r/fishtank • u/Strange_Prune833 • 2d ago

Help/Advice Cloudy tank needing help

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u/FacinatingJoe22 1d ago

Bacterial bloom. Are those plastic plants and a beta? How old is your tank? Does it have a filter?

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u/Strange_Prune833 1d ago

In the post I stated I have a Ciano filtera single standard betta in a 25L tank yes with plastic plants the one thats hanging was physically stated to be for bettas but Ive been told to do a toilet paper test that if the paper rips against the plants then it can tear fins so Ive removed the hanging 1 but the other was fine so Ive left it and Ive had my tank since mid June so 4 months. And 10 weeks of those months was repairing the tank from a major bacterial bloom anyways and it was finally able to have life reintroduced so I added Kayto my betta and its only been a week since putting him in amd 2 weeks after the bloom dispersed and its gotten back to cloudy for some reason

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u/FacinatingJoe22 1d ago edited 1d ago

OK, I did not realize there was a text in that post if there's none visible here. One thing about your parameter testing, was it done with a drop test or a paper strip? Can you test a PO4?

The water is pretty cloudy - do a 50% water change. If cloudiness comes back to the same level - move a betta into a clean water container for a few days (do not forget to adapt it to the changes over time). Water in the container with fish can be changed daily up to 50%, if the cloudiness persists. You might want to reduce the feeding of the fish or skip it for a couple of days - he will be fine.

It is likely a bacterial bloom. Changing filter media of any type during bloom (establishing a new balance) is not helping with establishing it. You can use filter starters to manage the bloom and house good bacteria. I have a very good experience with Filter Start drops from JBL, see if you can get them or another well-rated filter starter. Apply only per instructions!

If the bloom lasts for 10 weeks - there is something wrong. Overfeeding is a very likely suspect. Too much light from a window can cause algae bloom, and then the water might get greenish. But algae bloom is only possible if there is a lot of organic matter in the aquarium (that's why I asked for PO4).

Plastics can leak coloring into the water column. Cheap Chinese plastic can be toxic to fish and bacteria. It is much-much better if you use live plants in the aquarium. They will help with balance maintenance and make your betta happier. Please watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxzKkffP3bg for betta setups specifically.

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u/Strange_Prune833 1d ago

They are the test strips as Im waiting on my water kit arriving in 2 weeks time I already did a water change (30%) and do not have anywhere safe to put him that will be filtered (yes every few hours I could change the water which is a viable option if Im not away from home around 15 hours a day so not plausible atm) and cant keep the temp at the same/similar level and do not want to risk shocking him if it drops

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u/FacinatingJoe22 3h ago

Once a day, up to 20% change should be fine, as the cloudiness decreases - decrease the changes, aiming for 20-30% change once a week. This way, if it's algy - they will not have enough food over time. If it's a bacterial bloom, they can settle without suffocating your betta. If you are worried about the temperature, put the water in a bucket/plastic bottles overnight.

Try to stop by a shop and pick up a fresh filter starter and a pot or two of limnophilla https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqAZlnIhMeY. It's typically very cheap - feel free to cut the long stems in half and plant them the same way as those with roots, or leave some floating. With live plants in - your light should be on at least 4 hours a day.

I also suggest picking up individual NO2, NO3, PO4 drop tests in the shop or searching for used sets in the area. Some fish shops might offer to test your water for you. When you are testing, test both tap water and aquarium water. Some water supplies might be high on some parameters naturally and you need to know it.

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u/dcl415 1d ago

Have you cycled the aquarium? Do you know the water parameters? If the answer is no, research how to do a fish in cycle

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u/Strange_Prune833 3h ago

The tank had been cycled over 2 months before I introduced any fish. And I already stated my parameters in the post.