03-14-2012, 11:29 PM
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#11 | | |
yes the cloudiness is for sure green.
there is one live plant that is fairly big.
it's an Aqueon 8,000k fluorescent, T8, 17watts, 24" long, just one tube.
I was doing water changes about every 5 days about 15%
I'm using Prime and that's the only chemical. Have Algae wafers, Tetra Flakes, and Freeze dried bloodworms for food. Only 1 or sometimes half a wafer per day, feeding once a day only what gets eaten in 2-3min. and bloodworms once a week.
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03-14-2012, 11:32 PM
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#12 | | | Quote:
Originally Posted by 1077  What type of substrate? Some colored gravels are dyed to produce the color and this dye can leach off after some time ,even after rinsing the @$^%$ out of it.
What type and how large of Pleco?
These fish can produce tons of waste, grow too large for 29 gal, and also root around in substrate and stir up crud unless you are on time with the gravel vaccuming= (regularly) in unplanted aquariums.
Could also be small bacteria bloom if borrowed material did not provide enough bacteria for fish load and this should clear as the bacteria multiply (Few Days).
Would watch water paramter's for any ammonia spike,maybe feed a little less for a few days.
Could also run some fresh carbon in the filter for a few days as well.  | It's a Bristlenose Pleco and he's about 2 inches right now and yes my goodness he poops a lot lol.
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03-17-2012, 02:30 PM
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#15 | | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Fishoutofwater Well it has been nearly a week since the blackout and nothing has changed whatsoever so i've given up and taken the blanket off and fed the fish. Could it be possibly be high phosphates in the water causing this? If so what are some steps to reduce the phosphate levels? | Can you post a photo of the tank? [Don't use the flash, this usually makes something like this harder to see.]
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03-17-2012, 04:40 PM
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#16 | | |
Here some pictures that I just took. Hopefully this helps you to help me to help the fish lol.
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03-17-2012, 07:24 PM
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#18 | | |
Yes, I'm thinking along similar lines. I know there is a green hue here and there, but I am mainly seeing this as whitish, which is a bacterial bloom. This would explain why the light blackout had no effect. A bacterial bloom simply has to clear on its own. More water changes only make it worse--unless you detect a rise in ammonia which can sometimes occur, then do a 1/2 water change--but otherwise regular weekly changes are sufficient. More plants, even simple floating plants, will help by using nutrients/organics. A decent vacuuming of the substrate would also help. Bactgeria blooms are organics-related; the increase in bacteria (which is what turns the water cloudy) is due to an increase in organics. Minimal feeding (alternate days, and not more than needed for the fish) is also good.
You can read more on the background and causes of bacterial blooms here, there is a section in the second part: Bacteria in the Freshwater Aquarium
Aside from a possible rise in ammonia, and maybe a shortage of oxygen (though I wouldn't expect that here), this is harmless to fish. Unsightly I know, but given time it will clear.
Byron.
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03-18-2012, 11:03 AM
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#20 | | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Fishoutofwater After reading your article. How aggressive should i get with the vacuuming of the gravel? Also, what is the best way to "clean" my filter media in an Aquaclear? I know to use the tank water but do i just rinse it or can i squeeze the foam pad lightly, etc. Would extra carbon help? I just checked the Ammonia and it's still reading 0 so that's good. Thanks. | In this case (with the cloudy water) you want to do a good cleaning, so push the siphon into the gravel all over where you can reach it; leave the area around the plant for a few inches out. Normally, when this clears up, a light vacuuming of the open gravel area is sufficient; I would get more substrate-rooted plants though, like some swords, Corkscrew Vallisneria, etc.
Filter media should be rinsed as often as necessary, meaning when it gets dirty. The more dirt pads and sponges collect, the more the flow is impeded. Rinsing weekly when you do the water change won't hurt.
Neither the deep gravel cleaning with the siphon nor the rinsing of media will remove bacteria. All bacteria is sticky, it adheres to surfaces in what we call a biofilm. Normal rinsing is not going to pull it off. Using chlorinated water will.
Carbon at this stage might help. I wouldn't normally use it with live plants, but if you have some it can't hurt for a week or two. I wouldn't buy it just for this though.
Byron.
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