Beginners Question - Tank Water Is Very Cloudy

I think a lot of you need to read the entire thread before posting. There is more than enough "your tank is too small" comments. It doesn't help at this point. And she said there's a no return policy at Walmart.

Seachem is good stuff but not for fish-in cycling. TSS+ and API QS are very good products. I'm just not sure how effective it would be with the fish she has now in a 20 gallon tank but that's her best course of action.

One more thing- Get at least 3 5gal buckets at Lowes or HomeDepot. Fill up 2 with water and condition them and let them sit for 48hr before using it to change the water if/when you need. The 3rd is to empty the tank. This is also short term while you're treating the new tank with TSS+ and it's cycling. Your fish are pretty messy so 2 weeks w/o a water change might not be a good idea so being prepared helps. Once the tank is established (1-2 months), you don't have to go thru this process for water changes.

 

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

Your right, she can take fish and do a fish in cycle. However as mentioned like 1000 times already her stocking is not very good. Depending on the size of the tank her and her hubby chooses will be important. She mentions she likes Oscars so she could do a 75 gallon for just one Oscar and nothing else, which still might be small. But she would have to do consistent almost daily water changes for all this to work.

IMO in fish cycle is easy with 10 gallon, 20 gallon tanks. The bigger the tank, it's almost easier to do a fishless cycle and not have to stress about a fish being a sacrificial lamb and doing water changes, that can get expensive.

 

We’ve all been pretty aggressive on here. Don’t worry we’ve all made the beginner mistakes. Slowly correct One at a time I’m sure it’ll all work out. Good luck with the fish! Keep us up to date

 

Fish in cycling is a ton of work. Lots of water changes!! Heh. But worth it. I have a 10 gallon with a betta and a snail. Prime is great, but it detoxifies up to 1ppm so make sure ammonia and nitrites are below that. For a filter that hangs on the back I recommend AquaClear!! Awesome filter!! You want one that has 8-10x filtration than the size of the tank. So for a 20 gallon go for one that filters 200 gallons per hour. Maybe the AquaClear 30 or 50.

The bigger the tank the easier cycling and fish care is. So happy I got a 55 for free but really wish for a 75 gallon. And I wish I had gotten a 20 gallon for my betta.

 

I know that you don't want to return the fish because you don't want them “in those small walmart tanks” but the walmart tanks have filtration. To be brutally honest, your fish are sitting in a toxic pool right now and even daily water changes won't fix that. A 20 gallon won't fix that either. You will need a 200 gallon to hold all those fish. You are mad that everyone keeps saying the same thing about returning the fish.... maybe you should take that as a sign that you are making a mistake and should return them. You are not prepared to handle the fish you have and unless you want to get a tank ten times bigger you need to get rid of them. You came here looking for help here it is. I know you think you are doing the right thing but unless you give them back, there is a slI'm chance that any of them will survive. It is a very rare thing when everyone in the fish hobby agrees. The fact that EVERYONE is saying to return the fish should tell you something.

 

I know that you don't want to return the fish because you don't want them “in those small walmart tanks” but the walmart tanks have filtration. To be brutally honest, your fish are sitting in a toxic pool right now and even daily water changes won't fix that. A 20 gallon won't fix that either. You will need a 200 gallon to hold all those fish. You are mad that everyone keeps saying the same thing about returning the fish.... maybe you should take that as a sign that you are making a mistake and should return them. You are not prepared to handle the fish you have and unless you want to get a tank ten times bigger you need to get rid of them. You came here looking for help here it is. I know you think you are doing the right thing but unless you give them back, there is a slI'm chance that any of them will survive. It is a very rare thing when everyone in the fish hobby agrees. The fact that EVERYONE is saying to return the fish should tell you something.

I agree with what you're saying, but I think the main issue is that WalMart has a no-return policy on fish. The OP would be better off trying to rehome them or even giving/selling them to an LFS.

On a side note, WalMart has no business selling bala sharks and oscars, let alone fish of any kind.

 

...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.

Okay so I’ll say it again because maybe you missed it. The 20 gallon tank is temporary. We’re only going to have the fish in it for no more than two months while we are in the process of getting a new, much bigger house.

