Cloudy Water

[sweeneyc]

My tank finished cycling about two weeks ago and I added a Bristlenose Pleco about three days ago and the water has been cloudy for the past two days. I have no nitrites and no ammonia in the tank, and I haven't checked my nitrate levels yet. I did a 5 gallon water change yesterday, I think helped a little but I am not sure. I really don't want to use chemical clarifers or anything like that, except maybe using biological clarifers.

Any thoughts? Could my tank be going through a mini-cycle?

[imma24]

My tank finished cycling about two weeks ago and I added a Bristlenose Pleco about three days ago and the water has been cloudy for the past two days. I have no nitrites and no ammonia in the tank, and I haven't checked my nitrate levels yet. I did a 5 gallon water change yesterday, I think helped a little but I am not sure. I really don't want to use chemical clarifers or anything like that, except maybe using biological clarifers.

Any thoughts? Could my tank be going through a mini-cycle?

Were any fish added once the tank finished cycling or is the pleco the 1st fish being added?

[Rocksor]

It's heterotrophic bacteria. Do more water changes and gravel vacuum the gravel to remove the organics feeding it.

[mizzoutank]

What color is the "cloudy"

generally: green=algae and white=bacteria bloom.

[sweeneyc]

Nope there weren't any other fish added to the tank after or before the pleco, he is the only one in there.

The color is white.

If I were to gravel vacuum the gravel, won't it remove a lot of the good bacteria down there as well?

[sweeneyc]

Also, heterotrophic bacteria encompasses most of the bacteria that exists in a fish tank, be they aerobic or anaerobic. Wouldn't removing that bacteria negatively impact the tank?

[Rocksor]

Autotrophic bacteria is the one we strive for when cycling the aquarium. The ones that consume ammonia at a higher rate and consume nitrites.

Heterotrophic bacteria produces at a much faster rate than autotrophic bacteria, and take up the space of autotrophic bacteria.

http://www.fishforums.net/index.php?...oms-explained/

Reducing the amount of organic waste in your tank is the ultimate solution to treating a bacterial bloom, and avoiding a build up of organic waste in the tank is the best way to prevent a bloom. The best way to do this is to maintain a regular aquarium husbandry routine involving water changes and substrate vaccuuming.

[Goes to 11!]

My tank finished cycling about two weeks ago and I added a Bristlenose Pleco about three days ago

What ammonia source fed your BB inbetween the completion of the cycle and the addition of the pleco?