I'm going to assume that you have arrived at this article because for some reason your aquarium has turned cloudy. Please don't worry unduly, cloudy aquarium water is not a sign of impending doom. However, it is a sign that there is a slight water imbalance somewhere in the aquarium and you will need to address the situation straightaway. The most common cause of cloudy aquarium water is dust and debris contained in sand or gravel. Normally called substrates, sand and gravel are prewashed before being bagged up for sale. However, it's completely impossible to remove 100% of dirt from substrate so it's inevitable that it's going to get into your aquarium. As soon as this dust is mixed with the water everything turns cloudy and looks absolutely horrible. It's always advisable to wash your substrate before putting it into your new aquarium. Washing substrate is easy, fill a bucket half full and if you can, use a hosepipe to swirl the water around until it runs clear. You will find that with all the will in the world you'll never remove all of the dirt and it's inevitable that the water will be a little bit cloudy.

However, it should only take a couple of days before the dirt settles and the water looks nice and clear. You can buy chemicals from the fish store that bind tiny particles together that are then removed by the filter. Bacterial blooms are often the cause of cloudy water in aquariums that are in the process of cycling.  It's quite easy to identify a bacterial bloom because the water will turn to a milky haze in colour. It's very common to encounter a bacterial bloom when setting up a new aquarium. In the early stages of a tank cycle, there may not be enough bacteria in the filter to consume the amount of ammonia being produced by your fish. Bacteria will then build up in the main tank in order to consume the ammonia. It's the free swimming bacteria that make the water look milky. Please don't panic if this happens to you, no harm will come to your fish because the bacteria are there for a very good reason, it just looks very unsightly and unsettling. If you are in the process of cycling your aquarium and the water is cloudy then don't panic, eventually, the water will become perfectly clear.

Keeping fish can be a very addictive hobby and it's so easy for people to put too many fish in their aquarium. fish tanks for sale in louisville kyPeople often make the mistake of thinking that just because they've got a large tank they can put as many fish as possible in it. fish tank for sale in londonUnfortunately, it doesn't quite work like that. fish tanks for sale in medicine hatEvery fish, big or small needs a certain amount of water, just like we need clean and unpolluted air in order to breathe properly. fish tank glass is greenWhat happens when you have too many fish is you are not able to maintain good quality water and therefore the fish will always be swimming around in the polluted water. cycling a new fish tank tropical

If you've recently added some fish and your water has turned cloudy, take a good luck and ask yourself if maybe you have added one too many fish.cheap aquarium plants sydney It's important that every fish keeper understands that filters must be kept running 24/7 without exception. The bacteria that live inside your filters require oxygen to survive. They get this oxygen from the running water in the filter. When you switch your filters off all the water stops running and the bacteria will slowly die. Once bacteria are dead they will cause a horrible smell and cause the aquarium to go very cloudy. Thankfully the die off is not instantaneous so you do you have time to clean your tanks and filters for all the bacteria dies. Filters shouldn't be switched off for more than about half an hour. If you do make the mistake of leaving your filters off for too long, or you suffer from a power cut then, unfortunately, you will have to cycle your tank all over again.

Some medications can damage the bacterial colony, methylene blue being a good example. Always check the instructions before using a medication in your aquarium. Chlorine will kill bacteria so always use a water conditioner when changing water. Always use existing tank water to rinse out and wash filter media, never rinse media out under your tap. Once your tank is cycled you will be required to change the water at least once a week in order to keep nitrate levels low. It's important not to change too much water in one go. Changing very large amounts of water can often cause a mini cycle which in turn can cause cloudy water. If your aquarium and filtration match the amount of fish you are keeping then you shouldn't really need to change any more than 40% of the water each week. If your aquarium is newly set up then add fish slowly after the water tests show that the tank is cycled. Many people make the mistake of adding too many fish all at once. Newly established filtration systems can be quite delicate and the bacteria colony will need to catch up with the ammonia being produced when you add more fish.

The same applies to established aquariums as well. If you add too many fish at once then you may notice spikes in ammonia levels. This is often completely harmless to fish as the ammonia spike will only last a day or so until the bacteria catches up and water conditions stabilise. Excessive amounts of algae will make your water turn green and cloudy. Algae is relatively easy to keep under control if you follow a few simple rules.Quarantine tanks are simple and affordable, so you have no excuse. Pictured: 10 gallon tank, heater, thermometer, sponge filter (with air pump), cheap LED lights, Seachem Ammonia Alert, various medications, and one shy Earlei wrasse. Marine Fish Quarantine: The Abridged Version There's no two ways about it: Quarantining new fish is not optional. Simply put, serious aquarist quarantine their new fish. When you bring home fish, you also bring home the responsibility of giving them the best possible care.  Fish dying of infectious diseases is unnecessary ... and preventable.

