White Water!

[Aurora]

Hello all,
A couple of questions, first: my water is white! it has been like that since I filled it up. I thought it was just because the gravel was new, and the filter would take care of it. But it didnt. So I did a 90% water change and it is still there, so it must be something in the water? I then put my old box filter with new filter wool and carbon in there to see if that would get rid of it, but it hasnt done anything in 2 days. What could it be? Will it be dire when I get my discus?

Second is can you have two pairs in the one tank, or will they deter each other from spawning or eat each others eggs? I have another 80L tank I was hoping to use for aging water, but I guess I could buy one of those old plastic rubbish bins to use for that and use the tank for breeding.

Also I tested the water out of the tap and it reads 0 kH and 0 gH with a pH between high 6's and 7. Do discus want some hardness or have I just woken in a beautiful dream where the water is perfect and I dont have to do anything to it? :lol:

[weird]

This might help,

"Why is my water sometimes discoloured?"

http://www.watercorporation.com.au/water/water_waterquality_contents.cfm?rootparent=water&subparent=waterquality

One idea which may help is to run your tap at full bore for 2 minutes before using it for your fish, it might help. If not you might want to call your water board.

[Aurora]

Thanks Dave,
It said that the white water was probably due to air in the water, I thought maybe too, but its been days so it cant be that. Its not that white, like if the light is off you cant notice it too much, and it looks ok in the bucket, but if you look lengthways down the tank (especially with the fluro light on) it looks quite white. I dont mind tooooooo much as long as it doesnt affect the fish.

[Merrilyn]

Aurora - welcome to discus water heaven. "Melbourne"
The water here is perfect for discus straight out of the tap (after ageing) The white haze in your water is due to very fine suspended particles. As your filter matures you will find the haze disapears on its own. Don't do anything yet - just be patient. It will correct itself in a couple of weeks.

[gsaqua]

Aurora
Cloudy water is due to a bacterial bloom and will not be cleared up by mechanical filtration, it is biological filtration that makes water crystal clear, had you left the old filter material in the box filter your water would now be fine, you need to cycle your tank ether by using commercially available products or by adding a couple of fish and letting nature take its coarse.

George

[lesley]

Hello Aurora,

Just to add my experience..

If your water has no measureable kH, then unless you are doing substantial daily changes your tank/s will probably experience pH crashes.
I have lost fish with pH crashes.

Lesley

[Escher]

It would also help to add a sponge filter which is very good a removing suspended particles. If it is a new tank the big water change probably gets you back to the starting point.