Need help with cloudy water

[Dam777]

I have an issue that keeps popping up in my established 75gal show tank. It seems every two months I get cloudy water. My LFS guy claims its a bacterial bloom and suggested I tried Acurel. This does clear up the problem however by clumping all the bacteria so the filters can catch it creates a mess in my canisters. Im trying to find information on what causes this heterotrophic bacteria in the first place and eliminate it. Ive read lots of articles and some say frequent water changes can cause this type of bloom, kinda counteractive to my house cleaning routine (75% WC every two days). Could it possibly be something in my tap water? Too much or frequent wc's? Is there something I can add to my my filtration to help? I currently don't use any chemical filtration. Would a UV sterilizer work? Thanks in advance.

[discuspaul]

You might give Seachem Purigen a try.
I've used it 24/7 for years, and it does wonders to super clarify your tank water, and keep it that way 100% of the time.

[Ryan925]

What type of filter are you running?

[Phillydubs]

How often are you cleaning your filters ? Are you doing anything around this time to possibly cause such an issue?

I'll tell ya that clean water doesn't cause this and if you are changing water as you say this shouldn't happen.

What type of substrate ?

[Dam777]

I have two Eheim Pro 4+ 350's with mechanical, coarse, medium, then fine going next into two baskets filled with Biohome plus biological filtration. I run zero chemical filtration.
What type of filter are you running?

[Dam777]

I clean my filters once a month a week apart from each other. I have a thin layer of pool filter sand. I feed 8 5-6" discus 2 cubes of Al's FDBW worms daily.
How often are you cleaning your filters ? Are you doing anything around this time to possibly cause such an issue?

I'll tell ya that clean water doesn't cause this and if you are changing water as you say this shouldn't happen.

What type of substrate ?

[Dam777]

Was tossing around the idea of adding a HOB Aqua Clear with purigen only but would rather not addd another piece of equipment if i can avoid it.
You might give Seachem Purigen a try.
I've used it 24/7 for years, and it does wonders to super clarify your tank water, and keep it that way 100% of the time.

[Ryan925]

Was tossing around the idea of adding a HOB Aqua Clear with purigen only but would rather not addd another piece of equipment if i can avoid it.

I run a single eheim pro 4+ 600 on a 75 with 9 discus. My water is always crystal clear. I run an eheim prefilter on intake and only the coarse sponge in the filter. I removed the fine one. Do you rinse your bio media?

[Dam777]

I gently rinse in the basket with aquarium water only. I use the bottom basket for the medium and fine filters, the very top were waters first enters is the coarse filter. So it goes from coarse to the bottom basket of medium then fine then through the two baskets of bio material then return back to tank. I did away with the floss filter that it passed through before going into tank. My theory is three stages of mechanical then bio material makes perfect sense. I don't use the filters supplied, I cut my own with filter material I get from Greatwave Engineering.
I run a single eheim pro 4+ 600 on a 75 with 9 discus. My water is always crystal clear. I run an eheim prefilter on intake and only the coarse sponge in the filter. I removed the fine one. Do you rinse your bio media?

[Ryan925]

I gently rinse in the basket with aquarium water only. I use the bottom basket for the medium and fine filters, the very top were waters first enters is the coarse filter. So it goes from coarse to the bottom basket of medium then fine then through the two baskets of bio material then return back to tank. I did away with the floss filter that it passed through before going into tank. My theory is three stages of mechanical then bio material makes perfect sense. I don't use the filters supplied, I cut my own with filter material I get from Greatwave Engineering.

I do the same I just sort of jiggle the baskets in the canister as I remove them then I hose out the canister.
Does your cloudiness always correspond with wc or is it more random?

A UV sterilizer could definitely have great benefit but I would want to find the root of the problem

[Dam777]

its random, I just did a water change yesterday and started using seachem's Pristine again. So far no cloudiness but it usually returns unexpectadly.

[dillct]

How do you treat your water?

[Dam777]

I refill with a python (tap water) and treat w/prime.

[Phillydubs]

You sure it's not something from the tap or w the straight tap? Every try to age ?

[dillct]

How much Prime are you dosing with your water changes? What chlorine/chloramine levels are you targeting with each dosage?

[Dam777]

I double the recommended dosage when re-filling
How much Prime are you dosing with your water changes? What chlorine/chloramine levels are you targeting with each dosage?

[dillct]

I double the recommended dosage when re-filling

Chloramines in your water? If so, have you tested the levels? I only ask because at the recommend dosage Prime only treats 1ppm chloramine. My tap runs close to 4ppm. If I didn't quadruple dose I'd have a tank full of dead fish. I use Safe at a 1/4 teaspoon per 50 gallons which will handle the 4ppm plus some.

