Cloudy Fish Tank Water: Causes and How to Fix It – Keeping fish in a fish tank, both freshwater and saltwater, is actually not difficult. However, it’s still hard to be consistent in running it. In fact, the key to the survival of the aquatic living things in it depends on its routine maintenance, while the initial setup of the fish tank is an easier process.
There will be many challenging things that you will face while running a fish tank, one of which is how to fix cloudy fish tank water.
Cloudy fish tank water is not only bad in aesthetics, but also not good for fish health. For that, this problem must be soon addressed for the convenience of the fish, as well as our visibility as the audience.
Well, this article will discuss how to fix cloudy fish tank water and the causes. Check out the explanation below!
Why Is My Fish Tank Water Cloudy?
Before fixing this problem, firstly you need to know some causes of cloudy fish tank water, including:
- Leftover feed which then pollutes the water / worsens the water quality
- Mass of fish feces that makes the water smelly and cloudy
- Dead fish that are not soon taken out of the tank
- Dead plants that finally rot in a fish tank
- Algae bloom
- Problem with substrate
- etc.
Those are some causes of cloudy water, the list above is quite a problem faced by aquarists. Next, we will discuss how to fix cloudy fish tank water.
How to Fix Cloudy Fish Tank Water
After you know the main problem, then you can find a solution to fix cloudy fish tank water. Here are some ways:
Doing water change
If the case is not too bad, you can reduce or change the water volume by 30 to 50 percent of the total capacity. But if it’s too bad, then you must do a full water change.
Also, clean the filter box and replace the media
This will make the tank look like a new setup again. Like a computer, cleaning the filter box as a whole is the same as reinstalling the OS. However, many aquarists avoid this, usually, they only clean the filter partially, which means keeping the good bacteria that have grown in the filter box. For the case of cloudy fish tank water, you can completely clean the filter box and replace the media, which is essential, after that you give bacteria starters to the fish tank.
Clean the fish tank glass
While doing a water change, don’t forget to clean the fish tank glass thoroughly, either the front or the back.
It’s possible that your fish tank water looks cloudy just because the glass is moldy or the front side is dirty. It will make the water look not clear, even though the water is still in good condition.
The mold that builds up on fish tank glass is a bit difficult to clean, but you can still clean it with a special glass cleaner. Note, never clean the aquarium glass with a cutter or something that can scratch it. It will worsen the visibility of the aquarium.
In addition to the problem of mold on the glass, sometimes algae can also grow attached to the glass. But you don’t need to worry, how to dealing with algae in the glass is easier, you just need to clean it with a wet cloth, and the problem can be solved. For this method, you must empty the entire contents of the fish tank, aka completely drain!
Adding bacteria starters or bio filter media
You can add activated carbon or use bacteria starters if you haven’t added them before. But if you do a full water change, you should add more bacteria starters and replace your activated carbon.
Take out dead fish or plants from the fish tank ASAP
Dead plants or fish, or objects that are no longer useful in the tank, you should just take them out of the tank as soon as possible.
In addition to causing cloudy fish tank water, the dead living things will also cause a fishy smell to the water.
Those are some things you can do in carrying out regular fish tank maintenance to prevent cloudy fish tank water.
Do cycling first in the new tank
For new tanks, especially if using a sand substrate, it will usually make the water cloudy at first. Fine sand grains will scatter in the water causing the water to look cloudy. But over time, the sand will fall back to the bottom and the water will clear up. Good filtration will help speed up the cleaning process.
At this time, you should not add any living things first, make sure the water is clear first. Let the water go through the cycling process first, to grow good bacteria, while stabilizing the pH of the water.
This cycling process takes various times, ranging from days to weeks. Even for a new saltwater tank, it can take longer.
As a rule of thumb, you can do this cycling process in 3-5 days for freshwater tanks, and 3-6 weeks for saltwater tanks (requires special methods).
During this cycling process, you can circulate the water with the help of an aerator to provide oxygen. The point is to make the water circulate properly.
Related: How to Take Care of a Fish In a Bowl
Tips to Keep Water Crystal Clear
If the water in the tank is clear, don’t forget to do routine maintenance, such as changing the water by thirty percent at least once a week.
In addition, do not overfeed or over-nutrition the biota. You simply feed the fish two to three times a day.
If you find leftover feed, clean it soon before the nutrients dissolve in the water. This is what often happens, especially for beginners, which results in cloudy fish tank water.
Another thing that is not less important is not to always add fish to the fish tank. You need to weigh the size of your tank with the number of fish available.
The point is that the more fish, the more feces they produce. If you want to add more fish, then you have to replace it with a bigger tank size.
If your fish tank is having problems with algae blooms, especially brown algae, try to clean it from the inside the first time you see it. The more regularly cleaned, the algae will not be easy to spread.
You need to know, algae will grow because of low light, or if fish tanks are exposed to the sun indirectly.
In addition to cleaning the glass regularly, add sufficient aquarium salt to the water. Aquarium salt is powerful enough to restrain the growth of disturbing algae. Plus, salt also functions to kill harmful fungi and bacteria in fish tanks. However, you have to use it in the right amount.
Another way to keep the water crystal clear, you can keep algae eaters such as pleco types and crustaceans, which can also clean both algae and dirt.
Related: Why Do My Fish Keep Dying? Top 6 Reasons & Solutions
Hopefully, this short article about the causes and how to fix cloudy fish tank water can help you. Don’t forget to share if it’s useful.
