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COMMON AQUARIUM QUESTIONS
Why Is My Aquarium Water Cloudy?
Causes:
Bacterial blossom - As the new aquarium goes through the initial break-in
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cycle, the water can become cloudy or at least a little hazy. It might take
several weeks to establish beneficial bacterial colonies that are able to
clear waste from the water. Over time, that cloudiness will resolve itself.
Decaying plants or excess food that remains uneaten can also cause the
cloudy water seen in bacterial bloom. Keep the aquarium clean by
removing any decaying plants and uneaten food, vacuuming the gravel
regularly, and performing partial water changes.
Gravel residue - If the water is cloudy immediately or within an hour or two
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of filling the tank, it's probably due to insufficiently washed gravel. Drain the
tank and rinse the gravel until the water runs clear. That should resolve the
problem.
Dissolved constituents -
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the next most likely cause of cloudy water in a newly filled tank is a high
level of dissolved constituents, such as phosphates, silicates, or heavy
metals. If you test the water, you'll likely find that the pH is high (alkaline). In
these cases, treating the water with conditioners will often resolve the
problem.
Other things to try:
Reduce feeding. Overfeeding introduces a lot of organic waste and is one of
Ÿ
the main causes for cloudy water problems.
Do not perform large water changes as they can severely affect the balance
Ÿ
of the aquarium leading to a further deterioration of the water quality.
A severely overstocked aquarium will result in excess waste so consider
Ÿ
your fish population. We recommend to not exceed 1 inch of fish per 3.7 litres
of aquarium water.
Why Is My Aquarium Water Green?
Too much light - Reduce the amount of time the lights are on, and move
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the aquarium to a location out of direct sunlight. This will reduce the
photosynthesis that allows the algae to grow.
Phosphates - phosphates result from decaying matter (e.g. fish food) and
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from the water source. If your water naturally has a high level of phosphate,
you will need to use a phosphate remover to treat it after water changes.
if washing the gravel doesn't solve the problem,
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