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| Topic: How to get clearer Aquarium Water | |
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just get a bigger tank
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Yeah I want a 55gal. but don't have the room. The stand I have now can hold up to a 29 gal. which I've been wanting to get. I just don't know what I'm going to do with the old one if I get a new tank. I don't have any space to keep it.
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Edited by
ladycrotalus
on
Mon 12/28/09 06:24 PM
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When I do a water change I change 25 - 50% of the water. EasyBalance is a PH and KH stabilizer it's suppose to keep the water stabilized for up to six monthes without the need of a water change. I did some strip tests just now: Nitrate @ 20 Nitrite @ .5 Hardness @ 150 KH @ 120 PH @ 7.8 Ammonia @ 3.0 I did a 25% change and changed the carbon filter either last night or the night before. Test strips are not accurate. Liquid tests are more accurate. You should be doing small partial water changes weekly. I would ditch the Easy Balance. Regular partial water changes will keep your parameters stable. On a tank that has been set up as long as yours, should have no ammonia and no nitrites. Frequent partials will control your nitrates. You should invest in some live plants, they will add oxygen and out compete algae for food by consuming the nitrates. If the cloudiness is green its algae spores. You can try covering the fish tank with a blanket for 4 days. No light and dont feed the fish. The darkness will kill the algae spores. Or you can do it the chemical way and add in a tiny bit of Tetra Pond Water Clarifyer. It will clump the algae together and clear the tank in 2 days. Now its not a permanent fix, whatever is causing the bloom will make the algae spores come back. It could be too much light, sunlight hitting the tank, excess phosphates in your water source, or not enough tank maintenance. If the cloudiness is white, then it is just a bacterial bloom. Something killed off a bunch of nitrifying bacteria and they are reestablishing themselves. Adding something like Biozyme will help or you could just wait it out. If you are going to add an algae eater i would wait until your parameters are perfect because they can be sensitive. Especially plecos. Also since you have only a 14 gallon, you should get a small species. Algae eaters may eat some types of algae but they need supplementation of algae wafers, cucumber, zucchini, aquatic plants, and driftwood. They will not survive long on what grows in your tank. Common plecos can get 24 inches, gibbicep aka sailfin plecos can get 18 inches. For a 14 gallon you could get away with a bushynose pleco or clown pleco. They only grow 3-5 inches. I have a bushynose in one of my tanks, hes my fave. I have a 9 inch common pleco in another one of my tanks, he is cool but he defecates ALOT. Here are some decent articles. http://www.bestfish.com/breakin.html http://www.bestfish.com/wtrchang.html http://www.bestfish.com/oldtank.html |
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Yeah I want a 55gal. but don't have the room. The stand I have now can hold up to a 29 gal. which I've been wanting to get. I just don't know what I'm going to do with the old one if I get a new tank. I don't have any space to keep it. Wrought Iron stands usually have space underneath them for a second tank. I have a 20 inch iron stand with a 10 gallon tank on top with a gecko in it and a 10 gallon on the bottom part with a couple of baby snakes in it. Same with a 48x18" stand with a 75 gallon on top and a 55 gallon on the bottom. O and a 24" stand with a 20 high on the bottom and a 20 long on top which overhangs 3 inches on each side but its ok since i just have snakes in them. 3 of my fish tanks are on wooden cabinet stands because i store my supplies underneath. My other 2 tanks are small tanks on my night stand. |
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When I do a water change I change 25 - 50% of the water. EasyBalance is a PH and KH stabilizer it's suppose to keep the water stabilized for up to six monthes without the need of a water change. I did some strip tests just now: Nitrate @ 20 Nitrite @ .5 Hardness @ 150 KH @ 120 PH @ 7.8 Ammonia @ 3.0 I did a 25% change and changed the carbon filter either last night or the night before. Test strips are not accurate. Liquid tests are more accurate. You should be doing small partial water changes weekly. I would ditch the Easy Balance. Regular partial water changes will keep your parameters stable. On a tank that has been set up as long as yours, should have no ammonia and no nitrites. Frequent partials will control your nitrates. You should invest in some live plants, they will add oxygen and out compete algae for food by consuming the nitrates. If the cloudiness is green its algae spores. You can try covering the fish tank with a blanket for 4 days. No light and dont feed the fish. The darkness will kill the algae spores. Or you can do it the chemical way and add in a tiny bit of Tetra Pond Water Clarifyer. It will clump the algae together and clear the tank in 2 days. Now its not a permanent fix, whatever is causing the bloom will make the algae spores come back. It could be too much light, sunlight hitting the tank, excess phosphates in your water source, or