Beginners Question - Tank Water Is Very Cloudy

hello everyone!!

Yesterday my husband and I decided to finally buy an aquarium and some fish (I’ve been for fish for a few months now). I really wanted a tropical tank so we went for that. We started sort of small with a 10 gallon tank. I got two fancy Oscars, two silver dollars, two bala sharks, and one pleco (we’re planning on getting another pleco) Anyway, we set the tank up last night and everything went great! I left for work this morning and the tank water was very clear. When I got home this evening the water is very cloudy and one of my bala sharks was dead I bought the fish at Walmart so I’m not sure if it was something I did or maybe he was sick when I got him?
The cloudy water scared me but after some reading it seems like this is normal? Can anyone give me some advice or anything? I just wanna make sure that this is how it’s supposed to be and if not I need help on how to fix it!
I’m also concerned that how I set up the tank wasn’t right...I didn’t rinse off my rocks or decorations like I should have, I just put them in the tank (stupid mistake I know)
If anyone can help me with the cloudiness of the water I would appreciate it!
I put two pictures of my tank. The clear one is from last night. The cloudy one just took.


Sorry for the long post! I just want to learn more. Thanks so much!

 

I'm sorry, but you need to return all of your fish. None of those come even close to being able to live in a ten gallon. You also have to cycle your tank for 6-8 weeks. Please read up on the nitrogen cycle. You need to return or rehome all those fish immediately or they will all die. The cloudy water is caused by a bacterial bloom and a build up of waste. After you rehome those fish, cycle your tank, then you can consider stocking it.

 

I don't normally get involved with stocking but none of your will be ok in a 10g.

Also it sounds like you didnt cycle your tank before adding fish which will be.why it died so quickly.

 

Um... bring all the fish back to Walmart before they all die and slap the guy that sold all those fish to you. Unless you're planning on getting a 300 gallon tank within 6 months.

Oscars grow to at least 12-15". Silver dollars get to 6-8", Bala sharks can get to 14" and common plecos can grow to over 18".

You also need to condition the water before putting fish in tap water. And you need to cycle your tank. And wash anything you put in a tank.

 

Fish output waste in the form of Ammonia which is highly toxic to fish. The purpose of a filter on a tank is to act as a medium for beneficial bacteria to grow on. This bacteria converts harmful Ammonia to Nitrite and then to Nitrate which is much less toxic. Nitrates are removed through water changes. This process is known as the nitrogen cycle and can take 6-8 weeks to complete. Because your tank isn't cycled, the ammonia is building up quickly and is going to kill your fish within the next few days. Also, ALL of your fish are way to big and put out too much waste for your tank. Please return them all before they die

 

just to add... never buy fish from Walmart....they are never healthy and usually will always die with in a few days even in a well cycled tank. Best to rehome them if they live because walmart doesn't do returns on live fish... if they die then go for it cus the csr will just pitch them in the trash after you get your money back. (Former walmart employee) also they don't have any specific people to care for the fish tanks its juat whomever gets to stock the pets department... they get a bag of fish and a tag and dump the fish in and tag the tank... as stated above, research the nitrogen cycle, cycle your tank properly, then research research resear h appropriate stocking for that tank size. Good luck and I hope that this beginners folly doesn't ruin this amazing hobby for you!

 

5 posts suggesting the OP has the incorrect stock. Interesting, I thought one post would be sufficient.

Although a rather silly mistake in stocking, I won't continue the trend of berating you on this thread. (I think you get the idea)

I would check out some places for the nitrogen cycle if I were you but I will give you the basic overview: In the wild, bodies of water are regulated and filtered by a combination of plants and micro-organisms or bacteria. However, in the home aquarium maintaining such a balance is hard. Luckily there are products like Seachem stability and pristine which can help with cycling your tank. Essentially those micro-organisms/bacteria absorb ammonia(NH3 | very toxic to fish|) and convert it to another toxic source nitrites/nitrates (NO2/NO3 I think). Going back to how I said in the wild the balance of plants and bacteria, the NO2 and NO3 act as a natural fertilizer to the plants/algae in your aquarium. Thus all of the toxins in your aquarium are put to better use.

There are three types of filtration which will improve the look and overall health of your aquarium.

Mechanical
Chemical
Biological

Mechanical filtration is the removal of particle matter from your aquarium. It will remove the cloudiness everyone complains about.

