Breaking Surface Tension

**Dennis Bissett** · 10-31-2012, 09:41 AM

would probably be a bit of an algae bloom, usually happens at some stage during a cycle, which I assume is what you are doing. Not familiar with Aquarium starter - is an ammonia source?

**Lady Hobbs** · 10-31-2012, 09:44 AM

Is the bacteria starter how you are cycling? If so, that doesn't cycle a tank but keeps the water safer so fish can cycle it. If using a bac starter, then you should have a few fish in the tank because nothing is happening without them.

If you are cycling with ammonia, then don't use the bac starter.

Links below.

**Westbeef** · 10-31-2012, 10:34 AM

Originally Posted by Lady Hobbs

Is the bacteria starter how you are cycling? If so, that doesn't cycle a tank but keeps the water safer so fish can cycle it. If using a bac starter, then you should have a few fish in the tank because nothing is happening without them.

If you are cycling with ammonia, then don't use the bac starter.

Links below.

Ah crud, I've done my best to research this as well as i can as well and just messing it up

It's dentol Aquarium Starter, as I've already purchased this I'll get some Cherry Barbs to go in as I've read they're good fish to start with. Is this the reason I may be seeing cloudy water?

**Westbeef** · 11-01-2012, 08:46 AM

Seems the cloudiness is gradually getting worse, it's in a place that could be in contact with direct sunlight. However we haven't had any sun recently, and was going to make sure to leave the curtains shut during the day when we did start to see some sun again.

**fraggle** · 11-04-2012, 01:52 AM

The bacteria you are adding in the starter stuff need bacteria to eat to survive :) So you either need to use fish, or forget the starter stuff and just buy some ammonia and use that and cycle it without fish.
Maybe the cloudy water is the bacteria dying as they haven't got any food? That's only a guess I don't know sorry.
The light shouldn't affect the tank that much, I have light in my tanks and mine are not cloudy.

Well done on doing research first though, that's a good step! (Unlike me who had tanks, hadn't even looked at research and got fish :P Not the best starting point!)