Shorty

Arrrgh, I got this morning and my tank is really cloudy! I did a test and the levels are still am 0 nI 0 and nA 20, but my fishies are gulping at the top of the tank - I know the guppies are usually there as normal but the platys and the harlies are doing it too, even my corys are coming up more often for their gulps of air!

I am a little phased and panicked - the water looks almost smokey, the filter is still working and the heater is fine.

I have a 18 gallon tank, with 3 live plants (I have no idea what type), and it has been crystal clear until today

Shall I clean the filter and do a 50% water change?

Gunnie

As long as you have good flow of water coming from your filter, don't clean it. If you need to clean it, just swish the filter media in some old tank water to get some of the crud off and put it back in. It sounds like you are experiencing a bacterial bloom. Something happened to your good bacteria. Do about a 50% water change, and let us know how it goes. This will help your fish breath better. The cloudiness will probably return to the tank, but as long as the fish aren't gasping, don't worry about it. It should clear in a few days. You will go to bed one night with a cloudy tank, and in the morning it will be crystal clear.

vin

I agree with Gunnie. I experienced something similar a couple of weeks ago without the visible stress to the fish. I did 3 consecutive days of 30% water changes and it cleared up within a day of doing them.

Like Gunnie and Butterfly always say, "Fishies LOVE water changes"!

Shorty

Well I got rid of some of the crud off the filter - it needed doing and I hauled out 50% and did a change, the fishes have stopped gasping now - Phew! I will do 30% changes daily as suggested for a few days to see if it clears up I guess I had a panic over not much there didn't I, lol, sorry I thought something awful had happened and that all my fishies were gonners Thank goodness it wasn't, I will keep you posted on the clearity of the water and I'll still keep an eye on the tests to make sure there isn't anything more sinister

Thanks guys and girlies - Sorry to have panicked

vin

From the sounds of it, it seems like the fish weren't suffering from anything toxic, but rather a lack of oxygenated water. The more aggitation to the water, the more oxygen it will create.

Do you have or have you ever thought about getting an air pump with a bubble curtain or airstone? It will work wonders for the fish and create added surface movement without creating a tidal wave.

My fish love it. They love to swim around in the bubbles!

Shorty

I had thought about an air pump, possibly one connected to those lovely bubble curtain type stones, but I have live plants and I thought it would be detrimental to those?

vin

Not at all. All you are doing is aggitating water.....Now of course you don't want one that will cause a typhoon, but a nice, gentle stream of bubbles would be fine.

Shorty

Thanks Vin, I now have a little shell ornament attched to a bubble pump - just the cutest little airstone ever It's lovely and the Harlies are playing in the bubbles