Chemical filtration is the removal of toxins like proteins, acids, hormones, and antibiotics, etc...

Biological filtration is the nitrogen cycle which I elaborated on earlier.

Now what filter should you get you might be asking, I would go for the Marineland Penguin 100. It's labeled for a 20-gallon I believe, but you can never go too much on filtration.

I would also get a test kit. If you had a larger tank I would recommend the API kit with test tubes, but because it's a smaller tank test strips should work just fine. Also, if you do have a well-cycled tank worrying about certain parameters shouldn't be a problem if you do your maintenance.

If you have questions on what you should put in your tank just ask.

 

I’ve always loved Oscars and found them fascinating so that’s why I really wanted to get them. I read on a few different places that they will only grow as big as their tank will allow. My husband and I looked online and read on what tank mates can go with Oscars. (That’s how we decided what else to put in the tank) this is our first time having really anything to do with fish. So we decided to get a 10 gallon to start out with. In our minds, we thought that 10 gallons seemed like plenty of room. But when you add the decorations and the filters, bubble stick, and heater, it fills up fast. Once we put the tank together and set it up we discussed upping ours to a 20 gallon next week. I can’t take the fish back nor do I really want to. (Probably a stupid decision but if you’ve seen the tanks at Walmart you would understand why I would hate for them to go back) the space the Oscars had there were less that half the size of my 10 gallon tank. I just wanted some advice on how to clear out the cloudiness in my tank. This is my first time giving a go at fish. And maybe a tropical tank wasn’t the best choice for a beginner. But I fell in love with the fish and just couldn’t leave them there.

 

I’ve always loved Oscars and found them fascinating so that’s why I really wanted to get them. I read on a few different places that they will only grow as big as their tank will allow. My husband and I looked online and read on what tank mates can go with Oscars. (That’s how we decided what else to put in the tank) this is our first time having really anything to do with fish. So we decided to get a 10 gallon to start out with. In our minds, we thought that 10 gallons seemed like plenty of room. But when you add the decorations and the filters, bubble stick, and heater, it fills up fast. Once we put the tank together and set it up we discussed upping ours to a 20 gallon next week. I can’t take the fish back nor do I really want to. (Probably a stupid decision but if you’ve seen the tanks at Walmart you would understand why I would hate for them to go back) the space the Oscars had there were less that half the size of my 10 gallon tank. I just wanted some advice on how to clear out the cloudiness in my tank. This is my first time giving a go at fish. And maybe a tropical tank wasn’t the best choice for a beginner. But I fell in love with the fish and just couldn’t leave them there.

They would only stay small because they would be stunted, but they probably wouldn't live long anyway unfortuantely. The tank was cloudy from all that ammonia, most likely. What kind of pleco did you get? Some can get over a foot long. I'm not going to sum up all the stocking. Other members have already done that.

 

Tropical tanks aren't hard at all. But like any pet they do require proper maintenance. Yes the fish will be fine for now in the 10 but they will quickly out grow it. Like stated above, the fish you have chozen will grow to 8-15" over the course of their lives. If you want to keep them all you would need somewhere in trh range of a 300-500gal range. As for the cloudy water, its most likely a bacterial bloom caused by too much fish waste in too small of a volume of water. There fore reduce the amount of waste by reducing the amount of fish. Finaly as far as oscars growing only as big as the space allowed, that's an old wives tale. They may stay smaller in a smaller tank but that's juat stunted growth and that is verry bad for the fish in the long run

 

So will the filter help with the ammonia or should I replace and retreat the water and let it cycle through the tank?
As for the pleco, it’s just a common pleco. He’s about 3 or 4 inches long

 

So will the filter help with the ammonia or should I replace and retreat the water and let it cycle through the tank?
As for the pleco, it’s just a common pleco. He’s about 3 or 4 inches long

Yeah, the common pleco gets around a foot long. Do you know about the nitrogen cycle? The ammonia is converted to nitrites thru the filter. Is this tank cycled? How long did you wait before adding the fish?

 

The filter will help, yes, in time. Did you treat the water to remove the clorine in the tap water? If not the fish will die faster than the ammonia build up will.

 

That tank is way way too small for those kind of fish... They won't last long in a tank that size.

