Jason and Like: This thread is two years old. The answer is yes, but not because water changes are inherently bad. This method slowly mixes the tank water the water the fish was in the LFS, making sure it becomes used to other parameters like PH. We'll start with the most common issue that may have turned your tank cloudy: Bacterial bloom. If the tank water in your white cup has a green tint (or your aquarium looks like its full of pea soup), youre probably dealing with an algae bloom. If you use sand as a substrate for your fish, you would have noticed that sometimes, the water in the aquarium turns cloudy, especially when you increase the sand already in the aquarium. Keep reading to find out the ultimate solution as to why your fish tank is cloudy and fishes are dying and how you can save your fish and prevent the cloudiness in your fish tank. Soon After A Tank Is Started: If cloudy aquarium water occurs a couple weeks after a tank is started, and after fish and food are being added, then the issue may be a bacterial bloom caused by a buildup of organic material in the water. Hence, the nitrate and phosphate level elevates when left unchecked, thus causing cloudiness in the tank water. What fish could live in a 1/2 gallon tank with no heater or filter? If your cloudy aquarium water is caused by a bacteria bloom, which usually happens 2 to 4 days after adding new fish to the tank, then no, it should not be harmful to fish and will clear up on its own. Owning and maintaining a fish tank is a fantastic hobby, but its also a significant investment, both of money and time, so getting home to see that your fish tank doesnt have the lovely clear water youre expecting can feel disheartening!. However, it can be terrifying and distressing when your fishes are dying without any apparent reason. Disconnect any other power sources for the tank as well so there is no risk of electric shock while you perform maintenance on the tank. Solution: You must acclimate the fish slowly to give them time to adapt to the new water. Uneaten food decays, fouling the water. Hardness n ph hi so add a ph powder that says its meant for my fish, mollies tetras n guppies. you read and agreed to the. Fish died to untreated tap water. Changing a small portion of water with freshwater, will remove waste food from the tank. Chemicals from the uneaten food and the decomposing fish waste are likely to contaminate the tank and make the water toxic. Freshwater fish are, after all, finely adapted to living in freshwater. When you set up a tank without cycling, and stock it heavily, the levels of ammonia the fish produce can kill them. Sorry if I am, Guppa, do you realize you're posting on old threads? Cloudy water in an aquarium is a normal part of the cycling process that should happen after a water change of prior to introducing fish. However, aquarium water can get cloudy if you have soil or water in the tank that is being stirred up. A lot of novice fish owners have probably freaked out over their aquarium water turning a cloudy grey. My tank has cloudy water and my fish are dying : hi i have a aqua one ar 850 tank with tropical in and it was perfect in everyway all levels were as they should be and my fish were fine.. then the other day my partner decided he wanted a change so we bought new gravel and a new larger filter. Even though having a fish tank with cloudy water might look disgusting, it's quite normal if your tank is new. It's normal for cloudy water to form several weeks or months after you've set up your tank. Because the fish live in the water, and the changes happen slowly, they adjust to it. Sounds like you have a good handle on cycling so that a +, yes i have added salt and i use the API freshwater testing kit.. all my levels are 0 with my ammonia ever so slightly high at 0.25 and my ph at a healthy 7.0 which has never changed.. the conditioner i used binds the cloudy bacteria into larger particles so the filer can eliminate them i also have an aqua one 1250 filter system running at all times x. If you still overfeed your fish, it would lead to a lethal rise in nitrate levels and ultimately cause fish death and cloudiness in fish tank water. Poor Water Quality. Keep the ammonia reading at or below .5 by do small water changes or use a produce like Prime that binds ammonia add a super small dose of salt 1teaspoon per 10 gallon this will protect the fish from nitrite piosoning. Strictly follow a feeding schedule for your fish. Uneaten food will sink to the bottom of the fish tank and will gradually decompose, increasing the amount of ammonia in the aquarium. , i lost 28 guppies and a sword tail because of nitrate problems, tank was cloudy, because i cleaned it too good. The resulting cloudiness is less of a milky white or grey and less of a brownish or greenish cloud and more appropriately described as just plain dirty looking water. After the nitrogen cycle is working, you may want to stop using aquarium salt. Still, the new tank syndrome is an exception in this case. 1. Betta Fish tank with filter cloudy after water change. White foamy Bubbles on top of tank water?, Levels in tank ar Is it safe to buy a fish from a tank that has a dead fish in it? Check the feeding quantities until your fish consume all the food in 2-3 minutes. It's fine for specific purposes, but salt concentration can increase over time, and its effects may be too broad. Your bacteria colony can help, and live plants can help, but if things get out of control your fish will soon find themselves in Over time the by-products of fish waste, uneaten food particles, dead leaves from plants, etc., alter the chemistry of the water. #12 Filter Problems Please help, my tank not good, added salt, conditioner and bio booston setup than after fish in for bit their back fins seem shreaded. You see, this bacteria commonly appears when decaying plants, rotting fish food or too much poop builds up in your tank. You must have a thermometer attached to the fish tank to check the temperature levels of fish tank water. But than tank super super cloudy than another one died so i done complete water and fillter change. How to prevent your fish from dying of ammonia poisoning, Why your fish may be at the bottom of the tank, Correct Media Placement in Your Filter (demonstrated on a Top Fin 10 Power Filter), How to paint the background of your fish tank black, My fish water is fine, but my glo fish keep dying, Cycling a new tank with media from an established tank, The Minimum Tank Turnover for Your Filter, How long do you have to wait to add fish to a new tank? If a high ph level is causing the milky water, you can add certain types of moss or driftwood to naturally lower the ph down to a healthy level.