Cloudy And Greenish Water

My 44 gal bowfront tank that I've had for well over a year now, suddenly turned very cloudy and green. I haven't added new fish or plants. I did a big water change Friday and cleane the tank and changed the filters. Sunday it was still cloudy and greenish, so I did another water change. Here it is Tuesday and it looks the same if not worse. I did a water test and all levels are normal according to the apI master test kit. When I got home from work tonight I see all of my guppies are grouped together on top of the water. I don't know what to do.

 

I'm not sure what could be causing the bloom in this situation, but I'd add an airstone ASAP. Bacterial/Algal blooms can deplete the oxygen in the water column pretty quickly. That's probably why your guppies are struggling.

 

Looks like a bacterial bloom. If the hob is the only source of water movement. I’d say it might be lack of o2 in the water causing the guppies to hang out at the surface. Get an air stone in there and see if that doesn’t get the guppies back to swimming around

If that’s not feasible atm you could get a clean cup and fill then dump water back into the tank for a few minutes every so often

 

I'm not sure what could be causing the bloom in this situation, but I'd add an airstone ASAP. Bacterial/Algal blooms can deplete the oxygen in the water column pretty quickly. That's probably why your guppies are struggling.

I was afraid it was lack of oxygen as to why my guppies are at the top. I can't do anything tonight though. Only thing different with my tank is that I added a moss ball a month or so ago. Would that have anything to do with the water quality being so poor?

 

A moss ball wouldn't effect your water quality either way. It's not going to foul your water, and it's not going to clean it much, either.

If you can't do anything tonight, turning up your filter flow and creating surface agitation yourself is your best bet.

 

Looks like a bacterial bloom. If the hob is the only source of water movement. I’d say it might be lack of o2 in the water causing the guppies to hang out at the surface. Get an air stone in there and see if that doesn’t get the guppies back to swimming around

What can be done about the bacterial bloom if that's indeed what it is. I added seachum clarity this morning and it didn't help at all.

A moss ball wouldn't effect your water quality either way. It's not going to foul your water, and it's not going to clean it much, either.

If you can't do anything tonight, turning up your filter flow and creating surface agitation yourself is your best bet.

Ok I'll turn it up. It's a double filter HOB, btw

 

Adding chemicals to your tank more than likely won't help. Most of the "clear water" products are complete lies, IME.

Clean water, water changes, and time is all that can be done.

 

You could always drop the water level as well. Just out of the blue like that a bloom could come from left the light on too long or just something on your hands when you reached into the tank. It will clear on its own just take care of the fish and the bloom will go away

 

Looks like a bacterial bloom and an algae bloom. The bacterial bloom is likely from a lost cycle. Algae is a lighting issue.

How long are your lights on every day?

Also can you be more specific as to your test results.
Ammonia (?) nitrite (?) nitrate (?)

 

You could always drop the water level as well. Just out of the blue like that a bloom could come from left the light on too long or just something on your hands when you reached into the tank. It will clear on its own just take care of the fish and the bloom will go away

Yeah my light is usually on 10 - 12 hrs a day. But I've done it this way since I set the tank up in may 2017. I turned the water flow up, so now I just wait and see what happens for now. Thanks

Looks like a bacterial bloom and an algae bloom. The bacterial bloom is likely from a lost cycle. Algae is a lighting issue.

How long are your lights on every day?

Also can you be more specific as to your test results.
Ammonia (?) nitrite (?) nitrate (?)

I'm testing the water again now. I'll post results in a few minutes.

I'm testing the water again now. I'll post results in a few minutes.

Ok ammonia level is .25, nitrite is 0, and nitrate is 10-20. I can't really see a difference in color code between the two on the test chart. I know that either is too high. Now what? I changed 50% of the water twice over the weekend.

 

Ok ammonia level is .25, nitrite is 0, and nitrate is 10-20. I can't really see q difference in color code between the two on the test chart. I know that either is too high. Now what? I changed 50% of the water twice over the weekend.

Ok .25 ammonia is not bad. Typically in a cycled tank both ammonia and nitrite are 0ppm. However a reading of .25 ammonia is not uncommon occasionally. Test ammonia daily to monitor for any changes.

There's a few other issues. 10-12 hours of lighting is 2× the photo period required for planted tanks. Also high ambient room lighting from an open window shade or over head lighting can both add to an algae bloom.

