Why do freshwater fish tanks get cloudy

It may be bacterial. Bacterial blooms are common in new aquariums less than six weeks old, when the biological balance is not fully established. Millions of tiny bacteria may be present, but it may be loose in the water column, instead of in biofilms inside the biological filter. Ensure that your filter is large enough for the aquarium its running, and that it has a biological media chamber. Test water to ensure that no ammonia or nitrite is present indicative of an immature aquarium, add a flocculant, and some filter starter.

If ammonia and nitrite is present, stop feeding, add an ammonia detoxifier , some filter bacteria, and change some water to relieve the stress on the fish.

Uneaten foods often cloud water too, and uneaten food is often a sign of overfeeding, or that the fish are sick from disease or bad water quality, and are off their food. If the food is clouding the water, try a suitable food from another manufacturer.

Environmental Protection Agency is duty-bound to chemically treat the domestic water supply to make it safe for you to use and drink. That process means that the water is chemically treated, often resulting in high phosphate levels. For the biological element of your filter system to work efficiently and remove nitrates from the water, you need to have a good flow rate throughout the tank.

Ideally, you want a GPH Gallons Per Hour flow rate of at least four times the total volume of water in your tank, preferably more. Many hobbyists use bogwood and driftwood as aquarium decorations. However, the tannins that the wood contains can leach into the water, lowering the pH level slightly, and sometimes turning the water the color of cold tea.

If you have an activated carbon filter, that will help to remove some of the discoloration, too. Dried leaves also leach tannins that will turn the water a brownish color. Preventing cloudy fish tank water is pretty straightforward. Overfeeding your fish is bad for their health and it will also make the water in your aquarium turn cloudy because of a bacterial bloom or uneaten fish food particles floating in the water. I recommend that you feed your fish only what they will eat in a couple of minutes.

Feed the fish little and often, especially species such as bettas that can suffer from constipation if overfed. Overstocking your fish tank is asking for trouble on a number of levels. Too many fish crammed together in a small space can cause territorial species to become very aggressive, and a lack of personal space also causes stress, which can also result in health problems and outbreaks of diseases.

Overcrowding an aquarium with too many fish will overload the filter system, overwhelming the beneficial bacteria that process waste products, and leading to bacterial bloom and cloudy water.

You can resolve the problem by relocating some of your fish to another tank, carrying out a partial water change, and vacuuming the substrate thoroughly. As previously mentioned, the addition of activated carbon to your filter media can help to remove tannins that may stain the water a brownish yellow color.

Without question, doing nothing is the best approach for a new fish tank, as long as ammonia and nitrite levels are not on the rise. Cleaning the filter does nothing except disrupt the few beneficial bacteria that have had a chance to get established. These "good guys" will eventually outcompete the cloudy water bacteria for food, starving them out and breaking down their carcasses.

Water changes clear the water temporarily, but in a day or two the cloudiness reappears, often even worse than before. That's because new water provides a fresh supply of nutrients, causing the cloudy water bacteria to populate even more.

Left alone, the cloudy water bacteria will eventually consume all the nutrients in the water and die out. This is part of the cycling process! Should I add live plants or other beneficial bacteria? Live plants have "good" bacteria and other microbes on them, which help establish the biological balance in the aquarium. Live plants compete for nutrients and help starve out microbes that cause cloudy water. In addition, they produce oxygen during the day, which aids in the breakdown of fish waste, uneaten food, and the cloudy water bacteria as they begin to die off.

This third benefit helps clear the water. They also consume ammonia generated by fish and uneaten food, that can build up in newly set up aquariums until the nitrifying bacteria become established. Should I change filter media or get a new filter? The big thing in terms of the filter when dealing with "New Tank Syndrome" cloudy water is don't mess with it.

Cleaning a brand new filter or replacing the cartridge or media does nothing good, and potentially eliminates the good bacteria that are trying to get established. If the filter pad or media are in need of cleaning sooner than the first 30 days, you may be overfeeding, overstocking, or both. Start by putting your tank lights on a timer. They should be on for no more than eight to ten hours a day. If the tank is close to a window, consider moving it.

For immediate relief, do a partial water change. This will reduce some of the cloudiness quickly. Take a look at your filtration media. When the filter is unable to catch contaminants, the phosphate and nitrate levels in the tank will rise naturally. Oftentimes, simply replacing the filtration media will do the trick.

You can also be more proactive about removing messes from the tank. Limit feedings to only a few minutes and remove any excess food from the habitat. Get rid of dying plants and any other biological matter that could sour the water.

Author Note: You can also increase the frequency of your water changes. All of these small tasks should help to keep phosphates and nitrates to a minimum, which will stunt the growth of phytoplankton. Again, the severity of this problem can vary widely based on the cause. In severe cases, your fish tank could start to look seriously discolored, which would be a cause for concern.

In other cases, the issue could be something as simple as staining from your decor! In the worst-case scenario, water could become brown or yellow due to overcrowding. No matter how small your fish are, they still produce waste. One big mistake newer fishkeepers make is overcrowding the tank to create a schooling effect.

While many species will naturally group up, there still needs to be some open space. The more open space there is, the harder it is for waste to sour the water. When you overcrowd fish into a small tank, ammonia and nitrite levels will go through the roof. This will result in a very painful death!

Driftwood and decaying leaves produce a substance called tannin. The tannins are organic and completely safe for your fish. In fact, many freshwater fish in the trade come from blackwaters that are very rich in tannins. Depending on the species you have, the tea-stained cloudiness could even benefit your fish!