not enough tank maintenance. If the cloudiness is white, then it is just a bacterial bloom. Something killed off a bunch of nitrifying bacteria and they are reestablishing themselves. Adding something like Biozyme will help or you could just wait it out. If you are going to add an algae eater i would wait until your parameters are perfect because they can be sensitive. Especially plecos. Also since you have only a 14 gallon, you should get a small species. Algae eaters may eat some types of algae but they need supplementation of algae wafers, cucumber, zucchini, aquatic plants, and driftwood. They will not survive long on what grows in your tank. Common plecos can get 24 inches, gibbicep aka sailfin plecos can get 18 inches. For a 14 gallon you could get away with a bushynose pleco or clown pleco. They only grow 3-5 inches. I have a bushynose in one of my tanks, hes my fave. I have a 9 inch common pleco in another one of my tanks, he is cool but he defecates ALOT. Here are some decent articles. http://www.bestfish.com/breakin.html http://www.bestfish.com/wtrchang.html http://www.bestfish.com/oldtank.html I'll try the blanket thing and stop using the EasyBalance for now and see if that helps any. I'm thinking the EasyBalance may be the problem, not sure though. I have two windows in my room but I keep the blinds closed to help keep light out. I've been wanting to get some blackout curtains because I sleep during the day sometimes, and I think it would help with the fish. Thanks for the articles, I'll check them out. |
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I'll try the blanket thing and stop using the EasyBalance for now and see if that helps any. I'm thinking the EasyBalance may be the problem, not sure though. I have two windows in my room but I keep the blinds closed to help keep light out. I've been wanting to get some blackout curtains because I sleep during the day sometimes, and I think it would help with the fish. Thanks for the articles, I'll check them out. All of my fish tanks are near windows and get sunlight hitting them through out the day. Ive never had green water. It could be your water source. |
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Well, you change your water too much every 6-7 months is better, and only change 1/2 when you do change it. You need chemicals and keep the tank out of the direct sunlight. Get a plecostomus, algea eater, he will clean the glass. You also need a variety of fish. Check the water for an imbalance of chemicals. Feeding once a day is too much, every other day is better.
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I love the differences of opinions.
Find your local fish store and take in some water and see what they have to say. I had about 25 lyretail mollies and a pleco in a 10 gal tank, with no issues. Had to move, and they didn't do well with that. Be careful of the plecos, though. The dark grey ones are hardy, but the brown ones are useless. Do you run your water through a purifier? We ended up having to do that here at this place. Up in Michigan, we had to pre-mix and store water in milk jugs for a month before switching it into a tank. Don't overfeed, but I have pissy fish if they don't get fed in the evening. And considering one is a 6" bala shark, when he smacks the surface you know it. Don't overclean your filters. They need some of the slime and bacteria to repopulate and maintain the basic levels. |
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Wow, its been awhile since I ran a fish tank, it was a 55 gal with an undergravel filter with power heads.
I didn't realize there was so much on the web about filtering. I liked the undergravel because it was really low cost and rarely did I have problems. I ran a 'Whisper bio-filter' on another tank that had newts and frogs. I may do it again, maybe just a 2-3 gallon tank with a fish or two. |
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Well, you change your water too much every 6-7 months is better, and only change 1/2 when you do change it. You need chemicals and keep the tank out of the direct sunlight. Get a plecostomus, algea eater, he will clean the glass. You also need a variety of fish. Check the water for an imbalance of chemicals. Feeding once a day is too much, every other day is better. Water parameters change when you dont change the water often. Your pH drops, water becomes acidic, and nitrate levels rise. Then when you do your big water change ever 6-7 months, you shock the crap out of your fish because the parameters in your water source are drastically different. Small, frequent water changes are healthier for the fish, less work, easy, and keep the algae levels down. An algae eater needs more then what grows in your tank to survive and they also add to the problem because they are dirty fish. A variety of fish isnt needed, it is better to under stock an aquarium then to overstock it. The only chemical that is truly needed is a water conditioner that removes chlorine and chloramines. |
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I cleaned the filter system, UV sterilizer, rinsed the gravel, and did a 75% water change today. I also took the hood light off the timer last night and kept if off all day today. I ditched the EasyBalance as well. Now, the water is a bluish white cloudiness, which I'm guessing is a good thing. It should clear within a few days I'm guessing.