Try this, first clean the glass. Inside and out. This will remove Bo-film which can make a tank look cloudy. It will also remove green algae. Lots of finger prints, smudges, and water marks on the outside can also make the tank look cloudy.
Next, water change. I know you have tried this, but change as much out as you can 50%+. This will remove any free floating algae. Also try to remove the fake plants and decor, so algae can be removed from them as well.
Next, get a bacterial supplement, like tetra safe start +, or sechem stability. This can't hurt, it can only help if your cycle is struggling.
Finally, patients, some filters take 12 hours to clear up the water after a water change.
Don't worry it will clear up.

 

Ok .25 ammonia is not bad. Typically in a cycled tank both ammonia and nitrite are 0ppm. However a reading of .25 ammonia is not uncommon occasionally. Test ammonia daily to monitor for any changes.

There's a few other issues. 10-12 hours of lighting is 2× the photo period required for planted tanks. Also high ambient room lighting from an open window shade or over head lighting can both add to an algae bloom.

Try this, first clean the glass. Inside and out. This will remove Bo-film which can make a tank look cloudy. It will also remove green algae. Lots of finger prints, smudges, and water marks on the outside can also make the tank look cloudy.
Next, water change. I know you have tried this, but change as much out as you can 50%+. This will remove any free floating algae. Also try to remove the fake plants and decor, so algae can be removed from them as well.
Next, get a bacterial supplement, like tetra safe start +, or sechem stability. This can't hurt, it can only help if your cycle is struggling.
Finally, patients, some filters take 12 hours to clear up the water after a water change.
Don't worry it will clear up.

Thank you, I will try all that you suggest. The plants are all fake that I replaced over the weekend as well, figuring the old ones were infected with something nasty. I'll pull them out and rinse them well. Thanks again!

 

Your welcome. Keep us posted.

 

Live daphnia will eat the algae that are making your water green and provide a food source for your fish.

 

Your welcome. Keep us posted.

I awoke this morning to find 3 of my guppies dead. 1 other is dieing, His tail is split and shredding. Nothing I can do til I return home from work. I'm so worried!

 

I awoke this morning to find 3 of my guppies dead. 1 other is dieing, His tail is split and shredding. Nothing I can do til I return home from work. I'm so worried!

Darn, sorry this happened. It's the fish keepers curse. I suspect you have a lost cycle. A water change is needed followed by a dose of tetra safe start.

Test your ammonia first to confirm.

 

Darn, sorry this happened. It's the fish keepers curse. I suspect you have a lost cycle. A water change is needed followed by a dose of tetra safe start.

Test your ammonia first to confirm.

I tested it last night and it was .25, I changed maybe 20 % water this morning, before work. I got home tonight to find 2 more guppies dead. Going to go now and get the safe start. Oh I also changed bio bags this morning as well
What's puzzling me , is that only the guppies seems affected by what's going on in the tank. Glofish, gourami nor the neons seem bothered

 

Your guppies may be sick. There pretty tollarant of an uncycled tank. More so then your other fish. Any symptoms that you can see? Mabee net 1out and put it in a glass container to take a good look?

 

Ok. The only thing I see is that a few of them have what looks like a slightly frayed tail. However, now they are flicking themselves on the substrate. Not all of them are doing it but a few. Note: they are no longer grouping together on the surface of the water. I take that as a good sign that the water is better oxygated?!? The water is still cloudy but a bit better, yet it's still green.

 

Ok water clearing is a good sign. Not at the surface anymore, also a good sign. Green will only go away when light is reduced. It's unsightly, but algae is not at all harmful.

Flicking themselves on the substrate is known as "flashing" it is a sign of parasites. That would explain the fraying tails, unless your grouami is nipping them. Can you get a picture of 1 of the guppies? I suspect they have Ich. Stress can bring that out. If that's what they have, it's very common and easy to treat, no medication needed. If they have some other type of parasite, you may need to medicate the tank.

 

Sorry to hear there has been some loss. Dave125g has given you some good advice to troubleshoot the problems. In regards to saying you switched out some bio bags. With a fragile cycle you don’t want to be changing up your media. That will definitely compound the problems

 

Sorry to hear there has been some loss. Dave125g has given you some good advice to troubleshoot the problems. In regards to saying you switched out some bio bags. With a fragile cycle you don’t want to be changing up your media. That will definitely compound the problems

Agree.

