Rolling "fog" in a fish tank?

[ThrghbrdJmpr]

Hello! I am new here but I'm hoping I can get some help. I have a newer tank, set up just over 2 weeks ago. We have 2 african dwarf frogs, a betta and a couple guppies (that has already procreated!). Yesterday the tank started to look a bit foggy and the Ph was high so I threw some amo lock in and some Ph decreaser. Then it was even cloudier last night so I put Clear Away drops in. I'm wondering if maybe I caused this by what I put in the tank. But this morning the tank is opaque white and you can see like a "rolling fog" effect in the tank. Is it possible something precipitated in the water cause by the chemicals? I did a 20% water change this morning and also changed the filter cartridges with no effect. The Ph is 6.8 and the ammonia is under control now. Any advice? Thank you!

[xoolooxunny]

did you complete a cycle in the tank first before adding the fish? If not, then the cloudiness in a bacterial bloom.

[ThrghbrdJmpr]

I thought I had.. ammonia went up, then nitrates and nitrites.. or vice versa, can't think which way it goes without the book in front of me.. then it stabilized. Could it be cause of the fry? They were a pretty major change. I didn't think a bacterial bloom was white. I haven't done freshwater in years, only salt, so forgive my ignorance.

[xoolooxunny]

a bacteria bloom is white, how did you do the cycle? the white cloudy water wouldnt be from the fry, i have a guppy that gave birth to about 15 fry and the water was fine/has been fine.

How big is the tank and what kind of substrate are you using?

[Lady Hobbs]

Forget all the chemicals and just do water tests and change water accordingly. I believe all these chemicals have set your tank back and you are now experiencing New Tank Snydrome. Leave it go and it will clear up again but you do need to watch those ammonia and nitrites levels as both are toxic to fish. Do no cleaning and change out no filter media until you have a very good cycle and even then, clean just a bit at a time for at least 3 months.

[ThrghbrdJmpr]

The tank is a 55 gal and has gravel on the bottom. How long does this bloom take to clear up? I'll quit with the chemicals. I thought the Amo Lock was not supposed to affect the cycle though since it doesn't remove the ammonia, only makes it inert?

[xoolooxunny]

Yeah, it makes it less harmful to the fish. depending on the temp, it can take a couple weeks. to elaborate on hobbs suggestion, after you're done cycling, and its time for regular maintenance, dont clean the filter and gravel at the same time. clean half the gravel one week, next week clean the filter, next week the other half, and so on. This will be a safety measure to make sure you have enough nitrifying bacteria in the tank to avoid a spike.

[ThrghbrdJmpr]

Great thank you! I forgot to mention there was one other change, I had a bit of a temp dip last night and not sure why. It was 80 (which it has been since I set it up) when I went to bed and only 76 this am. I have changed out the heater as apparently there's an issue there. How long till the bloom clears up?

[xoolooxunny]

At 80 degrees, I'd say the cloudiness will clear after 1-2 weeks, but the cycle may not be complete. When you have 0ammonia, 0nitrites, and a lot of nitrates, you're cycle is complete and you can do a large water change (about 50%)

[Chrona]

If you experience ammonia spikes, then try some Amrid (or any products made of Zeolite) It absorbs ammonia, but still makes it available to the bacteria, and so does not affect your cycle.

As for the precipitation, yes, one of the chemicals reacted with another one. I know that Melafix + Tetra Water Clarifier causes the same rolling fog you describe. The rolling fog is not a bacterial bloom, as bacteria will populate the water column evenly and do not grow quickly enough to appear as such (they would need to multiple in fractions of a second)

If your tank is reading 0 ammonia/nitrite and some nitrates, then you are good to go. I would still take the precaution of adding zeolite, in case the ammonia removing chemical nuked your ammonia eating bacteria population.

[gm72]

I think the biggest piece of advice here is from Lady Hobbs. Stop with the chemicals. Most of them only cover up a problem instead of fix it. Be patient and you will be rewarded with a crystal clear tank! Kudos to you also for reaching out for help instead of letting the problem continue unchecked!