 

I love oscars too. I had a few many years ago in a 55 gallon tank. Huge tank by the standards of the day but puny now. If you guys can swing it, Petco has a sale on aquariums that ends this saturday. $1 per gallon for 10 gallon to 29 gallon and 50% off 40, 55 and 75 gallon tanks. I would recommend at least a 55 gallon tank.

Do you have any water conditioner?

You need a cycled tank but since you already have the fish, you really should do 25-50% water changes every day until you get a bigger tank. I would recommend Prime or Stress Coat for the water conditioner. Prime will neutralize the ammonia and nitrites in the tank and the water changes will control the nitrates as well as ammonia and nitrites.

Get some Tetra SafeStart Plus (make sure it's the Plus).

When you get the new tank, set it up and wash everything you're gonna put in it.
Fill it up and treat the water with the conditioner and wait 24hrs. (Very important!!!)
Keep the filter and heater running during this time.
After 24hrs, dump the whole bottle of TSS+ in the tank and add your fish.
Do not change the water with conditioned water during the first 2 weeks. The conditioner will kill off the beneficial bacteria in TSS+.

TSS+ will jumpstart a cycle in your tank.

 

That tank is way way too small for those kind of fish... They won't last long in a tank that size.

Yes. Thank you. You’re the 18th person that has told me that

 

Just for some comparison. We maxed out our 10 Gallon tank with 5 guppies...

 

When you get the new tank, set it up and wash everything you're gonna put in it.


TSS+ will jumpstart a cycle in your tank.

I would like to add: Do NOT wash anything with soap! It can leach into the water if you don't rinse thoroughly.

 

That tank is way way too small for those kind of fish... They won't last long in a tank that size.

Yes. Thank you. You’re the 18th person that has told me that

Logic in my opinion.

 

I love oscars too. I had a few many years ago in a 55 gallon tank. Huge tank by the standards of the day but puny now. If you guys can swing it, Petco has a sale on aquariums that ends this saturday. $1 per gallon for 10 gallon to 29 gallon and 50% off 40, 55 and 75 gallon tanks. I would recommend at least a 55 gallon tank.

Do you have any water conditioner?

You need a cycled tank but since you already have the fish, you really should do 25-50% water changes every day until you get a bigger tank. I would recommend Prime or Stress Coat for the water conditioner. Prime will neutralize the ammonia and nitrites in the tank and the water changes will control the nitrates as well as ammonia and nitrites.

Get some Tetra SafeStart Plus (make sure it's the Plus).

When you get the new tank, set it up and wash everything you're gonna put in it.
Fill it up and treat the water with the conditioner and wait 24hrs. (Very important!!!)
Keep the filter and heater running during this time.
After 24hrs, dump the whole bottle of TSS+ in the tank and add your fish.
Do not change the water with conditioned water during the first 2 weeks. The conditioner will kill off the beneficial bacteria in TSS+.

TSS+ will jumpstart a cycle in your tank.

Thank you so so much for that advice!!! We only let the tank cycle for about an hour until we put the fish in. (We acclimated them for about 15 minutes). We did condition and treat the water. The tank set we bought came with everything we needed to start up our tank. We just got too excited/ anxious to get them in the tank. I was worried about them being in the bag for too long. I’m hoping to get a bigger tank tomorrow and start cycling it. I wanna do this ASAP so I can save my fish.

I would like to add: Do NOT wash anything with soap! It can leach into the water if you don't rinse thoroughly.

Yeah I read that

 

Properly cycling takes a few weeks. Its a common mistake to not cycle the first time. I did it. However haven't lost a fish due to it and my cycle is finally complete. My point being, if you just keep up with the water changes, ect. it's not too hard to keep your fish healthy until the BB colonies devlop. Goodluck.

 

I agree with Fearyn, keep up with the water changes until you can cycle the bigger tank.
I wish you the best of luck with your fish!

 

Like I’ve said countless times I’m completely new at this and still learning.
I realize that my stocking choice wasn’t the best. I know that. I don’t need to be told that again.
I know I will need a bigger tank. We are in the process of getting one.
I was deathly afraid of fish until about a year ago. I wouldn’t be anywhere near them. I moved passed that and now they fascinate me. I love them. So please, if you’re going to comment about my choice on stocking or anything like that don’t bother. If you’re not going to offer me actual advice, please move on.

