what am i doing wrong?

[mjaquarium02]

Hey guys,

I have a 10g tank and every time I do a water change my water gets cloudy! I don’t understand. It’s going to be barely a month (next week) that I have this tank up and running with livestock. All of my water parameters are fine. Ammonia-0 Nitrite-0 Nitrate-0 Ph-8.0 My tank has been cycled properly when I didn’t have fish in it. This issue has been occurring for a while now. Just last week it was cloudy when i did the wc and after a few days for the first time ever I got it to be clear again and I was very relieved but since I needed to do a water change again this week… it got cloudy again. Usually this cloudiness persists I honestly don’t know how I got it to get clear last week.
Fish seem fine. Not gasping for air, stressed, or anything. I have been feeding it and picking up the left over food due to the possibility of being a bacteria bloom. Maybe it is a bacteria bloom but can it still happen if ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate are at 0 ??

Also when I did the 15% wc yesterday I was messing with the sand a bit but this usually clears up. I used RO water and mixed my own salt. Right now salinity is 1.025. I didn’t change the filter cartridge because I heard those last a month or so and it hasn’t been a full month yet. I also have some Chemipure Blue carbon running as well. I did go to my local saltwater store and they recommended me using Microbacter 7 everyday until the bottle runs out but it’s still like this…. any ideas what I should do? I’m sorta stuck in this phase.

 

[j.falk]

It looks like you are stirring up the sand too much. All the brown on the sand that you showed us yesterday is gone...leave it alone and let the tank go through the ugly stages.

 

[Nano_Man]

Put your water in gently and aim it at the top of one of the rocks. Also if you have a spare pump and plastic tubing you can pump it out your bucket into the tank

 

[mjaquarium02]

It looks like you are stirring up the sand too much. All the brown on the sand that you showed us yesterday is gone...leave it alone and let the tank go through the ugly stages.

To be fair, I did the water change before you guys told me it was harmless… yes I know I should’ve asked first then change it. but this cloudiness never goes away. Every week I do my wc and it never clears. I feel like this is the new normal for me….

 

[iamacat]

When you mix your new salt water are you heating the water before adding salt? Also how long is the salt mixed before adding to display?

 

[j.falk]

I'm not even sure why you are doing the water changes...right now you don't need to. Let your tank break in for a 2-3 weeks. Your tank is still brand new and spotless.

 

[mjaquarium02]

When you mix your new salt water are you heating the water before adding salt? Also how long is the salt mixed before adding to display?

I don’t heat up the water only because I make sure I have the same temperature from the tank as the new water. I never had the reason to heat it. I unfortunately don’t know how long I mix it for but I do make sure that I can’t see the salt and it’s fully dissolved before adding it to the tank.

 

[mjaquarium02]

I'm not even sure why you are doing the water changes...right now you don't need to. Let your tank break in for a 2-3 weeks. Your tank is still brand new and spotless.

Am I not supposed to?! I read you have to do it weekly :/

 

[WarChief]

Did you filter the sand in a pillow case before you put it in? I would bet that's the issue. Lots of fine sediment. Like previously said, while cycling you shouldn't be changing the water out. Let it "cycle" and build up the bacteria and what not.

 

[mjaquarium02]

Did you filter the sand in a pillow case before you put it in? I would bet that's the issue. Lots of fine sediment. Like previously said, while cycling you shouldn't be changing the water out. Let it "cycle" and build up the bacteria and what not.

Maybe it is the sand. I didn’t know you shouldnt do water changes this soon?! When should I start to do them? Yesterday before I did a wc, my ammonia was 0.25 . Should I ignore that for the time being?

 

[j.falk]

When should I start to do them?

After the tank gets dirty...you'll know when it's time when there is algae growing all over everything and nitrates are starting to elevate.

 

[iamacat]

I don’t heat up the water only because I make sure I have the same temperature from the tank as the new water. I never had the reason to heat it. I unfortunately don’t know how long I mix it for but I do make sure that I can’t see the salt and it’s fully dissolved before adding it to the tank.

Read the mixing instructions for your salt. Some need the water to be a specific temperature when adding the salt and may also require extended mixing times in order to prevent precipitation.

 

[mjaquarium02]

After the tank gets dirty...you'll know when it's time when there is algae growing all over everything and nitrates are starting to elevate.

I see… so if my ammonia starts to elevate should I leave the water alone? Yesterday my ammonia was 0.25 that’s mainly the reason why I did a wc.

 

[WarChief]

Maybe it is the sand. I didn’t know you shouldnt do water changes this soon?! When should I start to do them? Yesterday before I did a wc, my ammonia was 0.25 . Should I ignore that for the time being?

Yea whats in there? If there is not fish let the bacteria turn the ammonia into Nitrites. If you have it or can get it quickly throw some bacteria or live rock in there. If not be patient and keep dosing ammonia.

 

[WarChief]

Yea whats in there? If there is not fish let the bacteria turn the ammonia into Nitrites. If you have it or can get it quickly throw some bacteria or live rock in there. If not be patient and keep dosing ammonia.

I see you have a fish. I would throw some prime in and let it process. Clowns are hardy fish. If they start swimming all crazy and not acting right change some of the water (CAREFULLY) and dont stir up the sand.

 

[Narideth]

I see one clownfish in the picture, are there any other critters in there? Did your nitrites and nitrates ever end up showing more than zero? For ammonia to jump like that with a single small fish in a 10 gallon seems strange for a cycled tank when you say you're scooping up uneaten food.

 

[mjaquarium02]

Yea whats in there? If there is not fish let the bacteria turn the ammonia into Nitrites. If you have it or can get it quickly throw some bacteria or live rock in there. If not be patient and keep dosing ammonia.

I have a clownfish in there. I thought my tank was cycled properly that’s why I started to add livestock. I do dose Microbacter 7 everyday. Should I still let it run its course?

 

[mjaquarium02]

I see you have a fish. I would throw some prime in and let it process. Clowns are hardy fish. If they start swimming all crazy and not acting right change some of the water (CAREFULLY) and dont stir up the sand.

Thank you for your patience!! I do put Microbacter 7 everyday should I use something else?

 

[Aaron75]

I see… so if my ammonia starts to elevate should I leave the water alone? Yesterday my ammonia was 0.25 that’s mainly the reason why I did a wc.

. 25 on API? If so, that's normal, API reads that forever. It's likely 0.

 

[j.falk]

should I use something else?

No, keep doing what you are doing. Stop doing water changes and leave the tank alone for at least 3 weeks. Then report back with how things are going.