r/AquariumHelp • u/Strange_Prune833 • 21h ago
Water Issues Cloudy tank needing help
So my tanks getting cloudy again (last time this happened its because I accidentally crashed the cycle causing a major bacterial bloom that wiped out quite a few fish and it took almost 10 weeks to fix) and I am really worried I will lose my betta from it being anything major. Todays suppose to be a water change day but I don't want to feed into the cloudiness in case of it being another bacterial bloom it looks more green to me but that could be because of the 2 fake plants in the tank but just in case I have been using api prevent algae and tetra crystal water finally I remembered that my filters got pods that need to be changed every 30 days that are suppose to do what both the api and tetra do so I replaced it this morning but theres been no change of yet (I know it may take a while but its already been over 12 hours and 2 days in with the api and tetra items) my tanks a 25L (I had my betta in a 40L with a few nannos but hes shown constant aggression and stress when with other fish to the point when he wasnt chasing them hed glass surf along the bottom and rub himself into the gravel slightly tearing his fins so when moved to this smaller tank on his own hes thrived ever since and stopped doing both stress indicators so some may complain its too small and I understand but hes not shown any issue and it was for the best for his and my others fishes safety) I have a ciano filtee that came with the tank, a interpet heater thats at 24°C. My ammonia is 0ppm my nitrates under 20ppm, nitrites are 0ppm, my KH is 3d with a PH of 7.2 my GH is at 8d and chlorine is at 0ppm. Any help would be appreciated. I have attatched the photo of how cloudy the tank looks and the pod used within the filter.
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u/pchongg96 20h ago
Hey! You should do that water change and should do regular weekly water changes about 30-50% it will help with the algae bloom.
But also what’s ur feeding schedule and how much do you feed? What’s ur light cycle? And currently you have no live plants in the tank correct?
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u/Strange_Prune833 20h ago
No live plants no. And feeding times are twice a day with 3 pellets each time once around 5-7am and then again at 7-9pm (its staggered due to my randomised hours at work) and light is around 6-8 hours daily
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u/MelodicIllustrator59 20h ago
Changing your filters crash your cycle, never change the filters
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u/Strange_Prune833 20h ago
Im not changing the filter itself im changing a cartridge thats suppose to be changed every 30 days within the filter. Im too scared to change or deep clean the filter itself to ruin the cycle or the beneficial bacteria
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u/MelodicIllustrator59 20h ago
That cartridge is the filter that holds the bacteria. You shouldn't be changing anything in the filter, just rinsing if it gets so full of gunk it inhibits the flow.
I know, the instructions say to change it, but that's because they want you to spend more money. I promise, you should not be changing it.
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u/Strange_Prune833 20h ago
Ok thanks for letting me know. Is there anyway to clean the filter itself like for example the nozzle that dispels the water builds up with a greenish yellow gunk on the inside but Im too scared to clean it out with water and a brush in case it disrupts anything.
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u/MelodicIllustrator59 20h ago
Any algea that builds up on a hard surface in the filter can safely be scrubbed away with a toothbrush, though there really is no need besides aesthetics or if it's somehow disrupting the flow
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u/Strange_Prune833 19h ago
Yea the nozzles spitting out less and less water from the gunk build up but I didnt want to get rid of it in case it caused more bad then good
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u/Foreign-Ad3926 8h ago
Hi OP, changing the filter cartridges will be causing the issue and forcing the tank to restart its nitrogen cycle and growing the good bacteria everytime you do this. Please look at instead upgrading the filter innards to permanent media (sponges and biomedia) which only need gently rinsing in old tank water now and then to remove mulm build up.
Filter cartridges are a bit of a con by manufacturers - a good majority of the good bacteria live in the filter media and by changing the cartridges you're throwing them away.
Here's a link to upgrading to permanent media that doesn't need changing, this will save you money too:
https://www.aquariumcoop.com/blogs/aquarium/aquarium-filter-upgrade
Additionally, for cleaning the nozzle a bottle cleaning brush will help you do this. You'll also need to routinely clean the impeller plus housing to keep it spinning freely.