 

Did we check temperature yet? If the heater is on the fritz, temperature spikes or plummets could be a factor.

When I need to remove algae I turn off the filter and heater before I stop scrubbing, so I don't get algae bits growing in the filter. I unplug the heater, so I don't forget to unplug it before I siphon.

What is your process when you do the water changes? Are you making sure to treat the water before adding it, and doing your best to match temperature?

 

Crafty Cichlid good point an often overlooked parameter.

 

Two things I go to first: 1. Is it dechlorinated? 2. Is there a heater and is it working?

Gouramies are cousins to bettas and can breathe air in case of hot deoxygenated water. Fancy guppies in my experience though, do not fair well in less than ideal parameters, and gasping for air is usually a sign of low O2. High temps would account for a bacterial bloom. Even forgetting to dechlorinate can cause a bloom, as one bacteria that cannot tolerate the chlorine dies, another blooms without competition.

 

Ok water clearing is a good sign. Not at the surface anymore, also a good sign. Green will only go away when light is reduced. It's unsightly, but algae is not at all harmful.

Flicking themselves on the substrate is known as "flashing" it is a sign of parasites. That would explain the fraying tails, unless your grouami is nipping them. Can you get a picture of 1 of the guppies? I suspect they have Ich. Stress can bring that out. If that's what they have, it's very common and easy to treat, no medication needed. If they have some other type of parasite, you may need to medicate the tank.

How do you treat ick with no medication

 

How do you treat ick with no medication

get your temp around 80-82. The fishlore guide says 86, but make sure all of your critters can tolerate that temperature first, lost a few fish that didn't have ich on them when I went that route, then my heater got stuck at that temp in the middle of winter. I'm not sure why he's going for ick as a cause, but I might have missed something. Do any of them look like they have grains of salt on them?

What is the tank temperature though? I've had cloudy water from forgetting to plug in the heater, or having the thermostat bust.

 

get your temp around 80-82. The fishlore guide says 86, but make sure all of your critters can tolerate that temperature first, lost a few fish that didn't have ich on them when I went that route, then my heater got stuck at that temp in the middle of winter. I'm not sure why he's going for ick as a cause, but I might have missed something. Do any of them look like they have grains of salt on them?

Ich can not reproduce at 85, and at 86 it dies off. Ich can easily tolerate 80-82 degrees. Goldfish can even handle 86 degrees for a week, and those guys have no problems living in my outdoor pond through an upstate winter.

 

Ich can not reproduce at 85, and at 86 it dies off. Ich can easily tolerate 80-82 degrees. Goldfish can even handle 86 degrees for a week, and those guys have no problems living in my outdoor pond through an upstate winter.

How long do you have to run the tank at 86 to kill them

 

How long do you have to run the tank at 86 to kill them

It depends on how bad the break out is. At most 7 days. If you catch it early enough 2 days. Heat is far less evasive then medication.

 

It depends on how bad the break out is. At most 7 days. If you catch it early enough 2 days. Heat is far less evasive then medication.

So is this okay to do with most fish? Most temps max out at 82

 

So is this okay to do with most fish? Most temps max out at 82

Yes it is. Like I said I've done it with gold fish, who max out at a far lower temperature.

 

Yes it is. Like I said I've done it with gold fish, who max out at a far lower temperature.

Very good to know. Thank you.

 

In your original post when you said you just "changed the filters" what exactly do you mean? Did you replace everything inside your filter, just the filter pads or literally changed the entire filter?

 

I've lost my blue glofish this morning. I know this pic of the guppy isn't real clear, but she has a tiny white grainy spot on her tail. Ich??

 

The guppy, I'm not sure if it has fin rot. The glow fish definitely was bloated, so you have something going on.

 

In your original post when you said you just "changed the filters" what exactly do you mean? Did you replace everything inside your filter, just the filter pads or literally changed the entire filter?

HI I changed the whole filter and the charcoal. When rinsing the new biobags I did so in water from the tank. I just felt that maybe there was some parasite or something in the bio bags. And I have noticed that the temp does fluctuate. Saturday morning it was 73° . Monday it was 78°. The thermostat is only 5 mos.old

The guppy, I'm not sure if it has fin rot. The glow fish definitely was bloated, so you have something going on.

