Why has the tank been cloudly through the whole cycle?

Does anyone know why the tank been cloudly through the whole cycle? Could it be to much ammonia?

 

Yes. This is a common phenomenon. It is called a bacterial bloom.

It is due to the aquarium filter not being mature enough to deal with the waste. Therefore micro-organisms of various kinds including bacteria proliferate in the water column instead of in the filter.

In an ideal situation your filters would receive small amounts of waste and would cope, keeping the water clear.

In this situation you just need to be patient and wait for your filter to catch up and the cloudiness to clear.

There are probably too many fish / too much fish food going in to the system for it to cope at present.

It's not good, but don't do anything drastic. Normal maintenance should be followed for the moment.

More details of the tank, it's capacity and the filtration employed would help to guide the right course of action.

 

There is a 60 gallonsponge filter in their and I am going to add another filter in. When I add another filter in the tank will the tank start cycling again? Or will the bacteria just grow on it?

 

I am not sure what a 60 gallonsponge filter is but I am sure that I would not attempt to filter a 60 gallon aquarium with a sponge filter if you see what I mean.

I would use a more efficient powered filter.

If you add a filter to your setup it should colonise with bacteria and add to the biological filtration as it matures but this can take time, I think probably several weeks.

If ammonia is present now your fish are in danger from it's toxic effects now.

What would I do?

Presented by this situation I would immediately take the fish out and put them in a safe environment.

I would then establish a good quality powered filter appropriate to the size of the tank.

I would test for ammonia and nitrate to ensure that wastes are being processed by the filter before returning the fish gradually in stages.

 

I am not sure what a 60 gallonsponge filter is but I am sure that I would not attempt to filter a 60 gallon aquarium with a sponge filter if you see what I mean.

I would use a more efficient powered filter.

If you add a filter to your setup it should colonise with bacteria and add to the biological filtration as it matures but this can take time, I think probably several weeks.

If ammonia is present now your fish are in danger from it's toxic effects now.

What would I do?

Presented by this situation I would immediately take the fish out and put them in a safe environment.

I would then establish a good quality powered filter appropriate to the size of the tank.

I would test for ammonia and nitrate to ensure that wastes are being processed by the filter before returning the fish gradually in stages.

It's a 60 gallonsponge filter for a 40 gallon breeder tank. And the tank is cycling, so I know their are going to be spikes.

 

I agree to add in a power filter in that tank. A sponge filter is not enough.

Make sure to keep your ammonia and nitrites together under 1.0 with large water changes, dose prime for the full volume of the tank daily and in any cycling tank.

 

I agree to add in a power filter in that tank. A sponge filter is not enough.

Make sure to keep your ammonia and nitrites together under 1.0 with large water changes, dose prime for the full volume of the tank daily and in any cycling tank.

First I put special blend in the tank every week. Second I am putting an AquaClear 70 power filter.

 

That's great, good filter.

Special blend just reduces organics, it is a bottle of hetertrophic bacteria, land bacteria the kind that decomposes fish food, poop etc. It won't populate your tank with additional nitrifyers. Their niteout product will and would be good to use while cycling. Neither product will detoxify the ammonia and nitrites you have though.

What water conditioner are you using? I'd switch to Prime or Amquel Plus or similar that will detoxify ammonia and nitrites.

 

That's great, good filter.

Special blend just reduces organics, it is a bottle of hetertrophic bacteria, land bacteria the kind that decomposes fish food, poop etc. It won't populate your tank with additional nitrifyers. Their niteout product will and would be good to use while cycling. Neither product will detoxify the ammonia and nitrites you have though.

What water conditioner are you using? I'd switch to Prime or Amquel Plus or similar that will detoxify ammonia and nitrites.

I first use water conditioner(takes all of the bad stuff out). That's what the conditioner is called. Second I am not trying to detoxify the ammonia or nitrites. I am still cycling the tank, so I am waiting for the good bacteria to build up. Also special blend just adds bacteria (good bacteria) to the tank, so the cycling can go a little quicker.

 

Oh, on their website they state it does not remove chlorine or chloramines. Do you have a water conditioner that does? That's why I'd also pick up some Prime.

Also, because you're cycling with fish, any ammonia or nitrites are toxic. Prime will help detoxify them but your biological filter can still utilize them. It just keeps your fish safe while cycling.

Special blend is not your nitrifyers, its misleading marketing. It just occurred to me this is why you have ongoing cloudiness also, its the bacteria you're adding into the water column every week. Your tank will develop those same bacteria all on their own. Their nite out product does have true nitrifyers (autotrophs) and also the organic removers like special blend. You'd be better off getting a bottle of Seachem Stability or Aqua Vitro Seed or Tetra Safe Start Plus which are true nitrifyers to seed your filter. It won't make your tank cycle any faster (this product I mean). When you have an over abundance of heterotrophic bacteria they can help reduce some ammonia and nitrites but think of it this way, it takes literally millions of that bacteria to do the same job that one nitrifying bacteria can do.

Hope that all makes sense

 

Oh, on their website they state it does not remove chlorine or chloramines. Do you have a water conditioner that does? That's why I'd also pick up some Prime.

Also, because you're cycling with fish, any ammonia or nitrites are toxic. Prime will help detoxify them but your biological filter can still utilize them. It just keeps your fish safe while cycling.

Special blend is not your nitrifyers, its misleading marketing. It just occurred to me this is why you have ongoing cloudiness also, its the bacteria you're adding into the water column every week. Your tank will develop those same bacteria all on their own. Their nite out product does have true nitrifyers (autotrophs) and also the organic removers like special blend. You'd be better off getting a bottle of Seachem Stability or Aqua Vitro Seed or Tetra Safe Start Plus which are true nitrifyers to seed your filter. It won't make your tank cycle any faster (this product I mean). When you have an over abundance of heterotrophic bacteria they can help reduce some ammonia and nitrites but think of it this way, it takes literally millions of that bacteria to do the same job that one nitrifying bacteria can do.

Hope that all makes sense

Well it does work because I always see the chlorine at 0, but I will look at prime