Fish are exposed to a wide range of diseases along their entire chain of custody (collector, wholesale, retail): marine ich, marine velvet, flukes, intestinal worms, Brooklynella, bacteria, et al.  No matter how diligent the best wholesalers and retailers are about quarantining and treating their livestock (and this is the exception rather than the rule), chances are their fish will still carry disease.  It is extremely difficult for large, rapid-turnover operations to rid all diseases from their fish due to the sheer number of fish that pass through their systems. And once disease enters your aquarium, it is a nightmare to cure and can cost the lives of all your fish. If you can’t afford quarantine equipment and if you don’t have patience for this process, this hobby might not be for you. Fortunately you can do something about it by quarantining new fish at home for 3-4 weeks.  For aquarists who are not regularly performing quarantine, I will provide a simple and affordable guide.

I will go so far as to say if you can’t afford quarantine equipment and if you don’t have patience for this process, this hobby might not be for you.  I do not mean to come off overly preachy because I've also been guilty of not quarantining new fish.  Speaking from experience, skipping this simple procedure results in much more pain and hardship for you and your fish. Disclaimer: This is not intended as the most comprehensive quarantine procedure.  My goal is to provide straight-forward, affordable quarantine instructions to encourage every aquarist to quarantine their new fish.  This article is a "living document."  I welcome any suggestion or criticism in the comment section at the end of the article. Here is the ten basic equipment you will need for your quarantine system: Quarantine tank: A cheap 10 gallon (40L) glass aquarium is sufficient for most small and medium sized fish. For larger fish (> 4"/15cm), consider a 20 or 29 gallon aquarium. Heater: Any small, reliable submersible heater will suffice.

Thermometer:  A cheap mercury-in-glass thermometer will do. Filtration:  Quarantine systems do not require complicated filtrations.  In fact, you do not want to run advanced filtration that may interfere with potential treatments.  All you need is a simple sponge filter driven by a cheap air pump.  If you have a canister filter or hang-on power filter laying around, feel free to use it (without activated carbon). Refractometer:  I know many hobbyists still rely on swing-arm hydrometers to measure specific gravity.  Do yourself a favor and purchase a refractometer.  You will get far more accurate salinity measurements (required for some treatments). Test kits:  The two basic test kits you will need during the quarantine process are ammonia and copper.  I would also recommend Seachem Ammonia Alert to provide addition warning of ammonia spikes.  Ammonia poisoning is a very real threat to fish in small/new QT tanks and can kill quickly. Medications:  There are many medications available for treatment. 

I would consider the following three medications “the essentials”: Prazipro, Cupramine*, and Maracyn Two. These three medications are gentle, effectively combat most diseases, and work well together.  I will explain more on their usage later in the article. Decorations (for shelter):  A variety of PVC pipes/fittings is all you need.  Since you will treat your tank with medication, do not use live rock. Light:  No need for anything fancy.  Even a desk lamp (preferably on a timer) will work as long as it does not overheat the water. Salt mix and good (e.g. RO/DI) freshwater.  Premix 5 to 10 gallons to have on hand for emergency water changes. *I have since replaced Cupramine with chloroquine phosphate, which I find is easier to administer for single dose treatment of external parasites.  Chloroquine is harder to acquire than Cupramine though, so if you can not find Chloroquine, Cupramine is still a viable substitute. And here are the ten steps to receiving and quarantining new fish:

Place your sponge filter in your main tank or sump so that it cultivates nitrifying bacteria for a minimum of 2 weeks (the longer the better).  There is no need to run the air pump during this "seeding" time. When you're ready to purchase a new fish, first prepare your QT tank. Fill the QT tank with saltwater to match the salinity of your display tank.  This water can be partially or fully comprised of water from your main tank.  Move the sponge filter from your display tank to your QT tank.  Run the air pump at this time.  Install the heater and thermometer; Match the temperature to your main tank.  Drip-acclimate your new fish with water from your QT tank. Add your new fish to your QT tank.  Let your fish rest for a day.  You can attempt very light feeding several hours after introduction. On day two, medicate with Prazipro.  Follow the manufacturer's directions.  Cupramine is the gentlest copper-based medication on the market and will cure fish of ich, marine velvet, external parasites, and a number of other diseases. 

follow the manufacturer's directions.  This is particularly important for Cupramine because overdosing copper is deadly to fish.  Test for copper levels to make sure you have dosed the right amount. You can also re-dose Prazipro at this time.  A single dose of praziquental may not kill some fluke species or flukes incubating in eggs.  This is one of the few times you can safely break the manufacturer's directions (another will be cited next).  Seachem discourages the use of other medications when administering Cupramine because they do not want to be liable for any adverse interactions with all the medications available.  However Note: While praziquental is safe with choloroquine, choloroquine has been shown to reduce the bio-availability of praziquental, so a second dose of praziquental during choloroquine treatment may prove ineffective. : During the entire quarantine process, make sure you are testing for ammonia and measuring specific gravity daily.  Top off the water as needed and perform water changes if ammonia levels begin to rise to dangerous levels.