Th

I agree with Fearyn, keep up with the water changes until you can cycle the bigger tank.
I wish you the best of luck with your fish!

Thank you!

 

The term "cycle" in the aquarium world means that the beneficial bacteria in your tank grows initially to change ammonia to nitrite. Then another type of BB grows to turn nitrite to nitrate. Then the nitrates get removed by weekly water changes. That's a cycle and it can take a week to 2 months to complete this cycle. Tetra SafeStart Plus bottles the bacteria to help colonize your tank for a faster cycle. That is why you have to wait 24hrs before adding it to a tank with conditioned water and not to change the water with conditioned water as the conditioner will kill off the BB. If you do it wrong, your tank won't get cycled and you will waste $10 on TSS+.

Oscars can grow .5-1" per month so you're better off going with as big a tank as you can. 20 gallon would last you 3-6 months if you're lucky.

Oscars are like dogs in the fish world. My oscars were awesome. If I put my hand in the tank water, they would come up and rub against it. Some can be mean and try to bite your hand off but mine were very sweet and fun. They're well worth the effort to raise them.

 

We ALL start as beginners and make mistakes big and small starting this hobby.

You are heading in the right direction!! Don't get discouraged. We are all here just trying to help you out.

 

If you want to learn more about fishkeeping basics I encourage you to check out this thread. It's the post stickied at the top of the forum. READ FIRST: Freshwater Beginner Important Topics

 

Thank you all for the help! I’m going to keep changing the water out until we’re able to get a bigger tank, which will hopefully be soon. I’m hoping this clears up the water some. I hate not being able to see my fish swimming around.

 

Shalene Bittinger I'm not going to comment on your stocking or the nitrogen cycle as it has been said enough, but I will say this: in the future, after your tank has cycled, it is recommended to not add more than 3-4 small fish at a time, and only 1 larger fish, then giving the tank a week or two for the beneficial bacteria to handle the increased load. Adding fish in smaller increments, rather than fully stocking a tank all at once, will save you a headache and probably prevent a lot of wasted money.

As for that 10 gallon, when you get those fish moved out, a betta, celestial pearl danios, or guppies would do great in a tank that size.

 

If you're looking for something that can board those fish while you get a proper tank, you can get a mastercraft/sterlite plastic tote of like 40 gallon capacity. They cost about $15.
(By "proper" here I mean a tank you only have to buy once, versus getting 20 gallon then 29 gallon then 40 gallon then up and up and waste $ on 3-4 tanks until your fish 'grow' into a correct one.)


On the note of cloudy water, do you happen to know the exact filter you have? I mean the obvious problem is large bioload/bacteria bloom/no cycle, but I'm also worried it is underpowered. If it isn't underpowered for 10g, it will definitely will be for a larger tank.




Edit: I just looked very close. That's a tetra whisper. I have 2 spares for my goldfish hospital tank. Unfortunately that's pretty much worst filter you can buy.

Also, and this is not to bag on the small tank anymore than that poor tank has already been bagged on, but skimming through the posts... I don't see a comprehensive breakdown of just how large of a tank and commitment you need to make to keep those fish.

Bala sharks need 150 gallons.
Oscars need 75 gallons each. They are aggressive fish and small space will lead to fish murder.
Solver dollars need 50 gallons. They also need to be in a school, which is at least 6 fish large.
Pleco needs 75 gallons.

Overall, you will need a tank that is at least 200 gallons. With the sharks dead and 2 Oscars, you are looking at 100 gallons. And that's not "as the fish grows" - I don't see a good explanation on this in the thread either. Fish grow slowly and smaller in small tanks. This info is semi-correct. The fish don't grow... but their organs keep growing. This is called stunting, and is both very painful for the fish and irreversible, and it cuts down their lifespan significantly. Once you upgrade them to a larger tank, the damage is done.

On the note of a small Walmart tank - there are many reasons 'small' Walmart tanks are fine for those fish for the time. The fish were raised by breeders, probably in fish farms or large 500 gallon water storage totes. They spend maybe a month at Walmart tanks at most, and for a month that size is fine.
However, there is a huge difference between the Walmart tank filtration and 10 gallon tank filtration.
A 10 gallon tank is only 10 gallons and is filtered by that one filter, and that is it.
Walmart 10 gallon 'tank' is a 10 gallon 'gated' section of a larger tank. The whole fish wall, which is about 200 gallons at least, is the tank. The whole thing. All of it. It has a large sump filter capable of filtering 200 gallons many times over. This filtration prevents the 'small' Walmart tank from getting toxic within a day, and unfortunately an actual stand-alone 10 gallon tank cannot do that when it's overstocked.



