[cshelton78]

i just set up a new 47 gal tank. i set the tank up and waited 48 hours before adding fish. the water was treated and everything was working fine. the water was crystal clear. i then put in 5 south american cichlids, and the water remained clear.

after the first feeding my water is a bit cloudy. i use a cichlid flake (says won't cloud water) and feed exactly to the directions of enough food for the fish to eat for 3 minutes. i feed them once in the morning and once at night.

why is the water now cloudy? any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

corey

 

[bulldogg7]

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/cycling.php

48 hours isn't enough time to cycle a new tank, by "treated" I'm taking it to mean dechlorinated.
They're chemicals available to remove ammonia and nitries, but you're gonna need that ammonia to get it cycled. Maybe do a small water change every couple of days and pray until everything settles. And get a test kit. Keep the water moving so they get plenty of O2.

I'm sure someone will chime in with some better advice.

 

[remarkosmoc]

Cloudy water is quite normal in a new and cycling tank.

Unfortunately you may have more problems on the horizon. 48 hours is enough time to let the chlorine evaporate, but your tank still needs to "cycle" or develop a healthy crop of bacteria which converts toxic fish wastes (ammonia) ultimately to relatively inert nitrate.

If you don't closely monitor the ammonia and nitrite level you will likely lose some fish. An ammonia and nitirie test kit is essential for monitoring these levels so you know when it is safe.

Here is an article that expains the nitrogen cycle that needs to develop in your tank.

Welcome to the forum and good luck. :thumb:

 

[remarkosmoc]

That funny, bulldog, you and I were typing the same advise at the same time, great minds think alike right :lol:

 

[bulldogg7]

I fixed my typos as you posted the last one too
I swear I wasn't copying your paper.

 

[cshelton78]

thank you both for the helpful information. when you say i should get a test kit...what exactly should i be testing for and what are the ideal levels of these test to ensure my fish are healthy? thanks

 

[bulldogg7]

Do you have any friends with aquariums? You could probably get a used filter cartridge from them, stick in one of your filters or squeeze it out in the tank. Nasty I know but it will have the bacteria you need.
Ammonia should be zero, nitrites should be zero. But you probably won't see that, for a while.
Some fish are tough and can make it through the cycling, but you may lose some.
Usually any level of ammonia you will see the side effects, red veins in the fins are a start.
If the nitrites get too high, they will either be swimming at the surface or collapsed at the bottom. Nitrites mess up their ability to get oxygen from the water, you'll need all the surface agitation you can get to get more oxygen into the water, some say airstones do nothing, but they also move the surface and help the O2 exchange.

 

[fishy714]

What you are testing for is ammonia and nitrite. These are the two chemicals you test for so you know when it is safe for your fish to be introduce to your fish tank. But since you already have fish just make sure your ammonia level is not through the roof.

 

[remarkosmoc]

I like the API test kits. You can get a "master" test kit anywhere that sells fish for about 15 bucks or so. A healthy cycled aquarium will read zero ammonia and nitrite consistently. Most likely you won't see ammonia at zero (without action at your part) for 3-4 weeks and nitrites 5-6 weeks.

I don't have the levels memorized but you need to do water changes or use additives anytime your color is in the 3rd box on the chart. The chart usualy has 5 or 6 levels, zero being the one on top. If you are in the 3rd box you are in trouble.

This likely means you may be changing water every other day.

Depending on what kind of store you bought your fish at, if they will take them back with the understanding that you will stock your tank after it is cycled you could do a fishless cycle or cycle with disposable fish (my apologies to those who think that is wrong to do).

At the end of the cycling article we linked to above is a link to fishless cycling.

 

[chevyjock]

Or i could be you didnt rinse out the gravel well enouh and then it settled. Now the fish could be disturbing it. It's not as in depth as the above two, but it is just a suggestion

 

[toph017]

what kind and how big are the sa's you added? its never i good idea to add 5 fish to a tank at once because of the hefty bioload that comes with it, but hey, its all part of the learning process.