cognizant

I rinsed the rocks and gravel for over an hour yesterday before putting them in the tank. Then I filled the tank with tap water and started running it. But the water is super cloudy as you can see in the picture. It ran throughout the night and is still running now. So, I was just wondering if this is because I did not clean the gravel and rocks enough? Should I empty the tank out, clean everything again, and refill it? Or should I wait to see if it clears up? If I am supposed to wait, how long should I wait for?

Thanks!

clinton1621

The cloudiness from the gravel and etc. will clear up with filtration. HOWEVER you need to let the tank fully cycle before you put fish in, during this time the water will probably cloud up again from a bacterial bloom so expect that to happen as well. A full cycle generally takes anywhere from 3 weeks to 2 months depending on different factors. You will need to get a liquid test kit and monitor your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels.... also read the nitrogen cycle thread in the forum if you havent already =)

saqib

ive found that undergravel filters help the most to remove any cloudyness in the tank while initial setup...anyways it will clear out in a matter of 1 more day if you keep the filters running...

i am planning on using both an undergravel filter and an external on my tank which is going to be set up in a week or so

clinton1621

The only issue I have with undergravels is that they are HORRIBLE about trapping waste underneath them.... (unless you completely remove it regularly and clean underneath, which is not fun at all and is virtually impossible without removing ALL the gravel from your tank).... eventually this builds up to such high levels that it causes very high nitrates even with frequent water changes... it can also cause toxic gas to build up under the filter plate and bubble up killing all of your fish! Usually undergravels SEEM to work just fine for months.... then out of no where you will see your nitrate levels rising and rising no matter what you do, guess what? its because you have 5 pounds of waste sitting on the bottom glass of your tank lol!

cognizant

So I will wait another day or two to see if it clears up. If not, should I empty it out and refill it again?

clinton1621

You could do that, but keep in mind that changing all the water will just prolong your cycle, it should clear up with a good hang on filter after a day or two... maybe use some activated carbon as well. I would also rinse the filter media out lightly with declorinated water pretty frequently until it clears up... all the debris from the new gravel will clog it up otherwise.

welshalien

this reminds me of when I started up my 29 gallon -- I had a terrible time with cloudy water. Turned out there was a hard water mineral deposit on the inside of the glass. Once I wiped it all down, my "cloudy water" disappeared!

Kelly