Cloudy water..please help!

[ricardinho]

Hi Guys,

Im quite new here..I recently got a Blue turquoise discus (3 days ago) and just wanted some help regarding my water.

Basically Iv had the tank for about 2 months now, and Iv never really managed to get crystal clear water.

As you can see in the image..its rather difficult to see long ways from the one side of the tank to the other clearly


I have a canister filter with max flow of 800L/Hr. and a 45G tank, which is about 180L.

Now that I have the discus, I will be doing 2 water changes a week, but before I was doing it once weekly as I had tiny fish.
Question is what am I doing wrong?

I have noticed some brownish buildup against the tank's glass. Could this be whats responsible for the cloudy water? My driftwood (new piece) has also started giving off some slime which should go away soon, as I had the same issue with my older piece.

I have a submersible filter..nothing fancy, but perhaps I should use this too in order to create some current in the tank.
At the moment the water movement is nearly non existent as the canister filter outlet is inside the water.

Any advice would be kindly appreciated.

cheers
Ricardo

[camuth8]

The stuff building up against the glass is a bit like algae except that it's not light that causes it. I've had the same problem with my tank. It's just the water current isn't reaching it and you'll need something like a bubble wand or an airstone. The cloudy water may just be the wood getting rid of the tannins. It's not bad for your tank at all. And with discus, you may want to do at least 1 or 2 more w/c. 2 water changes a week is a little low. How much water to you change?

[ricardinho]

Hi there, sorry about the double post. I have already asked Pat to remove it.

Regarding W/C..like I said, I was doing it once a week before I had my discus. So any advice on how much I should remove now would be appreciated.
Im guessing like 30%, 3 times a week?

If so, will this become a permanent thing?

[trungnguyen]

discus requires big water change, at least 50% every time you do, and you should do more than 2 times per week...the clearer water is, the healthy and vibrant discus is

[yim11]

Just one discus? They are best kept in groups.

[ricardinho]

Hi Yim11.

I just got the fish about 3 days ago..Im buying 2 at the end of this month and 2 next month which Im ordering.
So will have 5 in total.

Regarding water change, thanks a million for all the advice @trungnguyen @camuth8

[musicmarn1]

I would also add some purigen in the canister, really helps !

[ricardinho]

Hi Musicmarn1, thanks man. I actually just read up on it - sounds like a plan!

Quick question...my discus hasnt been eating..im guessing this is normal as he is new to the tank?
He also mainly sits in the one corner and comes out every now and then, before returning to where the heater is.

Aside from the tetra bits Iv tried to feed him...he has only successfully eaten a couple of tiny blood worms which floated near his corner.

Will this eventually get better as he gets more comfortable with his surroundings?

[strawberryblonde]

Hi there,

Before you start adding or trying a lot of additives or other filters, here's what you should try first.

1) The substrate - what is it and how deep is it? The substrate material may be contributing to the cloudy water problem.

2) Did you cycle the filter media in your canister filter before you added fish? Have you tested your Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate levels to see what they are right now?

Ok, those are my questions, now for a quick water changing plan.

1) Plan to do a LARGE water change immediately. By large, I mean you should drain the water down till your discus starts to tip over on his side. While you are draining the tank, be sure to siphon ALL of the substrate, and if it's sand, stir it around a little to be sure there aren't any gas pockets building up in it.

2) During the water change, grab some paper towels or a clean fresh sponge (make sure it isn't treated with chemicals) and then wipe down the sides and back of the tank.

3) Fill a bucket with some of the tank water, then rinse out all the filter media in your canister in that bucket. Swish it around to get built up debris out of it.

4) Refill the tank and that's it for today.

5) Tomorrow, do another water change of 50%. Be sure to siphon the bottom well to remove debris. No need to clean the sides or filter.

6) From then on, do a 50% water change each day and clean the filter media once a week. Wipe down the sides of the tank every other day.

That should give you sparkling clean water and your discus will be much happier.

Oh and test your water! You need to know the parameters so that you can adjust water changes on the fly as needed.

[alexsano]

use UV sterilizer