Cloudy Fish Tank

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I’ve been an aquarium fanatic for years and there is one thing that can really baffle me at times. I’m not talking about fish or corals dying or having a pump malfunction. I’m talking about waking up to a cloudy tank. Now of course there are ways to figure out what happened but it can be quite frustrating for someone new to the hobby.

I think the best thing for us to do is to start by talking about setting up a new aquarium and move on from there.

Usually when you setup a new tank and fill it full of water, it will appear cloudy. Even if you have washed the stones, rock, or sand that you are using it will still look cloudy due to the air bubbles and any dust that may have entered. Usually if you start your pumps and leave it overnight, in the morning everything will look crystal clear.

After you have got everything setup and toss some fish in, within the first week the tank may start to change from its crystal appearance. With any new setup, the chemical balance in the water is going to go through some phases when organic wastes start to build up. Bacteria may start to multiply creating a cloudy presence. During this time of chemical change you should change 10-20% of the water at least once a week to help remove some of the more toxic build ups like ammonia. Once the aquarium has established its chemical and biological medium, things should be running just fine.

Another common problem for a cloudy tank is over feeding. Many people tend to toss in a handful of food and walk away. The proper method is to put a little bit of food at a time so that the majority of it is not settling on the bottom of the fish tank. Usually it is best to feed them as much as they will eat in a couple of minutes and no more. Again, partial water changes will be needed along with good filtration to help remove the toxins from decomposing food and waste.

If you set up your tank with nothing but fake items, then perhaps one of them is leeching in to the water. This is especially dangerous for saltwater aquariums as many of the fish and plant life have very low tolerance for pollution. You should always use things that are aquarium safe and not a metal pipe you’ve brought in from outside.

Keeping the gravel or sand clean is another important task to help keep a clean tank. There are bacteria and other small organisms that will help dispose of waste but for a home aquarium it is not practical to rely solely on them.

The last thing I want to mention about cloudy tanks is algae. There are many types of algae that can over take your tank. Over feeding your tank can encourage its growth, as well as, having your tank that gets direct sunlight. In fact, most home aquariums that are exposed will grow algae at alarming rates and can actually kill your fish. Not to mention, direct sunlight will also heat your aquarium and you might come home to floating fish.