Tank has coloured water??

Hey everyone

So I went out on Thursday and upgraded my filter. While I was there, I bought some prime and apI root tabs

I added a 1/4 cap of prime into the tap water that I put back into the tank(after pulling about 5 gallon for cleaning the media of the new filter.)

The reason I picked prime was that its supposed to take out ammonia..and the tank has been underfiltered for a few weeks now.

I put a root tab by each plant, totalling 6 for my 25gallon tank. Have I over dosed to color my water? I wouldnt have thought so...the pkg said a ten gallon could use 5...I just wanted to hive the plants a chance, since Ive not replaced the substrate yet, and colored gravel has no nutrients. I have a little marineland sand under the amazon sword, but its going opaque..



It's a litlle lighter than yesterday, and I'm hesitant to do a water change, because I did a 25% wednesday before buying the filter, plus gravel vac....and another 5 gallon thursday to wash the filter media



The second pic shows bioload better.

As you can see, the clouding is mild. I've been sitting here trying to decide if its clouded greenish or browning...because that would tell me if it were iron leeching or algae bloom

 

I have heard from others that the API root tabs do cloud the water a bit. If it doesn't go away, you could do a water change. It shouldn't harm your fish though.

Besides the Amazon sword, I don't see any other plant in your pic that would require root tabs. Can you list the types you have?

By the way, Prime doesn't remove ammonia. It detoxifies it up to 1ppm for 24 hours so that it is safe for your fish. You will still get a reading if you test for it.

 

25% water changes do nothing unless you're doing them every day.

You want to be doing 50% water changes to see a difference to toxins in the water.

How many fish do you have in there?

 

There's a total of nine fish in there

2 tetras and a green danio that survived my son's fish keeping phase..and my own 5 zebra danios a 1 pleco. Also 4 assassin snails and a few of their babies

For plants I have the amazon sword, java fern and ...um..wisteria?? It was 7.99 at petsmart and I took a couple of clippings of sections that had grown their own roots.

Plants are foreign territory to me

I

 

Tetras need to be in schools of six, and I'm sure that plecos need a much much bigger tank
(and they have a large bioload I think)

Could be wrong about that though, can anyone confirm?
To me it looks like you may have a stocking issue... Otherwise not sure what could be causing it

 

Agreed regarding the tetras. What kind?

Depending on the type of pleco, it may not be suitable for this tank size.

 

I know about the tetras, but they're leftover stock from my son's tank and I didnt dare increase my bioload until id increased filtration. I plan to get more once this tank is set up properly. The pleco I'm not sure about, but if my tank is not appropriate for him, I know where I can send him.

Heres a pic

 

slayer5590 might be able to help ID the pleco.

 

Oh I just remembered to reply to the question lol..was on my way out before....the tetras are neons. They were my son's hobby. He had 7 in a 10 gallon for about a year...but over the winter the tank temperature dipped and he lost all but two. When the golfish outgrew this tank and were put into a pond last month, I decided to rehome the tetras to a bigger tank. My son had by then bored of fish-keeping, so I was already doing the work lol

 

Pleco is a common or P gibbiceps can't tell for sure from the picture provided.

 

Change the water if it stays cloudy, I fed my fish to much and the water went cloudy, but it's clear now. (IMG]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160902/405604587fb6889ca264399cf0bb11bd.jpg[/IMG]

 

It def looks like a common pleco but it's hard to tell
they get very very big

 

The API root tabs can turn the water column cloudy if not inserted with tongs or pushed down far enough into the substrate. You want to get them suckers in 2".

 

Hmm...if he gets too big, ill have to give him his own tank, I guess. I have plans to set up a spare in case I need a hospital tank, he could occupy that. Eventually we'd like a 75-100gallon...to fill the short wall of the dining room. That will be nice at dinner time
This is my practice run, to learn the ropes

 

He may be stunted if he's kept in the 25g. I'd just rehome him now since you're also going to struggle keeping ammonia levels down. They need a minimum of 100+ gallons.

 

Oh, its the golfish all over again..:/

I'm pretty sure the fish store will take him. Unless this guy can go in a pond?

 

Yeah, sorry. I don't even know why stores even carry these types of fish knowing most people don't own tanks that large.

I don't know if they would be ok in a pond honestly.

 

My mom has a Pleco in her pond. Probably a good spot for him.

 

My mom has a Pleco in her pond. Probably a good spot for him.

Not unless you live in a very warm climate as they need a heater.

 

Not unless you live in a very warm climate as they need a heater.

I'm sure you can get pond heaters ?? But yes this is true

 

I'm sure you can get pond heaters ?? But yes this is true

You can get pond heaters, yes.

 

25-33c in summer

In winter, we pull the fish and put them into aquarium s in the mud room. The pond has a pump/waterfall filtration system and houses 4 goldfish and plants. Its about 2-3feet deep and 4 around

Given his size compared to the golfish, its probably best if he has time to grow over winter before joining the pond in the spring...he'd be eaten at this size