Getting rid of cloudy fish tank water...?

I have had my tank for about two weeks, and for the first week, it was totally clear, but then it started to get cloudy. I have a nice filter, a snail, and some plants, and some live wood. I have two angelfish, (small). I use 'Cycle' once a week, and I feed them not to much. Sometimes, a few flakes get to the bottom, but my fish usually pick them up from the bottom. I feed my snail one algae wafer per night, (what the directions say). Should I use the water clearing solutions from the pet store? I just did a 10% water change, and the water is still cloudy! Help Please! My mom said that it isn't very good to do full water changes, (take out everything and scrub the tank) because this takes out good bacteria from the water. I trust my mom, she has raised and bread Oscars.

Thanks!

Lily K

Getting rid of cloudy fish tank water...?
It's a bacteria bloom. Your tank is cycling. The cloudiness is that good bacteria your mom was talking about. Keep up with your regular partial water changes and gravel sweeps and your tank will clear up in a couple weeks. Take care not to add any new fish during the cycling process.



FYI, that Cycle stuff is a waste of money. You're pouring water and dead bacteria in your tank. They only chemical you should worry about is dechlorinator.
Reply:she is right about the full water change, but you should be doing a 25 % change every week. you should do a 50 percent change right now. do you use a gravel vacuum? because you definitely should. if it is still cloudy, wait a couple days and do another 50% change. do you do filter maintenance? you should clean out you filter every month and replace parts as necessary. also you could just use a product that clears water. i have one that comes in a little clear bottle, its a dark orange liquid, its called crystal clear, and it works ok, but you should also do everything else i suggested.



i hope this helps, good luck
Reply:change out 50% of the water and run a pump overnight
Reply:Your tank should have been cycled before you added fish. Now you will have to deal with the ammonia build up and bacterial bloom until the levels settle out. You need a test kit and you'll need to do 25% water changes until your ammonia and nitrite levels are 0. Adding chemicals is a waste of money and upsets the balance of the tank.



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Reply:Your mother is right, you should always approach water changes according to what your ammonia, nitrate and nitrite tests say.



A new tank will get cloudy sometimes even after a week. It can even last long enough to make you worried but it WILL work itself out. Keep up on yours water tests, always be on the lookout for symptoms in your fish(which you should do anyways), otherwise let it work itself out.
Reply:Do a 50% water change. That happened to me, and i did half of the water, and it worked.
Reply:What type of filtration are you using? Look for ''carbon'' filters, and use those.. Also, I wouldn't be feeding a single snail THAT often.. maybe once a week. Do a 25-50 percent water change, and change your carbon filters often.... that should keep the water clear.



Also, try not to use so much chemicals in your water.. If you MUST, only use a light de-chlorinator.. but anything else, try not to use! Chemicals are not good for the Biological bacterias and such in your tank..... Even if it says ''fish safe''.





good luck!
Reply:change 50 to 70% of the water and then add water conditioner. if after u added it and it still is cloudy, change the water condtioner. Hope this helps!! message me if u have any other problems
Reply:Listen to your mom!

You have not developed the appropriate bacterial balance in you tank. Quit feeding the snail, I've never "fed" a snail and never seen one starve. If you don't have one, consider an undergravel filter, in addition to the one you already have. Go to you nearest pond, lake, or stream and collect enough water, as clean as you can, to do a 25% change. This will help jump start your beneficial bacteria. Be sure the water has come to room temperature before adding it to you aquarium. Don't worry if the water is murkey at first, it will clear up in a few days.