 

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 f

Shalene we all make mistakes no matter how experienced but going forward I would recommend one thing that will help you be successful in having a beautiful, correctly stocked tropical tank & that is do tons of research before committing to anything & take your time. There's loads of info on this site about setting up tanks & on different fish species, then you have the power of Google etc. Also I haven't seen anybody mention the one inch of fish per gallon of water rule but I may have missed it, it's a good rule of thumb for stocking any tank unless you have a really good filtration system in place, the rule is for each gallon of water your tank holds you put in 1 inch of fish so for your new 20 gallon tank you could have 20 fish one inch long, 10 fish two inches long etc. I'm sure you get the drift but don't forget to take into account any decor you have in the tank as that will decrease the volume of water. Hope this helps.

 

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.

You're so much like me that it kind of warms my heart. I always jump into getting an animal before I really know about their proper care and it gets me into a lot of trouble sometimes. I almost killed all of my crested geckos because I bought the wrong type of tree frog to go with them - so now I'm stuck with a White's Tree Frog that I had to buy an entire new set up for. I didn't feel comfortable returning him. Same goes for when I bought my fish or my hermit crabs. I bought them and then I learned about all of the care that goes into them, but I provided that care as quickly as I could. The problem here is that you're not willing to upgrade your tank yet, which I completely understand. It's a lot of time and money to invest in a large aquarium when you're only a beginner. If I were you, I would honestly call some local fish stores (not chain stores like petco, petsmart, or Walmart) and see if they can take the fish from you. You're not going to be able to keep them alive for very long in a 10 gallon tank. Fish only grow to the size of their tanks but that stunts their growth and causes way more issues down the road. If you truly care about the fishes well being, my only advice to you is to either provide them with what they truly need, or pass them onto someone who can. I am in no way trying to be rude or berate you because I TOTALLY understand where you're coming from. After finding new homes for the fish, I would try maybe a betta fish in the 10 gallon with some shrimp or snails! They're so rewarding to keep. I hope everything turns out okay for you! Wish you all the luck.

 

T

You're so much like me that it kind of warms my heart. I always jump into getting an animal before I really know about their proper care and it gets me into a lot of trouble sometimes. I almost killed all of my crested geckos because I bought the wrong type of tree frog to go with them - so now I'm stuck with a White's Tree Frog that I had to buy an entire new set up for. I didn't feel comfortable returning him. Same goes for when I bought my fish or my hermit crabs. I bought them and then I learned about all of the care that goes into them, but I provided that care as quickly as I could. The problem here is that you're not willing to upgrade your tank yet, which I completely understand. It's a lot of time and money to invest in a large aquarium when you're only a beginner. If I were you, I would honestly call some local fish stores (not chain stores like petco, petsmart, or Walmart) and see if they can take the fish from you. You're not going to be able to keep them alive for very long in a 10 gallon tank. Fish only grow to the size of their tanks but that stunts their growth and causes way more issues down the road. If you truly care about the fishes well being, my only advice to you is to either provide them with what they truly need, or pass them onto someone who can. I am in no way trying to be rude or berate you because I TOTALLY understand where you're coming from. After finding new homes for the fish, I would try maybe a betta fish in the 10 gallon with some shrimp or snails! They're so rewarding to keep. I hope everything turns out okay for you! Wish you all the luck.

Thank you. But we are upgrading our tank.

 

It's nothing to get defensive about .. we understand you didn't know but everyone's trying to help and save you the heartbreak seeing fish waste away

 

Thanks to every who had helped me! I’m done with this thread.

 

They won't survive in a 20 gallon. Even for a few months. I don't believe that you truly understand the urgency of this situation. These fish will die within the next few days. A 20 gallon won't save them.

Shalene I'm afraid Caleb is right, you have way too much fish even for a 20 gallon tank & you won't be able to keep the water safe for them no matter what you do, I have a 5 foot tank of about 400 gallons & I wouldn't put the fish you have in that, I'm sorry but if you don't rehome them quickly you're going to lose them all one after the other.

 

I agree with what you're saying, but I think the main issue is that WalMart has a no-return policy on fish. The OP would be better off trying to rehome them or even giving/selling them to an LFS.

