HELLO HELP

[DRTMN]

HI. THIS SITE IS GREAT I'VE BEEN READING EVERY POST FOR WEEKS NOW. I HAVE A 55GAL LONG TANK ABOUT SIX WEEKS OLD. I HAVE A NUMBER OF PLANTS. I BOUGHT AN ASSORTMENT ON LINE SO I CANT IDENTIFY ALL OF THEM. I HAVE FOUR WATTS OF COMPACT FLORESCENT LIGHT PER GAL. CO2 INJECTION, AN EHIME CANISTER FILTER. MY SUBSTRATE IS A MIX OF LATERITE AND GRAVEL WITH 1.5 INCHES OF FLORITE OVER THE TOP. I HAVE CARDINAL TETRAS 8, CORY CATS 2, TWO RAMS, A. CACATUOIDES 1 MALE 3 FEMALE, A. AGASISSI 1 MALE 2 FEMALE, AND 15 AMANO SHRIMP. PH 6.5, TDS IS GOING UP CURRENTLY 165, NO AMONIA NO NITRATE. PROBLEM IS THE WATER IS SO CLOUDY I CAN'T EVEN SEE THE PLANTS IN THE BACK OF THE TANK MUCH LESS THE BACK OF THE TANK. UNTILL LAST WEEK I WAS DOING WATER CHANGES THE GUY AT THE LFS SAYS NO WATER CHANGE. ANOTHER LFS SAYS CHANGE WATER. NOT VERY EXCEITING BUT I COULD REALLY USE SOMEONES HELP. THANKS STEVE.

 

[ddaquaria]

First, please stop screaming :wink:

Second, what color cloud? If it is white, then it is a bacteria bloom (most likely). If it is brown, then diatoms or brown algae. If it is green, then green water. If it is gray, check for dying fish. If is it red, all 911, you have more problems than just dying fish and plants :lol:

Personally I have dealt with white and brown. For white, it is a waiting game. If you change the water, you start the cycle all over again.

There is another possibility, did you wash your substrate before you placed it in the tank. Did you wash you filter media before you placed it in the filter. The eheim media has small white particle and may cause unsettled pieces to go through your filter.

Ok, I think I threw out most of what I know. Looks like you checked all the possibilties. If the fish are not dying or the plants are still looking great then I would not worry too much. Make sure the plants that you have are growing and not just remaining alive. Sometimes you can mistakenly get nonaquatic plants in assortment packages.

 

[DRTMN]

THANKS DDAQUARIA CLOUD IS WHITE EVERYTHING WAS RINSED WELL IF I COULD SEE THE PLANTS I COULD TELL YOU IF THEY ARE GROWING. IV'E HAD TO TRIM SOME TOPS THAT WERE STICKING OUT THE TOP, SO SOME ARE GROWING

 

[farm41]

Hi DRTMN,

When you use all capital letters, it means you are yelling. Try turning off the caps lock.

 

[DRTMN]

Sorry I figured that out about noon today

 

[aspen]

drtmn, is that short for 'dirty man'? he he, caps lock, who'da thunk?

whatever the cloud is, if it has been there from the start, it is not likely that it is a bacterial bloom. they will come, then go away. this is definately something that is held in suspension. to prove this, try running some water through a coffee filter, and see what it is. i would think it is something that is coming from the substrate. obviously bacteria will run straight through, they are too small. dust will get stuck in the filter.

running a fliter with some floss in it, should get it out of the water column, if it is. but every time you pull a plant, it will come back. it is too bad, but i think that you will likely have to pull the substrate and rinse it again.

if you find out what it is, let us know. i for one am very curious.

good luck, rick

 

[Eva32181]

Changing the water will not start the cycling process all over again. It will slow it down, but adding fresh clean water will also reduce fish loss. When I'm cycling a tank a change the water 2-3 times per week. If your tank is planted, you won't see much of a cycle at all - growing plants will soak up ammonia and nitrates.

Did you wash the fluorite? Unwashed fluorite makes the tank all brown, and brown dust get deposited on plant leaves. But your filter should take care of this.

If it is green water, do a water change! That is a sign of excess ammonia (so a reputable source tells me :wink: ).

 

[DRTMN]

I think the cloudiness may be small particles. There is alot of stuff clinging to the plants. I picked up a diatom filter yesterday, Ill try that out this weekend. I do also have quit a bit of algae in the tank . I wonder if it's too much light or maybe to much co2. I havn't been able to find a co2 test kit yet. Water change seems to lessen the cloud but it comes back pretty strong. As far as I can tell all inhabitants are still alive and well. Apistos are doing alot of hiding. I think the shrimp are pretty well occupied with the algae inthe back of the tank, but i can't see that far. Do you think i'm over crowded too soon? I rinsed the florite and laterite well. I certainly hope I won't have to redo the whole tank. I think Ill try changing water twice a week for awhile. Thanks for the the help

 

[farm41]

What is your source of co2, pressurized, diy, or other? If diy what is your recipe?

 

[DRTMN]

Im using pressurized co2 with a ph controler set to go on at 6.5 ph. It dosen't seem to be on all that often. The co2 indicator is in the upper range but I'm not sure I trust it.

 

[farm41]

Great setup, but that sure blows my idea of yeast in the water.

 

[Neil]

DRTMN,

WELCOME TO THE FORUM

Sounds like your situation is being attended to very well from both ends. Good luck with it!
Neil

 

[DRTMN]

Well after three charges of the diatom filter two water changes and alot of scraping I can at last see the back of the tank. The sludge thet came out of the diatom was very green. is there a way to control algae or is this going to be a way of life :?

 

[aspen]

>>'is there a way to control algae or is this going to be a way of life'

do the right things, and have patience. it s easier to wait out an algae bloom, than it is a pair of apistos that won't breed for you.

good luck, rick

 

[DRTMN]

RIGHT-Y-O ASPEN :lol: . THANKS