Phew. I think that covers it. Let me know if there are any more questions or if you need explanations. You're in the right place to be at this stage of your fishkeeping adventure. The right questions to ask aren't limited to "what is the size, what is the filter, what do I stock, how do I fix the cloudiness." The best question to ask is "why do I have do to any of this?"

 

Yes, the filter I have is the tetra whisper. When we bought the tank, the filter came with it. I change out the water last night before going to bed and my husband brought home some water clarifier. The tank is still cloudy this morning. I’m going to keep doing a water change and hopefully it helps

 

Yes, the filter I have is the tetra whisper. When we bought the tank, the filter came with it. I change out the water last night before going to bed and my husband brought home some water clarifier. The tank is still cloudy this morning. I’m going to keep doing a water change and hopefully it helps

I made the same mistake when I started. It’s been years and I still come on here asking tons of questions.

I think you’re misunderstanding the term “cycling”. You said you cycled the tank for about an hour before putting the fish in, “cycling the tank” doesn’t mean letting the water physically cycle through the filter. It’s the process of growing beneficial bacteria that later serves the purpose of decomposing your fish waste. Without a properly cycled tank, your fish will be poisoned by their own poop! The process of cycling usually takes about 3-4 weeks. But many things can go wrong, and it is not uncommon for it to take even longer.

Most people opt to do fishless cycling Bc your fish are essentially being exposed to a toxic environment that can potentially cause irreversible damage or even be fatal. You WILL probably lose fish in the process of cycling. But since you already have them- let’s talk about fish-in cycles...

First off, you need a water parameter test kit. Everyone highly recommends the API Master Test Kit. It’s the most accurate in my opinion. Testing for Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate will tell you where your at in your “cycle.” All of these parameters are toxic to fish, so it is important you keep them within acceptable ranges, and you will do that with water changes.

You will be doing lots and lots of daily 50% water changes until your ammonia reaches 0. This will take WEEKS. (When cycling without fish, one need not worry about ammonia levels to this degree, therefore reducing the amount of work required to be successful) Use Seachem’s Prime as your water conditioner. It says it detoxifies Ammonia so it can’t harm your fish, and it does, but only at a level of less than 1. So it’s your job to get it below 1ppm. Do not buy Ammo Lock or any other product that locks up ammonia. Those products make the ammonia unavailable to the bacteria your trying to grow. Your tank will never cycle. Stick with Prime, use it with every water change. (You won’t have to change your water this often forever, once your tank can maintain an ammonia level of 0 on its own, you can do 30% weekly changes- lessening the load on you.)

If I were you I would grab the biggest bottle of Seachem’s Stability, and follow the directions of the back of the bottle. You can even double dose it. No harm will come to your fish. This is beneficial bacteria. I would pour it all around the tank, and directly into your filter media as well. You might need to dose it longer than the 7 Days the directions say. (I dose it with each water change, and every time I add a new fish.) if I were you, I would continue to dose it until your ammonia reaches 0, and stays that way without daily water changes.

It’s a lot of work. No kidding. ...and can get very expensive. It’s also very addicting and can be very rewarding. So, if your up to the challenge, enjoy it.

On a side note- in my experience it takes a lot, and I mean A LOT of waste to cloud water. Then again, I have a 54 gallon tank, so I might not realize how small a 10 gallon is. Nevertheless- I think your cloudy water is a result of not rinsing your gravel. Same thing happened to my with my first tank setup. Be careful with that water clarifier your husband picked up, do not overdose it, it can be toxic to your fish. That water clarifier works in conjunction with your filter... and since a previous poster mentioned your not working with the best filter- it will probably take a while to clear. Whatever you do, DO NOT OVERDOSE THE WATER CLARIFIER.

Another side note- Get a better filter. You can never have too much filtration. A good filter is worth it’s weight in gold.