On a side note, WalMart has no business selling bala sharks and oscars, let alone fish of any kind.

Petco takes fish. But won't pay you for them

 

The fish she has now is small and she already stated that she will be upgrading in a couple of months when they move to a new house. The fish will be fine in a 20 gallon until then as long as she keeps up with water changes.

Instead of sounding like a broken record, try to help her situation or zip it. This type of group-think is why people run off this forum.

 

The fish she has now is small and she already stated that she will be upgrading in a couple of months when they move to a new house. The fish will be fine in a 20 gallon until then as long as she keeps up with water changes.

Instead of sounding like a broken record, try to help her situation or zip it. This type of group-think is why people run off this forum.

Thank you!! And thank you so much for your advice for my new tank. You have no idea how much I appreciate your help

 

I know a lot of people here have their strict rules of how to run a tank and think that's the only way to go about it. They can't seem to get past those rules when a situation doesn't fit the perfect scenario. I'm trying to help you and your fish in your current situation NOW, not in 2 months or 2 years. I'm glad to hear you have a plan for future growth and that is important.

The 1" per gallon rule is flawed. By that rule, a 10" oscar should do great in a 10 gallon tank, right?

Shalene - Good luck with the new tank. Maybe keep both running and split up the stock so you have a bit more room for error. I'd recommend an AquaClear 50 for your new 20g. Oscars are very demanding fish to take care of but also one of the most rewarding, even when young.

 

I know a lot of people here have their strict rules of how to run a tank and think that's the only way to go about it. They can't seem to get past those rules when a situation doesn't fit the perfect scenario. I'm trying to help you and your fish in your current situation NOW, not in 2 months or 2 years. I'm glad to hear you have a plan for future growth and that is important.

The 1" per gallon rule is flawed. By that rule, a 10" oscar should do great in a 10 gallon tank, right?

Shalene - Good luck with the new tank. Maybe keep both running and split up the stock so you have a bit more room for error. I'd recommend an AquaClear 50 for your new 20g. Oscars are very demanding fish to take care of but also one of the most rewarding, even when young.

Thanks again! You have no clue how much I appreciate it!

 

I know a lot of people here have their strict rules of how to run a tank and think that's the only way to go about it. They can't seem to get past those rules when a situation doesn't fit the perfect scenario. I'm trying to help you and your fish in your current situation NOW, not in 2 months or 2 years. I'm glad to hear you have a plan for future growth and that is important.

The 1" per gallon rule is flawed. By that rule, a 10" oscar should do great in a 10 gallon tank, right?

Shalene - Good luck with the new tank. Maybe keep both running and split up the stock so you have a bit more room for error. I'd recommend an AquaClear 50 for your new 20g. Oscars are very demanding fish to take care of but also one of the most rewarding, even when young.

I don’t believe this is group think. This is just not a good situation for these fish and everyone understands that. I know you are trying to help but there are very few ways in which this will end well. If she doesn't return them the fish will certainly die. She is a beginner and so I don't think that she is willing to dish out the Thousands of dollars it will take to give these animals the proper set up. OP came asking for help and when we all said the same thing, she ignored us and decided to do it their own way. Online it sounds like we are being mean, but that is really the only way to stress the urgency and dire consequences of this situation. The fish will die. End of story. Encouraging her to keep the fish in a 20 gallon is a bad idea because she is a beginner that doesn't know the nitrogen cycle and you and I both know that rarely ends well especially in such an overstocked tank.

 

Reading comprehension is seriously lacking in this thread.

 

The 1" per gallon rule is flawed. By that rule, a 10" oscar should do great in a 10 gallon tank,

 

I don’t believe this is group think. This is just not a good situation for these fish and everyone understands that. I know you are trying to help but there are very few ways in which this will end well. If she doesn't return them the fish will certainly die. She is a beginner and so I don't think that she is willing to dish out the Thousands of dollars it will take to give these animals the proper set up. OP came asking for help and when we all said the same thing, she ignored us and decided to do it their own way. Online it sounds like we are being mean, but that is really the only way to stress the urgency and dire consequences of this situation. The fish will die. End of story. Encouraging her to keep the fish in a 20 gallon is a bad idea because she is a beginner that doesn't know the nitrogen cycle and you and I both know that rarely ends well especially in such an overstocked tank.

