Cloudy water in BB tank

[Iminit]

Re: Cloudy water in BB tank

Welcome Finn! Well first have you tested your tap water? Best to do a complete water test on tap water. Take a gal bucket from tap and test. Then let that bucket sit for 24hrs and retest the water. Note and changes and get back to us. Once we’ve got an idea of what your water is it’s easier to give advice.
Your tank isn’t cycled. Takes weeks to cycle a tank. So now your doing a fish in cycle. This requires daily water changes and water tests. Ammonia and nitrite first. You want to keep these numbers down. Luckily these daily water changes are great for new discus. Just need to know what’s up with your water! Some water will change ph after sitting for 24hrs. This water needs to be aged before adding to tank. You may have to do as big as 50% water changes. Is this your only tank?

[finnsdiscus]

Re: Cloudy water in BB tank

My water comes out of the tap at ~7.2 and remains that way. I am currently using a 37 gallon tank as a tank to age/heat/aerate the water so the largest water change I can do daily is around 45%. Currently, this is my only tank that holds fish I have a couple others but I just recently emptied them all to change them from african cichlids to discus. Also, it seems a bit less cloudy today so I dont know if that means I am near the end of cycling or just got lucky today.

[finnsdiscus]

Re: Cloudy water in BB tank

I am currently doing a 40% change and I put the structures back in. I think the structure might have been helping my water clarity because I had them from a past tank so they might have the bacteria on them.
Edit: The fish also seem much happier with the structures.

[Iminit]

Re: Cloudy water in BB tank

Ok Finn there’s no reason to age your water. If the ph remains constant you can add tap water right to the tank. You can add some prime water conditioner if needed. This is how I add water. Get yourself a python hose. You can drain water and add water with that hose. So now you’ve got no problem doing 50% daily. In the course of the next months this will get your discus fully adjusted to your water and cycle your tank. This will also clear up your tank. Something else to get is a green killing machine uv filter 24v. This kills everything in your water.

[finnsdiscus]

Re: Cloudy water in BB tank

Don't I need to get the water to 86 degrees and dechlorinate it before adding it to my tank?
Also I have a python that I currently use to fill up the 37 gallon so should I just put that directly into my 85 gallon.
Lastly, how long will it take for my water to cycle.
Thanks in advance, Finn

[brewmaster15]

Re: Cloudy water in BB tank

Id age it in the 37 gal for half a day... do a water change and repeat in 12 hours... that way you are doing about 5o% morning and night.

There is no set time frame for cycling..its dependent on many factors but unfortunately cycling with fish in the tank is the slowest way as the ammonia you are removing with wc is what grows the biofilter.. but its toxic to the fish so you have to remove it. This means your filter matures much slower. I really suggest you get cycled media from the seller ... it will make this so much easier.

al

[finnsdiscus]

Re: Cloudy water in BB tank

Thanks everyone for the advice. Water is clear, ammonia is dropping, and 0 nitrites.