Cloudy tank?

[SecretSquirrel193]

Help! My tank with my two goldfish in has turned milky - it started to look a bit murky on Thurs night, so had an approx 20% water change on Friday - its now much worse.

What has caused this? Its NOT a green cloudy tank, its milky. I googled and it said it could be due to the filter cycling? The filter is about a week younger then the tank as I replaced the crap filter it came with with a PF2. Do I need to do anything specific? Fish seem ok.

Yep, sounds like a bacterial bloom. The bacteria won't harm the fish but it's a sign that the water quality isn't great. Did you keep the sponge from the old filter? How long has the tank been set up? How big is the tank?

Oh wait, I remember your other thread- it's a 45 litre, right? You can change more than 20% of the water, as long as you're using a dechlorinator and the water you are putting in isn't wildly different in pH to the water you've taken out.

Do you have a water testing kit?

Its a 45l. I've had it set up for about 4weeks? I don't have a water testing kit cause I had no idea which one to get at my pet shop, and didn't really trust them to ask - they told me a bowl was fine and I didn't need a filter

I've got the API water stuff which I've been using?

You mean Stress Coat? Yes, that will remove chlorine. It's hard to say exactly what's going on without water test results. You can buy kits on ebay, the API mini master one is pretty good. You can get one for about £20.

At 4 weeks you are probably coming to the end of the cycle. If you don't know what I'm on about (typing one-handed so can't explain very well!) then this explains the basics.

I have 3 API water things, I can't remember what they and I'm not at home to check.

I'll grab a kit tomorrow and see. Is there anything I should be doing or just waiting to see?

If you get an ammonia or nitrIte (not nitrAte) reading that is more than zero then you need to do a water change to get the levels down. As the good bacteria multiply in the filter they will start coping with the waste the fish are producing. Until then, it's best to give them a helping hand- ammonia and nitrIte are toxic to fish.

Is one like this ok? www.amazon.co.uk/Tetra-Aquarium-6-in-1-Test-Strip/dp/B001B65ZVQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1336937295&sr=8-2

I'd recommend an API master testing kit, I use mine when setting up a new tank and then if I have a problem later on.

I'd do some big water changes using the dechlorinater and ensuring that the water is a similar temperature to what you've taken out.
A 4 week old tank is still cycling so you need to do a water change every other day to ensure that the ammonia and nitrite levels stay low.

You mentioning ammonia- one of the api things is ammo lock - is that any good? Sorry to be such a crap fish keeper, didn't do enough research did I :(

I'd buy this test kit www.amazon.co.uk/API-Freshwater-Master-Test-Kit/dp/B000255NCI/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1336937655&sr=1-1 it lasts for ages and is worth every penny.
Amnio lock is useless, a water change every day or every other day is much better.

The master testing kit is the test tube one? have just looked at that on amazon and the test tube bit worries me - isn't it a bit technical

Have you looked up the nitrogen cycle? The ammonia produced by fish is converted to nitrites by bacteria and then to nitrates by a different bacteria.

Ammonia and nitrites are deadly toxic to fish where as nitrates are less so, when you set up a new tank you don't have the bacteria required to convert the ammonia and nitrite into the less harmfull nitrate which is why daily water changes are required.

The test tube kit is so simple, fill the test tube with water add the number of drops on the bottle and shake. Compare it to the colour chart that they provide.

It's much more sensitive than the test strips and more accurate.

Ammolock is OK in emergencies, it changes the free ammonia into ammonium which is less harmful but can still be used up by filter bacteria. Worth a go if you've got some knocking around but no substitute for doing water changes.

If you do use ammolock then it buggers up your test results.

Ah.. color charts.. Am color blind, so shades aren't that easy for me, how distinct are the different colors?

Not that different, but you'd have the same problem with the strips.

For example the chart will go from yellow to green for ammonia. Here is the full chart lists www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Downloads.html

Not that different, but you'd have the same problem with the strips.

For example the chart will go from yellow to green for ammonia. Here is the full chart lists www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Downloads.html

That color chart isn't too bad, there are one or two that look too similar for me but I can aways ask a neighbour! Have ordered, and will do a change tomorrow. How much can I safely take out?

I'd do at least half at a time at the moment, until you can begin testing.