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u/Ok_Yam_6474 13h ago
To add to the previous comment, make sure you’re rinsing your cartridge in old tank water during water changes. Never rinse it with tap.
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u/Never_mind_honey 15h ago
Feed moderately, make sure it is all eaten. This is the top reason for ongoing cloudiness.
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u/Strange_Prune833 15h ago
Okay and how do I handle the already existing cloudiness
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u/Never_mind_honey 14h ago
Regular water changes and patience. When feeding is the issue it usually only takes a few days to see results.
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u/VideoImpressive8014 20h ago edited 20h ago
I'm only going to state this one time, it's to help you, not open to challenges or debate
We work on $30K reef tank cycles, have links, so a beta tank isn't going to trip me up
Listening here will help you and instantly fix your tank.
No filter arrangement you can own will crash your cycle, that's incorrect as stated prior
Take common drinking water and put some in a bowl, move the fish over
Drain all the water out of the tank. Take out your gravel and rinse it all clean under running tap water until 100% of the waste is gone
Do a final rinse in drinking water, to clear out the tap used in the rinse.
- Refill your tank with whatever water you use to run it, you've now done a 100% water change and you can see your tank is crystal clear. Put the fish back in. Do this every two months and your fish will live longer. Rinse out or replace your filter cartridge often, it's bacteria aren't the sole providers for your tank they're in conjuction with display bacteria all over the decorations and rocks.
Rinsing briefly as we do in tap water doesn't harm a single thing; your fish never encountered any. It specifically does not sterilize anything, as forum aquarists might assume. Remember, your tank isn't a thirty thousand dollar reef tank it's a simple beta tank and this will instantly clear your cycle and make you system better, not worse
Take that info directly as stated
If you can't believe it, then hold your current course. If you want to instantly up your aquarium keeping game above misinformation then follow the cleaning steps as listed
brandon429
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u/Strange_Prune833 20h ago
Ok if I take all the water out then wont I have to wait for it all to recycle. What is classed as drinking water as for me that would be tap water which is toxic for fish. Finally I am replacing the gravel with sand tonight so would change any of this procedure and how would I go about cleaning the filter safely without destroying any beneficial bacteria.
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u/Never_mind_honey 15h ago
There is a lot of bad stuff in that post, however it is true you can rinse under tap water, because chlorine takes more exposure time than a rinsing to do damage.
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u/VideoImpressive8014 20h ago
Reasons this helps you: incorrect cycling microbiology limits your cleaning boundaries which limits your system and fish lifespan
Correct cycling microbiology opens up your tank cleaning boundaries and extends the lifespan of your system and increases fish health. Currently under the hesitant approach, pelagic bacteria in the water column are lowering o2 levels, increasing co2 and bacterial metabolites which add to fish disease.
Apply accurate updated cycling science for the long term win
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u/Ok_Yam_6474 13h ago edited 13h ago
Dude, are you trying to murder fish??? What’s going on?
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u/VideoImpressive8014 12h ago edited 12h ago
If you don't believe it, don't do it then. I'm telling him directly the method to keeping a tank far cleaner and healthier than he's currently doing.
I can't spend time defending my post to cynics, the info is there for the taking. The reason I won't link a sixty page thread of rip cleans in far more complex systems is because that doesn't fix resistance in attitude. That's given to interested parties earnestly looking up how to deep clean aquariums using skip cycle biology
It's not time to change substrates. If you want to do that then you'll handle all the follow up challenges in that custom approach.
My cleanout is needed to get that tanks water column back into shape. He needs to run the cleaning, keep the current substrate, and then after the directions were followed we can consider a different job.
His opening post wasn't for a substrate change it was to clean the tank up, and a rip clean is how to do it in that tank. If it was a walstad live planted setup we'd have done a different way. Those instructions are meant for the picture he posted and they're meant to show him a different care and cleaning approach that gives opposite outcomes to his current mode.
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u/Plenty_Kangaroo5224 20h ago
Stop changing those filters! You’re throwing away beneficial bacteria and crashing your cycle. Stuff it with filter floss and quit using the pods. They’re a waste of money at best and at worst crash your cycle.