I added the tetra safe start, now I'm waiting to see what happens. I have been doing 20% water changes daily as well. I'm also leaving the lights off. So far nothing new.

get your temp around 80-82. The fishlore guide says 86, but make sure all of your critters can tolerate that temperature first, lost a few fish that didn't have ich on them when I went that route, then my heater got stuck at that temp in the middle of winter. I'm not sure why he's going for ick as a cause, but I might have missed something. Do any of them look like they have grains of salt on them?

HI I am the original poster, and yes some of my fish do have tiny white grainy spots on them however, it's on my neons mostly. And it's just on the mouth. It's very small though. One of my guppies have a tiny spot on the very outer edge of her tail


I'm mostly worried about the water quality as of right now. With water changes done daily and the addition of the tetra safe start, I was in high Hope's that this would clear my water. Instead I have 5 dead fish.

 

You may need a second heater or a stronger heater. That's a lot of water to keep consistent. If your house is cool at night, the heater is working overtime, which is a common source of malfunction. Tropical fish do not tolerate temperature changes as easily as you or I might, though I did initially read that as an overnight change of five degrees, I am concerned at such a spread, even over a few days.

Your tetra's head appears gooey, is that common to the others? I don't see ick in the pictures, but if your water is dipping to 73 degrees, ick will be very happy to colonize your fish. You will likely continue to suffer loses. Don't panic, don't feel bad, it sounds like a combination of nature, equipment malfunction, and a learning curve have created a perfect storm in your tank. Give me a minute to procress your few posts, and organize some questions and advice for you.

 

I added the tetra safe start, now I'm waiting to see what happens. I have been doing 20% water changes daily as well. I'm also leaving the lights off. So far nothing new.

Replacing the filter and heavy cleaning definitely explains the loss of your cycle. Which is why the bacterial bloom. The lights explain the algae bloom. I'm pretty sure your fish are also sick. The other 2 issues your getting a handle on. Let's talk about the sick fish for a moment. I agree let's get the water quality fixed first before even thinking about medication. Do you ever see the guppies getting nipped by the gourami ,tetras or even the other guppies? I'm hoping that's all that is. Bloat ,which the skirt tetra pictured has, can be caused by many things. At best it's simply constipation, due to over eating and/ a diet too high in protein. What do you feed and how often? Do you fast your fish once a week? At worst bloat can be internal parasites. Or an internal injury.

 

Takes us through the steps. Take a deep breath and take your time; remember clear heads prevail. If you don't know, that's okay, try to take a picture, or decribe it. Don't tell us what you think we want to hear, just tell us what is.

· By changing the filter, did you mean just the internals, such as floss bag, coal, other media; or a whole new unit inside and out? What is in it? Suggestion: take pictures if you’re unsure of anything.

o Additionally, do you know the brand and model of your filter, and what it’s rated capacity is? Most filter will say 10-20 gallons, but won’t do the trick on a 20-gallon tank, unless it’s sparsely populated.

· How many wats is your heater, and is it adjustable? What is it set at? Is the temperature still fluctuating? Most heaters will have the wattage visible near the orange light.

· Did you know your guppies are all male? (Don’t worry, they don’t care if you call them girls!)

· Are you using a dechlorinator in conjunction with the Safe Start?

· When you change the water, are you doing your best to add water that is the same temperature as the water in the tank?

· Has the green in your tank changed? Is it more, or less intense?

· Does the tank get any natural sunlight during the day? You’re in Ohio, so this time of year, any sunlight it gets is probably too weak to be a serious cause for concern, but you are having a rather unusual outbreak of something.

· How long is the light on? It might help only to have it on while you are home. 6 hours/day is plenty, so just turn it on when you get back, and off when you go to bed, even if it hasn’t been 6 hours.

· Are you going to a local fish store, a major chain pet store, or Walmart for your fish (it’s okay to get fish from Walmart, as long as you know who goes with who)?

· Google search “mild ich” and see if it looks like anything happening to any of your fish.

· The condition of your guppies' tails is likely caused by nipping. The genetic modification of Glo-Tetras is purely cosmetic, they nip just as much as their common counterparts. Gouramis are territorial, and will also nip.