Murky water in 15gal

[markacino]

Hey guys,

I have a recently cycled 15gal community tank, all my fish seem to be doing perfectly fine. Ammonia and Nitrite levels are constantly 0.0 since completed cycle, with low nitrate levels aswell.

My query is to do with the water and its constant cloudyness. I was under the impression that cloudy water due to bacterial bloom occured as the cycle is taking place, not after it had finished. During a water change, the old water is a brownish colour. I change some of the water each week.

As i said it is a 15gal tank. It was part of a 'beginners kit', and came with 1 Elite Hush 20 HOB filter. Is the problem I am having due to insufficient filtration perhaps?

Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

Thanks all :)

[matthewdk455]

I do not know anything about that filter so it could possibly be that. Cloudy water could also be a symptom of overfeeding. It can also mean your tank is overstocked. What fish do you have in there?

[Little Embers]

It would be appreciated if you could tell us how many/what fish are in the tank, how much water are you changing weekly and do you syphon the gravel? How much do you feed them? Do you have driftwood in the tank?

Bacterial Blooms can happen at any time, but it is usually more of a cloudy colour not a murky brown. It is possible the filter may be inadequate for the size tank...does the filter media look very dirty? It may be getting clogged if overfeeding or the fish are producing a large bio-load as matt just said.

[Cristoff]

It almost sounds like driftwood leeching a bit. Please let us know what is in your tank (fish, decorations) and we'll get to the bottom of it. Well, probably not WE, but someone here that's MUCH smarter than me!(blush)

[Ryanlives]

I dont think its the filter, as i have the exact some one, it filtered the water fine when i had fish in it, the appropriate size for that filter is 20 gal and under, thus the "Hush 20". I agree with Cristoff I believe its the driftwood, my uncle had the same problem, he wouldnt shut up about it lol. But dont take my word for it, ive never personally experienced the problem keep all troubleshooting options open.

Best of luck

[markacino]

Hey guys,

tank is stocked with 10 neon tetras, 2 platys and a dwarf gourami. I have 3 Java ferns, 1 large anubias on a large driftwood piece also. The driftwood already had the plant growing when I bought it.

20pct water change once a week and I usually feed them once a day, sometimes every second day.

[Northernguy]

Start changing more water every week.try 40-50%.
Its a good possability its the driftwood if the water is turning a tea color.
Did you presoak the driftwood before adding it to your tank?
You could also look into adding an AC 30 to your tank for a better filtration.

[markacino]

Thanks for the reply.

I will try changing out a bit more water too see if that helps at all.

I did not presoak the driftwood as it was already in a tank, planted with Anubias, so I assumed it would be okay. Assuming it is the driftwood, does this colour changing effect wear out after time?

[balski911]

Pics will help.
Was the water cloudy right from the beginning? If so are you sure its not tiny particles of sand floating around?

Drift wood can certainly make the water tea colour, but you said it was an old driftwood from different aquarium, it shoulded stop dyeing the water long time ago.

As last resort you can try boiling the driftwood, but that will kill the Anubias for sure.

[Little Embers]

Assuming it is the driftwood, does this colour changing effect wear out after time?
Yes...it will stop releasing tannins after a while and water changes will also help, you can also add Activated Carbon (which will help absorb the tannins) in the filter. The tannin doesn't harm the fish at all, tetras really like it actually.

[KingFisher]

It sounds to me like the driftwood is the culprit. Don't worry, the tannins are completely harmless to the fish, so unless it really bothers you there is no reason to do anything to remove it. As stated above, carbon in the filter and more frequent water changes will help, but the wood will continue staining the water until all the tannins are leached out. You said your nitrates remain low, so I'm sure overfeeding is not the problem.

[markacino]

THanks for all the advice everyone, much appreciated.

I am relived to hear that it is most likely just the driftwood. I was concerned it may be a more serious problem. Will try a bigger water change this week too see if it clears it up a bit more.

Thanks again.

[Little Embers]

Glad to hear it! Just wondering how murky is it...can you take a pic. It will clear up eventually and if you don't mind the look of it for a while, its no problem to the fish at all.