrat pro may well be sintered glass, but ehfisubstrat original could be zeolite.
(which going by the shape and texture, looks like its mined from a quarry)

[vinz]

Chris,

Eheim has claimed that it is sintered glass since before the new form.

[loupgarou]

anyway, anyone got some, please test and report...

[PEPSI]

I will stop using those lead n cotton wool. I use them in the first place is because some of the plant look nice when they are close together so i tie them n in order not to crush the stem, i put facial cotton wool around first n tie with the metal lead.

My gravel should be of small grain size as this is what i have saw in those planted tank in shops.

For the UV thing said by FC, may i noe around how much ? and u mean attached to the outlet, but i have my Co2 reactor there. Thankz

[budak]

if your gravel is sufficiently thick, you just need to use a pair of long tweezers to insert the stems individually close to each other. Tying or trying to insert one whole clump all together could cause the plants to rot. THose tanks where plants appear thick usually have very intense lighting such that the lower stem portions are not shaded.

[FC]

"For the UV thing said by FC, may i noe around how much ? and u mean attached to the outlet, but i have my Co2 reactor there. Thankz"
-price, I think you should go to the fish shop and ask.
-place UV after the reactor.

Have fun.