Cloudy water, fully cycled, whats up?

1444 Views 6 Replies 5 Participants Last post by BANANAHANDS, Jun 16, 2008

BANANAHANDS

Discussion Starter · Jun 10, 2008

I've had my 50g show tank up and running for a couple of months. It has been fully cycled for over a month and the water parameters are perfect. Ph-8.2, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, nitrates NEVER go above 10ppm. I do weekly 20% changes, sometimes even more often than that. I feed the fish once a day no more than they can eat in about 30 seconds. The tank appears relatively clear from the front but from the side there is a bit haze. I also have particles flowing around the water.
The tank is filtered by a C-360 and a Penguin 350. I also have a Maxi-jet 1200 with sponge pre-filter in the tank.
I've searched the forums and found many other threads about similar problems so I tried the suggested solutions. I filled up almost a whole tray in the 360 with quilt batting (its laying on top of the ceramic rings in the top tray) then placed the "buffing pad" on top of the quilt batting. I stuffed as much quilt batting as I could into the penguin 350 behind the carbon media.
Then I thought maybe it is caused by free floating algae. Before opting for a UV sterilizer I figured I'd try no light for a while. So I didn't turn on the lights to the tank for 4 days in hopes that the filters would remove any free floating algae and no more would be produced. No luck, I turned the lights on only to find the haze and particles are still there. I don't know what to do.
Any suggestions?

I alternate feeding New Life Spectrum cichlid formula, and spirulina flakes. Temp is a steady 78F. The substrate is play sand which I think may be the particles as I've recently learned it is very light in weight. And yes it was rinsed throughly before use. The rocks are lace rock, again, thoroughly washed before use.

Thanks in advance,

Khris

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prov356

· #2 · Jun 10, 2008

You might take a look at this article. It gives some other possibilities and some explanations about why a haze may still occur in a well established, well filtered tank. It's a good read, but I'd be very careful with implementing the hydrogen peroxide solution.

Take note of the final paragraph.

Cloudiness caused by phosphate buffers. When phosphate buffers, such as Aquarium Pharmaceuticals' Proper pH, are used in hard water that has Ca and Mg levels well over 100 ppm, the phosphate can precipitate calcium and magnesium and adsorb them to itself, causing a haze. You should read A.P.'s Product TechSheet for their stabilizing pH phosphate buffers before you use these products.

I know my Ca and Mg is high, and I have the same slight haze when looking through the tank side to side. Doesn't bug me enough to reduce the levels or attempt risky solutions.

HTH

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BANANAHANDS

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jun 11, 2008

Thanks Prov, I'll have to look into that. any other suggestions?

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a7oneal

· #4 · Jun 11, 2008

Looks like the article covered my suggestions.

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fishfirst

· #5 · Jun 11, 2008

Anyone ever use BIOYZYME FORMULA 100 before? This product is said to be anti algae, and anti green water. Is it useful?

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wheatbackdigger

· #6 · Jun 16, 2008

NTS (new tank syndrome). Give it some time, it will clear up on its own. My 150 is about three months old too...same thing, been cycled with fish for 1 month. This weekend, the haze finally went away

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BANANAHANDS

Discussion Starter · #7 · Jun 16, 2008

I found the cause of the haze and particles. The lace rock I bought had quite a bit of yellow "fungus" on it. I scrubbed it all really well but there was still some left over in the smaller holes and crevices of the rock. I thought it was no big deal because the rock I bought for my 29g had the same and my fish picked it clean in about a week. Well I guess since there is much more rock this time the fish are taking much longer to clean it up. I was sitting in my living room watching tv when I looked over at the tank to see a puff of haze come up from a rock just as a fish was grazing on it. Apparently whenever they bite into the fungus little bits of it break off and look like smoke coming up from the rock. I guess I could wait for the fish to clean it up but at this rate it will be months. So I'm probably going to take them to a coin car wash and pressure wash them until I'm satisfied that its all gone. And yes, I will throughly rinse and soak the rocks prior to placing them back into the tank.
Thanks for all of your input. :thumb:

Khris

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