Last side note- You said your amazed by your fish, you love them. After committing yourself to doing all of this work, you will undoubtedly feel more attached to them. It’s going to be painfully sad to watch them suffer. Fish that need bigger tanks, need bigger tanks for a reason. Fish that need to be kept in groups, so so for a reason. When out of place or mis matched, they do not thrive. Fish that are failing to thrive look, literally look, miserable. It won’t be fun to watch. And it won’t be fun to watch the pass away. Even if you get your tank cycled, and maintain your parameters correctly, even in the most optimal environment, a stressed fish is more susceptible to illness. Stress alone can send a fish into shock... it’s not good. You can’t change nature. Maybe you can pick your favorite few and return the rest. Think about it...

Don’t let any of this discourage you! I hope you are successful. And although some posters can seem harsh when answering your questions, they don’t mean it. Everyone wants you to be successful.

It’s a shame the pet stores can get away with something like this. Ideally, someone should have warned you about all of this before you they sold you all that they sold you... unfortunately, that guy probably didn’t know much more about fish than you do.

—Josephine

 

Hey everyone!! I’m getting a bigger tank tonight. Any tips on setting it up before I transfer my fish into it??

Thank so much!

 

Just do water changes. Don't add any chemicals or other additives to the tank. If anything, put a few capfuls of TSS+ or API Quickstart into the tank. The cloudy water is the least of your problems now and trying to fix it will most likely make things worse.

 

Rinise everything well and let the fish acclimate to the temp by floating them! What size tank did you decide to go with?

 

Hey everyone!! I’m getting a bigger tank tonight. Any tips on setting it up before I transfer my fish into it??

Thank so much!

From my previous post:
Get some Tetra SafeStart Plus (make sure it's the Plus).

When you get the new tank, set it up and wash everything you're gonna put in it.
Fill it up and treat the water with the conditioner and wait 24hrs. (Very important!!!)
Keep the filter and running during this time.
After 24hrs, dump the whole bottle of TSS+ in the tank and add your fish.
Do not change the water with conditioned water during the first 2 weeks. The conditioner will kill off the in TSS+.

*It won't work if you skip a step.

 

Rinise everything well and let the fish acclimate to the temp by floating them! What size tank did you decide to go with?

Right now we’re going with a 20 gallon tank for the time being. Our house is kinda small and the stand we currently have for our tank only holds up to a 20 gallon tank. We’re in the process of getting a new house so once that is done we are going to get a much bigger tank when we have the room

From my previous post:
Get some Tetra SafeStart Plus (make sure it's the Plus).

When you get the new tank, set it up and wash everything you're gonna put in it.
Fill it up and treat the water with the conditioner and wait 24hrs. (Very important!!!)
Keep the filter and running during this time.
After 24hrs, dump the whole bottle of TSS+ in the tank and add your fish.
Do not change the water with conditioned water during the first 2 weeks. The conditioner will kill off the in TSS+.

*It won't work if you skip a step.

Thank you so so much!

 

...Wowzers.

Without meaning to sound patronising or unhelpful; i'd STRONGLY suggest you return all your fish to the store (yes, they will take them), conduct some proper research on the Nitrogen Cycle (no, running your tank for an hour is not Cycling it), and some proper research on some fish that are actually suitable for your tank. Only then should you begin planning your purchases.

A 20 gallon is a great size for a beginner such as yourself, there are plenty of wonderful species that will live happily in one. However, the species you have now?- apologies for the crassness, but as you've already seen; you're going to kill them. Quickly.

 

I have to agree. You would be so much less stressed and enjoy your fish so much more if you returned them and bought more suitable fish. Fish keeping should be fun, don't stress yourself!

I'm not trying to continue picking about the tank size. It would just be a lot easier on your wallet AND your stress levels.

 

I don't feel like reasoning what everyone has written, but what I read, no one mentioned that you can cycle your tank with fish in it. Just need to do it a certain way and some products are better at it then others. I have learned that seachum really is great for cycling and stabilizing ammonia

 

Hey everyone!! I’m getting a bigger tank tonight. Any tips on setting it up before I transfer my fish into it??

Thank so much!

When I started my tank I filled it with water, conditioner added food to the tank and let it run it self. This is the fishless cycle and took a month and a half for that turkey to cook up. I researched on what fish I wanted in the tank. So best advice is to leave the tank alone while it's cooking.