Cloudy water??

[geo32100]

I upgraded to a 65 Gal tank about two months ago. I added three large pieces of driftwood. The tank seems to remain cloudy all the time. When I upgraded i transferred most of the water from the 45 gal I upgraded from. I soften the water with fluval peat pellets. The new tank came with a two bulb ballast which is significantly brighter than my old tank. After some research the only answer I can find is that increased lighting can cause a bacteria bloom. Could this be the case? If so how can I remedy this? I do 25% water changes weekly.

 

[Cichlid Junkie]

How long does your lights stay on for? If the new lights have more watts per gallon than the old tank and they are on the same amount of time, it could be what caused the bloom. Just a thought.

 

[farm41]

Try more water changes, do 50% and 2 days do another 50%. If not cleared up, I would do a couple more 50% water changes.

 

[Randall]

Cloudy water

Hello Geo,

It sounds like you have a case of new tank syndrome. Cloudy water in a new setup is not uncommon and usually reflects a temporary bacterial imbalance. If you stock lightly, at first, and keep up with your water changes (as farm41 recommends), the problem should clear up on its own. The cloudy water won't hurt your fish; it just looks awful.

Good luck!

Randall Kohn