[sayid]

I gently rinse in the basket with aquarium water only. I use the bottom basket for the medium and fine filters, the very top were waters first enters is the coarse filter. So it goes from coarse to the bottom basket of medium then fine then through the two baskets of bio material then return back to tank. I did away with the floss filter that it passed through before going into tank. My theory is three stages of mechanical then bio material makes perfect sense. I don't use the filters supplied, I cut my own with filter material I get from Greatwave Engineering.

Is it possible that your filter material from Greatwave Engineering is treated with some chemicals which gives you this problem ,only a suggestion.

[Dam777]

No, the filter material they sell is specifically for aquarium and pond applications.
Is it possible that your filter material from Greatwave Engineering is treated with some chemicals which gives you this problem ,only a suggestion.

[Dam777]

Just a quick update, since I've started using Pristine since Saturdays WC so far so clear! Just wish I could pin point why every once in a while it gets cloudy. Did I mention I have OCD, that could be the problem. lol

[brewmaster15]

I have an issue that keeps popping up in my established 75gal show tank. It seems every two months I get cloudy water. My LFS guy claims its a bacterial bloom and suggested I tried Acurel. This does clear up the problem however by clumping all the bacteria so the filters can catch it creates a mess in my canisters. Im trying to find information on what causes this heterotrophic bacteria in the first place and eliminate it. Ive read lots of articles and some say frequent water changes can cause this type of bloom, kinda counteractive to my house cleaning routine (75% WC every two days). Could it possibly be something in my tap water? Too much or frequent wc's? Is there something I can add to my my filtration to help? I currently don't use any chemical filtration. Would a UV sterilizer work? Thanks in advance.


what are you feeding and how much?

al

[Dam777]

2 cubes daily FDBW.
what are you feeding and how much?

al

[brewmaster15]

What is the tank stocked with? and hows it set up? Bare? planted? Can you post a pic.

Thanks,
al

[Dam777]

Currently 8 5-6" discus, 8 black phantom tetras, 6 cory's, and 2 small BN plecos. Thin layer of PFS, with 2 Eheim Pro4+ 350 canisters, 70% wc every other day.110455

[brewmaster15]

Cloudy water aside...2 cubes daily there is really not enough for that tank. Are you feeding anything else? . I wonder if that substrate is a factor.

[Dam777]

I do feed the discus granules I got from Chicago Discus but only 3 of them will eat it. I also ordered the Discus Gold w/my last FDBW order but they have not taken to it yet. What do you recommend for the FDBW per day?
Cloudy water aside...2 cubes daily there is really not enough for that tank. Are you feeding anything else? . I wonder if that substrate is a factor.

[Dam777]

As you can see from this pic the water is fairly clear but you can notice white film on the surface. I have my spray bar pointed up breaking water surface and I have the Eheim skimmer running. Maybe Im being to picky but I have been on a good run as far as health and happy fish so Im hesitant to change anything. I did just remove some older dull PFS and top off with new during yesterdays WC, so that could have something to do with the surface film but the cloudy water just comes randomly every couple months110469

[dillct]

An airstone will help with the surface film. I wouldn't run a discus tank without one.

[Ryan925]

I do feed the discus granules I got from Chicago Discus but only 3 of them will eat it. I also ordered the Discus Gold w/my last FDBW order but they have not taken to it yet. What do you recommend for the FDBW per day?

Mine took awhile to take to the bio gold but now they love it. All foods take them a bit of time but once a few start to pick at it the rest catch on. I feed my beefheart flake, bio gold and fdbw. I've also fed them the fdbw pellets and Forrest aquabits and eventually that came around on all of it.

[Dam777]

Cloudy water aside...2 cubes daily there is really not enough for that tank. Are you feeding anything else? . I wonder if that substrate is a factor. Have you had experience with PFS causing this? If it is the PFS wouldn't it be a constant cloudiness and not just once every 6-8 weeks? I really like the look but if it has to go I will remove it. What do recommend as far as FDBW cubes daily for these guys? Thx

110501

[brewmaster15]

Have you had experience with PFS causing this? If it is the PFS wouldn't it be a constant cloudiness and not just once every 6-8 weeks? I really like the look but if it has to go I will remove it. What do recommend as far as FDBW cubes daily for these guys? Thx

110501I'm not familar with PFS but looking at your tank and regime, and narrowing out why its happening, a likely suspect is substrate.


AS far as feeding them.. Assuming you are feeding no other foods.. I would feed one cube per 2-3 fish per feeding at this size. So really 3 cubes min. per feeding. But at this size, if you want them to really grow to potential I would feed at least 2 times a day, possibly 3 if they are aggressive eaters. 2 cubes a day for 8 discus and no other food is really not enough.

hth,
al