phishy
12-13-2006, 03:47 AM
I have a 125 gallon aquarium and for the last three weeks the water has been cloudy and despite my efforts, the nitrate level is high. The tank has been established for 6 years with two emperor 400's with ammochips.
Originally, I had a 12" oscar and a large silverdollar. About a month and a half ago I added two tinfoil red tailed barbs, a jack dempsey, a parrotfish, and a sevrum. The new fish had been in the tank for about two weeks.
I was gone for a week on vacation. While I was gone, apparently the tank cycled because on my return the tank had an odor, my ammonia levels were 0. My nitrites level was .25 and my nitrate levels were extremely high. The colors on the card are so close together I can't tell between 40 and 160 ppm... they are all red.
I started doing large water changes daily and within two days my nitrites down to 0. But ever since then the water has been cloudy. I have added a third filter.. an Eheim 2028 which has a been running a week and a half. It has 4 liters of Eheim Substrat Pro and 1 liter of Ehfimech filter media. I continued doing 30% water changes every other day for approximately a week. But I can't get my nitrates down below 40ppm and can't get rid of the cloudy water.
Last week I did no water changes and the water got clearer each day but even after a week it was still somewhat hazy. I have tested my tap water and it has 0 nitrates. Any suggestions/ideas??
Originally, I had a 12" oscar and a large silverdollar. About a month and a half ago I added two tinfoil red tailed barbs, a jack dempsey, a parrotfish, and a sevrum. The new fish had been in the tank for about two weeks.
I was gone for a week on vacation. While I was gone, apparently the tank cycled because on my return the tank had an odor, my ammonia levels were 0. My nitrites level was .25 and my nitrate levels were extremely high. The colors on the card are so close together I can't tell between 40 and 160 ppm... they are all red.
I started doing large water changes daily and within two days my nitrites down to 0. But ever since then the water has been cloudy. I have added a third filter.. an Eheim 2028 which has a been running a week and a half. It has 4 liters of Eheim Substrat Pro and 1 liter of Ehfimech filter media. I continued doing 30% water changes every other day for approximately a week. But I can't get my nitrates down below 40ppm and can't get rid of the cloudy water.
Last week I did no water changes and the water got clearer each day but even after a week it was still somewhat hazy. I have tested my tap water and it has 0 nitrates. Any suggestions/ideas??