Cloudy Water

[maxpayne40]

Okay another thing I am obviously about to learn. Last night I checked my tank (32 gallons) with canister and hood filter for an Aqua One 620R tank.

The fish were doing great and water was very clear. I have tested recently with ammonia kit (one that changes colour) and its colour indicated the water was fine.

Anyway today the water seemed cloudy so I did a 20% change (I do that every 2nd day anyway atm) and the water still seemed a little cloudy.

My wife rang me at work and said the water was now cloudy and the fish were at the top appearing to gulp for air. So this required a dash home and another larger (possibly 25%) water change which was almost 50% for the day. I also put in an air stone for a while to increase the O2 exchange.

Tonight the water is clearer and the fish are not hanging at the top gulping anymore and seem acitve again.

Can anyone tell me what possibly went wrong? and I thought fish were supposed to be relaxing :roll:

[Monolicious]

Hi Max,

My first thought would be an ammonia spike.

Do you dechlorinate your water before you do water changes ? If not this could have caused a Ammonia spike due to the chlorine in the water killing off your benificial bacteria in your filters...

just a thought though.

[maxpayne40]

No I always use aditives to get rid of chlorine and ammonia. Sometimes I age the water, all depends on time.

The only other thing I can possibly think of is that the hood filter was not working as I had trouble with it yet again :cry: and it has been running longer then then canister filter I have. I actually thought it may have been an ammonia spike due to that, although I am unsure.

Does the water go cloudy due to ammonia spikes?.

[Tardis]

I woke up one morning to a cloudy tank and heavied a heavy sigh. I then noticed that a bit of a ditch had been dug in the gravel that had stirred up the Laterite underneath. I have no other fish big enough than Discus to dig the ditch, later that night after lights out I noticed one of the newer Discus was sleeping in the ditch!! He still sleeps there months afterwards.
Never heard of this before..