No more green! The water looks alot better and is clearing up. The fish seem to be doing a little better as well. |
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I took my UV sterilizer out. I don't think it was doing anything. I haven't noticed any difference in the water.
I'm thinking of getting a new filter. Anyone know anything about this one? http://www.aquariumguys.com/penguin100b.html |
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I took my UV sterilizer out. I don't think it was doing anything. I haven't noticed any difference in the water. I'm thinking of getting a new filter. Anyone know anything about this one? http://www.aquariumguys.com/penguin100b.html I have heard good things about the bio wheel in it, but i have never used that brand. I have whisper filters on mine. |
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I just got a whisper filter from Wal Mart tonight, but I'm not really feeling it. It's too big, so the fish can't really play in the bubble curtain like they enjoy doing, and I have to keep the water level a bit lower than I like. I'm going to return it. I'm going to stick with my plan and get the Penguin, hopefully it works out well.
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Well, I got a bigger tank today. I now have a 29 gallon tank for my three Giant Danios. It came with a better heater and filter system. I also kept the Whisper in the new tank. The water is crystal clear and the fish seem to love it so far. I might keep things like this for now and just get a bigger bubble curtain.
I gave my old tank with everything to a friend. He got some goldfish for it. They seem to be doing well so far. This new tank is monsterous, and me, my fish, and my cat all love the new setup! I'm going to get three more Giant Danios on my next day off. I'm also going to get some algae eaters and maybe some other tank mates. |
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Well, I got a bigger tank today. I now have a 29 gallon tank for my three Giant Danios. It came with a better heater and filter system. I also kept the Whisper in the new tank. The water is crystal clear and the fish seem to love it so far. I might keep things like this for now and just get a bigger bubble curtain. I gave my old tank with everything to a friend. He got some goldfish for it. They seem to be doing well so far. This new tank is monsterous, and me, my fish, and my cat all love the new setup! I'm going to get three more Giant Danios on my next day off. I'm also going to get some algae eaters and maybe some other tank mates. Its clear now but wont be when the tank starts cycling. Did you use the water in the 14 gallon? You should wait 6 weeks before getting any algae eaters. In my experience they cant really handle the ammonia spike and the nitrite spike. Goldfish are a bad choice for that 14 gallon. The rule is 10 gallons per goldfish and that's only temporary since all goldfish grow large. |
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Yeah, I told him goldfish wouldn't be a good idea. I used a little of the old water to help speed up the cycling in my tank. It's starting to get a little cloudy now. It's that white cloudiness.
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Yeah, I told him goldfish wouldn't be a good idea. I used a little of the old water to help speed up the cycling in my tank. It's starting to get a little cloudy now. It's that white cloudiness. White is good Just watch the fish for any signs of stress like redness around the gills and fins, or gasping at the surface, or sitting on the bottom gasping, or clamped fins, lethargy, or itching themselves on rocks and decorations. Do an immediate partial water change to alleviate stress. But continue with small weekly partial water changes. |
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My fish are changing colors. The older one is getting darker and his belly is turning redish/orangish, and the others are devloping black stripes on their tail fins. It doesn't look link anything harmful. I have a white substrate, and the tank is much brighter than the old one. I'm also keeping the new tank a lot cooler, around 75.
They do have some black spot though, but I remember when I first got them with the other tank they had the same spots for a few weeks, so I'm guessing tose will go away shortly. I know there's really not much I can do about it right now anyway since the tank is new. They seem to be doing much better. The older one is not agressive anymore. He used to bully the younger ones frequently, but I haven't noticed any bullying since the new tank. They semm to be a bit more playful and just seem happier. I know they enjoy the extra length. I got some river rocks, two bubble bars, and a new air pump which is much nicer and quieter than the old one. It also came with a nice t-valve so I can control the air flow to the bubble bars. I got a gang valve as well for both bars. I have a fake stump in the middle of my tank that my fish like to swim in, but I'm going to replace that with some kind of stonedecoration they can swim in. I have a rock/river river theme going on and the tree stump is out of place in there. I'm still excited about the new tank. LOL and seeing the fish enjoy it makes me even happier. LOL |
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Plants!
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