I’m not keeping them in the 20 gallon tank forever. How many times do I have to say that?

 

I’m not keeping them in the 20 gallon tank forever. How many times do I have to say that?

Everyone is aware, we just don't think you understand just how high of a bioload you have on your hands. With this stock a 55 gallon might be enough to last a few months.

 

The Op has been advised on the stocking issue, it really doesn’t need repeating over & over, the op can decide what action they wish to take.
If you have no other constructive advice to offer them then move on to another thread.

 

I completely agree with you Coradee . It is just so hard to bite your tongue (or hold your fingers? lol) when the situation is this dire. I have to admit, I thought this person was a troll when I read the initial post. That is how amazingly inappropriate and out of control the stocking choices are. I haven't posted on this thread previously, but I did read through it and I don't know what advice I can provide that hasn't already been said. At least to start out with....

It appears the OP is not willing to part with these fish. So with that being said, I'll keep it simple to start with:
Learn about the nitrogen cycle.
Do DAILY water changes without fail
Get a better filter.
Upgrade ASAP.

I really hope these fish don't all die on you, but it is a very high likelihood. The tank is uncycled and the fish are messy fish that get huge. So again, learn about that nitrogen cycle. That is the first step in understanding appropriate fish keeping.

I just want to add....You mentioned fish growing to the size of their environment....that is actually really cruel. It does happen, but it is cruel and unusual punishment to the fish. Their insides will continue to try and grow while their bodies stop growing. It is a slow miserable death. I am sure you do not want that for your fish.....I know you love them and want to provide the best for them. But sadly it doesn't sound like you can provide that for them right now. :-( Sometimes we have to be selfless when it comes to our pets. Their needs should come before our own desires.

I genuinely wish you the best! And I apologize for beating a dead horse.

 

Best of luck @Shalene Brittinger !!

 

For a temporary tank until you get your bigger house (or whatever the situation was, I read it earlier and may have forgotten the specifics), you could get a sterilite bin and put a filter on it. I've seen 50 gallon sterilites for ~$20, but you have to be careful with the sides bowing due to them being plastic (although making a simple wooden brace would work wonders). When you do get the permanent fish tank, it's going to need to be massive to keep the fish healthy, bigger than anything you will find in a typical chain petstore.

If you do want to rehome any of the fish at any point, many fish stores (only doing fish), craigslist, and some of the eBay-esque fish selling sites are good places to look into.

Good luck with your fish!

 

Another thing of advice would be that the Bala sharks usually like to be in a school...know this is not possible currently, but figured I’d mention! Good luck!

 

Here are your species profiles for you

Metynnis hypsauchen (Silver Dollar)
Astronotus ocellatus – Oscar (Lobotes ocellatus, Astronotus orbiculatus)
Balantiocheilos melanopterus – Silver Shark (Barbus melanopterus)

 

Wow real love fest here! Best advice slap the salesman. Well their trying already bought a 2nd tank. This has been going on forever beginner buys a tank fish and a small box filter with floss and activated charcoal all on the same day. Most don’t come to a web site most do it all on there own and not all fail. Most never get those fish into a 20 or bigger tank till they can afford it. Weeks months later. Been there done that. As a beginner had 4 Oscars in a 10gal for over a year. Started as OP started. Live and learn. Only came to this place a week or 2 ago. Nice going now the op has left and come on can ya blame them. But hey you told them the right way to do it.

 

There's nothing wrong with making beginner mistakes. Most people do, so it's great that forum members are here to help. The frustration comes into play when it seems advice is not considered and the severity of a problem isn't recognized.

Anyone who reads through the whole thread will see lots of people spent time giving advice, providing data, linking to resources, and offering encouragement. OP's going to do whatever she wants, as is her right, but I don't fault the forum members one bit for trying to get through to her. It's terrible to lose fish and no one wants her to experience that.

In any case, I think OP has all the info she needs if if she reads through everything. This is one thread I wouldn't mind seeing the admins lock.