# White cloudy water (not substrate)



## mrduna01 (Nov 27, 2011)

It is harmless.. just bacteria multiplying and will go away but your tanks cycle is now gone. Do you have fish? 

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## discuspaul (Jul 27, 2010)

Sounds very much like an algae bloom, likely from cleaning out your internal filter.
It is harmless and will correct itself with time.
Not likely your tank cycle is gone, if it were, the algae bloom would not be 'harmless'.
Give it a few days, and do a moderate wc. You should be ok.


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

Make sure you got plenty of bio media 

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## Lil' Swimz$ (Jul 24, 2010)

Did you dose micros with potassium at all? That can cause the iron to combine with the iron and make cloudiness.


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

Common causes of cloudy water:

Green water algae starts looking more white than green, but turns green in a few days. You could especially see the green in the filter in white polyester floss. 

pH altering materials can make the water cloudy. This includes if the tap water has changed (sometimes the water company does something, and well water can change)

Rising ammonia can make the water a bit cloudy, often with extra foamy bubbles that do not pop as fast at the surface. 

Heterotrophic bacteria can reproduce a lot faster than the nitrifying bacteria. If some food source shows up (like disturbing the substrate or filter) they can grow so fast the water clouds. They usually die down pretty fast, too, as soon as they have eaten all the extra food. These are good bacteria, but not the nitrifying bacteria. Seeing cloudy water from the growth of these bacteria says absolutely nothing about the population of nitrifying bacteria. 

Here is what I would do:
Test the water parameters. (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, GH, KH, pH, TDS, other)If any of these are different than normal (especially KH or pH) that might be a clue. 
Be ready to do a water change if needed. 
Add some polyester floss to the filter and clean it in a few days in case it is getting plugged up with something. 

You can do a larger water change, if you want. That might remove whatever food the bacteria are eating if it is suspended in the water, but it is usually not. Vacuum the best you can all the surfaces in the tank. Clean the filter again, being very careful to remove it from the tank in a way that does not spill debris in the tank. Do not get too aggressive cleaning it, though. Nitrifying bacteria live on all the surfaces in the filter in a biofilm that is pretty well stuck on, but it can be disturbed. Avoid rinsing it with tap water that has chlorine or chloramines. That can kill the bacteria. Slosh it around really well in water removed from the tank for a water change.


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## Eben (Mar 12, 2012)

Has anyone used saachem clarity on their tanks?


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

I have seen mixed reviews. Some say it helped, the tank cleared fast, like 24-48 hours. Other saw no improvement in the situation. 

I think it depends on what is causing the cloudiness. Some problems clear up themselves in a short time (a week or so for heterotrophic bacteria, for example). Other problems (such as Green Water Algae) may not respond to some water charity products.


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## Eben (Mar 12, 2012)

I still have this problem... but i dont know what it could be.
-Ive got and Eheim 2217 on a 66g tank
-its stocked low to medium with fish and stocked high with plants
-it was stable for at least 3 months (it was cloudy even before the new filter)
-I dont over feed at all
-i do a 15% water change each week
-I have been putting sachem clarity in (either just before or just after a water change) and about 6 hours later the water is crystal clear but then by the end of the week i can only just see the back of the tank?!??!


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## discuspaul (Jul 27, 2010)

Try using Seachem Purigen in your filter. Generally works like a charm, and quickly.
I have crystal clear water all the time - and this routine does it - should work well for you as well:

- Up your WCS to twice a week - 25% or more.
- Regularly use Purigen - recharged about every 3 weeks.
- Double-layered filter floss in your filter - replaced every second week.
- Fine mesh pre-filter(s) on your filter intake tube(s) - rinsed twice a week.
- Clarity in my tank goes up a notch when I use a UV sterilizer as well as the above items.
Have a look:
http://s1105.photobucket.com/albums/h357/discuspaul/lolliblues2


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## Eben (Mar 12, 2012)

Seachem Purigen sounds good, but its looks expensive, how much might I need?


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## discuspaul (Jul 27, 2010)

Eben said:


> Seachem Purigen sounds good, but its looks expensive, how much might I need?


You should be able to get a 250 ml jar of Purigen for around $20.
That much will do nicely to properly fill 2 or 3 fairly large fine mesh bags, (so they can be rotated), which you can re-charge about every 3 weeks or so, up to a dozen or more times. Should last you for close to a year - that's not expensive.


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## Eben (Mar 12, 2012)

Yeah its not... I thought you needed lots more, thanks.


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## discuspaul (Jul 27, 2010)

And don't fill the bags (and you may need to double-bag to keep the particles from escaping into your tank) with any more Purigen than it takes to have a layer of particles no more than 1/2" thickness in the bag when flattened out.


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## Eben (Mar 12, 2012)

Ok, my tank water has been cloudy for over a month now and im getting annoyed, i have no clue what to do. Ive got so many plants and so few fish, I do weekly water changes, Big filter and now I've started using Seachem Clarity and Purigen. Clarity works really well, its clears up within a few hours. but by the next day its cloudy again. Purigen doesn't seem to do a thing! HELP


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

Are any of the test results helpful in showing a possible cause? pH changes (possibly related to KH or GH changes) and rising ammonia are the 2 things I would watch. 

Is the filter hitting the substrate in such a way to keep it agitated? 

What substrate do you have? 

Is the cloudiness related to water changes? 

Is the cloudiness green?


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