If it aint one prob, it's another!!!

[RedestWing]

My 75 gallon tank seems to have cloudy water. Does not seem to be algae or bacteria bloom. I dont over feed and I keep the tank clean as possible, what could my problem be?

[RedestWing]

By the way, I am now aging my water cause I never did before, I am usin a 40 gallon til I can get a good clean drum, or barrel, but even that water is cloudy!!!

[Carol_Roberts]

Does it come out of the tap cloudy or does it get cloudy after a few hours in the 40 gallon?

[RedestWing]

Both ....lol, Its does not seem as bad when out of tap, but more after a few hours

[Carol_Roberts]

Hmmm . . . that's usually bacteria. Why don't you totally empty the 40 and wipe it down with rubbing alcohol or a bit of bleach. Rinse really good and refill - see if gets cloudy.

[Smokey]

Just a few questions to consider:
Where are you located - agriculural area, etc.
Where are you getting your water from / municipalicty water; well water, [?].

Sometimes a town water system increases the amount of chemicals it puts in it's water to help combat "dirty water". eg: spring runoff, etc.
Ground water can be more contaminated at different times of the year.

Have you tryed installing an inline cabon filter[?]. any difference?

Smokey

[RedestWing]

Ok, I just came home, turned on the light to the tank, and now the water is clear, but the heater is incased or molded with white powdery stuff. I have been told thats calcium, is this true and can that be why the tank is cloudy is cause the water has to much calcium in it?

[Carol_Roberts]

Is the white stuff on the rubber parts of the heater? IF yes, it's probably diatoms. Wipe them off. ;D

[RedestWing]

The white stuff is all around the coils of the heater, I took the heater out to wipe it all off, but alot fell back off. The fish do not seem to be affected by this, but just want to clarify what in the world this stuff is!

[jules]

I get the white deposits on the heater in my bb also - when I increased the heat to 92 and then decreased most of it fell off in flakes. I believe it is mineral deposits from the hard water (GH 15) - doesn't appear to affect the fish at all - I vacuum it up with water changes.

[RedestWing]

Well I dont have a BB tank, but I am almost positive thats what it is too, I am gonna do a water change and clean the gravel. Thanks for advice everyone!

[KD]

I get that white flakey stuff on my aging container a 35 gal garbage pail - glass heater in the container and on the pump in the container- I heat to tank temp of 86. I use well water that I guess it is loaded with minerals. My tank and heaters in the tank seem much different than the container I wonder why- is it because of the bio filter???
Karen

[Smokey]

Yep. Calcium and the other salts in the water will "collect" on the heater and any glass surface.

My water, at the fish shop, is 450 ppm and I have to scrape the heaters a least once a month, to remove the calcium deposits; other wise the heaters loose there effectivness./ burn-out..

My discus water is 45 ppm. I have no problem with deposits in those tanks.

Smokey