starting new tank????

[Tonyintx]

Okay guys ans gals need some help, I started cycling a new tank 2 weeks ago on Friday: 100gal. I have 10 guppies 2 sucker fish (sorry I can't spell the real name) and a couple of days after I started it the tank got really cloudy and then cleared up now about 3 days ago it got just a little cloudy and has not cleared up since then. should I be worried? should I do a water change? or what????? all help on what to do for this or what I should be doing as far as starting this new tank will be greatly appricated. ???

[Don_Lee]

Have you been measuring the levels of nitrate/nitrite/ammonia? It would be very helpful to know what those measurements have been and are, so that the stage of the nitrogen cycle you are in can be determined.

Don

[Tonyintx]

Sorry I forgot. I dont remember I just tested again on Sunday night and unfortunately im at work and the info is at home, I will get that for you'all later today, but I was just wondering if anyone had a gut guess?

[ronrca]

The color of cloudiness is white? Bacteria bloom normal in new tanks! It will disappear. I feel sorry for the poor fish though. I would recommend going with the fishless cycling method because of the size of the tank. 10guppies and 2 suckers are not nearly enough get a 100G cycled. It will take months.

Another disadvantage with cycling with fish is that you can only add a few fish every couple of months. :P

Just a thought!

[BlueTurquoise]

It could be a number of things, you didn't mention what filtration you are running? is it adequately filtering enough of the water per hour (esp in such a large tank). It could be bacterial bloom. It could be that your filter media is new, (sometimes stuff like rocky media and release cloudy colouration into the water if not properly rinsed beforehand.

Do you have gravel? if so it could be that the gravel has not been rinsed thoroughly or contains certain things.

If your filter is enough (for 100 gal you shoul have something like a 400 to 600 galon per hour filter to move 4-6 times your tank water per hour). generally if your filtreation is enough then it should clear the cloudiness if it is no bacteria related.

HTH
Chong :thumbsup:

[Tonyintx]

okay here is some more info: 100gal. with 2 emperor 400 and 2 400 powerheads, no gravel gh 9 ammonia off the charts ph at 8 and 1 300wt heater the temp is always at 82. I think that's it.

[BlueTurquoise]

Did you say Ammonia is off the charts??? that can't be good. In fact I am willing to bet that that is the problem if not part of the problem.

Your filters are not cycled and your fish/left over food is dumping lots of waste in the form of ammonia into the tank. It will take about 2-3 weeks for the ammonia to be eaten up by bacterial growth in your filters. By which time your fish may be in very ill health becuase ammonia is highly toxic.

Do you have access to an older filter? you can seed your filters with old media to get the process started much faster.

Other than that you have to wait and pray. I would NOT add anymore fish. I would go do a large water change right now, like 50% or more, even 80% if you can manage it.

Good luck!
Chong

[Don_Lee]

Ammonia off the charts equates to quick action. I would tend to use some Prime or some type of ammonia reducing agent to lower the ammonia. Also, what Chong said is all good too. Feed lightly if at all until you get the ammonia down, read up on the nitrogen cycle in the water section. Act quickly!

Don ;D

[Carol_Roberts]

He is trying to cycle his filters. Won't Prime defeat the prupose? I suggest you do water changes until you get the ammonia down to 3 or 4 ppm. Test every day. It may take a full 6 weeks for your filters to cycle this way. Once ammonia starts to drop you will have a nitrIte spike. I'd try to keep the nitrIte down to less than 5ppm too. When the nitrIte levels drop you'll have to start testing for NitrAte. Then the filters are cycled. You can do the same thing with regular household ammonia and don't have to burn up guppies, etc. in the process. :-\

CArol :heart1:

[chirohorn]

Are the fish swimming near the top most of the time? That's a good indication that the ammonia levels are affecting them.

The previous advice to 'seed' the filter & a good WC should be heeded. Get some established media from a friend or possibly the LFS. There's also a thread on a fishless type of tank cycling on this forum somewhere.

[ronrca]

Carol,
Prime will not affect the cycle meaning that using a lot of prime will still allow bacteria to consume the ammonia and nitrites. This is done by detoxifing the ammonia/nitrites however the biological filter will still process them. It really does work because I tried it. ;) I also have e-mails from Seachem supporting that.

[Smokey]

Sounds like the biocycling has started. Time is necessary for all the bacteria to grow and work. Generally speaking, this may take up to 5-6 weeks for the bacteria to colonise your bio-media. Patience !!!
Like others have mentioned, w/c, use a ammonia neutralizing chem. (Prime,etc.), and test for the NITRITES, that cycle should be happening soon. Cloudyness, just part of the whole cycling process.

Watch out for your fish developing any signs of stress!!!!

Smokey

[dm]

It sounds to me that everything is pretty normal. Even after the cycle is completed it is normal to sometimes see clowdy water appear for a few days or so. You tank just needs to mature and settle in imo. I agree with Carol that it might be a good idea to keep the Ammonia and Nitrite from getting too high. It might extend your cycle time a little but might be worth it in the long run. Good luck.

[BlueTurquoise]

Yah, just don't add anymore fish until it is cycled and watch the present fish that you have now. Let us know how you go!

Chong

[nalah]

dont really like the seeded sponge method unless you are 110% sure it comes from a disease free tank.

From past experience, PRIME and WC is the way to go.

[Tonyintx]

okay got worried about the guppies and took them out did water change ( about 40 to 50%) and added PRIME but this morning it was still pretty cloudy, I hate not having any DISCUS it's killing me :'( :'(

[Carol_Roberts]

Be patient, it will pay off in the end.

[Smokey]

Just a thought Tony; which would you rather have stressed: yourself or " DISCUS " ! ;)

There is no such thing as a tough job, some jobs just take longer than others.
Smokey