Cloudy Water - Too Much Fertilizer?

[HHaley]

I am hoping that someone here can help me diagnose what it behind my cloudy water.

I’m attempting to put together a 90 gallon planted discus aquarium. The aquarium has been running for about 3 months.

I was having a terrible time keeping plants alive. After a few weeks, the leaves would become opaque and wither away. In response to another posting, I was told by a few members here, that my problem with growing plants was the result of not providing nutrients.

I immediately purchased API Root Tabs and started using Flourish Excel. I only used the Flourish Excel once and did the recommended 1 capful per 10 gallon dose.

The cloudiness started within a few days of using the root tabs and Excel.

The water started to have this cloudy appearance as if a white fog was in the water.

The fish don’t appear to mind and the plants are doing much better. All my plants now have new growth.

I checked the following parameters
PH. 7.4 it’s always 7.4
KH 5
Fe 0.1mg/l
NO2 0.0mg/l
Phosphate 0.25

I don’t overfeed and I perform a 30% water change about every other to every 3 days.

Any idea what is causing the cloudiness and what can I do about it?

[Chad Hughes]

I'm not sure what types of plants that you have, but you may not need the Excel. I'd stop using it for a couple of weeks and watch if things change. It does sound to me like a bit of an algae bloom beginning. This could quickly become green water if you don't nip it in the bud.

With root tabs, you shouldn't have too many nutrients in the water column itself. How deep are the tabs pressed in to the substrate and what kind of substrate. How many root tabs did you use? If you somehow manage to get too many nutrients in the water, this can feed algae as well. If possible, perform a phosphate test as well.

Hope that helps!

[Tito]

I used root tabs as well and my water got cloudy plus lots of algea growing on the glass. This is just typical of lots of nutrients in the water. You have to remember that the root tabs are full of goodies for the plants but those goodies are good for algea as well. Now combine that with feeding Discus they way most people do and you will have lots of bacterial blooms. Don't worry about this - the tank will settle after a while. Try not to play with the water, filters or any chemical additves. Just let the tank be - scrub off algea if it's on the glass. Make your water changes and after a while things will settle. Consider yourself a chemist. You are looking for the tanks microbial ecosystem to balance itself out.

If you add more root tabs, change out tons of water, or anything else you might try you will only prolong the process. These things have a way of working thmeselves out but you need to let the tank be.

I'm letting my tank be right now and slowly but surely the water is clearing.

I should add - that I'm not ashamed of admitting cloudy water has happened to my tanks previous occasions. Salt, African, Fresh water whatever the tank - everyone gets their turn at it. After a while you learn the causes and the remedies. Causes can vary so you need to learn them all. Experience is typically the best teacher for that.