dmagerl
11-23-2008, 10:24 PM
Its been 40 years since I last had an aquarium as a kid. Back then, all we did was fill a tank with gravel and water and dump fish in it. Didnt worry about cycling, and everything always managed to turn out OK.
But I'm having some problems with my first tank after a 40 year hiatus.
Its a 29g tank that someone gave me. It's probable been 5 years since it last had water in it, and came with a Whisper Power Filter.
Water is from a well, run through a softener.
GH is 0
KH is 16 dh
ph is 8 (thats as high as the color chart goes)
My problem is that the water is cloudy, the cloudiness developed roughly 2 days after set up. Its now 2 weeks into the cycle and the cloudiness persists. The filter isnt removing it. If I add a flocculant, the water briefly clears for a day, then turns cloudy again and the filter collects a bunch of brown scum.
I'm using Flourite substrate that I washed really well in small quantities until the water ran clear.
There are 6 zebras in the tank and I am just now beginning to see some Ammonia and Nitrite, but no Nitrate yet.
Ammonia is .2 mg/l
Nitrite is .8 mg/l
Nitrate is 0
From reading this forum (it's great, thanks!) I have 4 possible causes to choose from:
1. The Flourite is naturally cloudy
2. Bacterial bloom
3. Ammonia clouds water
4. Something in the well water is reacting with something else
For #1, I'd have thought it would eventally settle out.
For #3, since the cloudiness began shortly after set up, I just dont see it.
That leaves #2 or #4. So I guess I'm asking, will this eventually go away? It sure doesnt seem like it will. Right now I'm letting nature take its course and not adding chemicals (other than the flocculant that one time) and am keeping my fingers crossed.
Is there anything else I should be doing? PS: the LFS is willing to rent me a sub-micron filter but the experience with the flocculant tells me it'll be a waste of time, it'll come right back.
-dickm
But I'm having some problems with my first tank after a 40 year hiatus.
Its a 29g tank that someone gave me. It's probable been 5 years since it last had water in it, and came with a Whisper Power Filter.
Water is from a well, run through a softener.
GH is 0
KH is 16 dh
ph is 8 (thats as high as the color chart goes)
My problem is that the water is cloudy, the cloudiness developed roughly 2 days after set up. Its now 2 weeks into the cycle and the cloudiness persists. The filter isnt removing it. If I add a flocculant, the water briefly clears for a day, then turns cloudy again and the filter collects a bunch of brown scum.
I'm using Flourite substrate that I washed really well in small quantities until the water ran clear.
There are 6 zebras in the tank and I am just now beginning to see some Ammonia and Nitrite, but no Nitrate yet.
Ammonia is .2 mg/l
Nitrite is .8 mg/l
Nitrate is 0
From reading this forum (it's great, thanks!) I have 4 possible causes to choose from:
1. The Flourite is naturally cloudy
2. Bacterial bloom
3. Ammonia clouds water
4. Something in the well water is reacting with something else
For #1, I'd have thought it would eventally settle out.
For #3, since the cloudiness began shortly after set up, I just dont see it.
That leaves #2 or #4. So I guess I'm asking, will this eventually go away? It sure doesnt seem like it will. Right now I'm letting nature take its course and not adding chemicals (other than the flocculant that one time) and am keeping my fingers crossed.
Is there anything else I should be doing? PS: the LFS is willing to rent me a sub-micron filter but the experience with the flocculant tells me it'll be a waste of time, it'll come right back.
-dickm